Superficially entertaining, very derivative

Rating: 7/10 (11 August 2004)

This movie is enjoyable enough if you like costume dramas (in this case a re-creation of 19th-century Japan). But very soon I felt I was watching "Dances with Wolves goes to Japan" (disillusioned white man reinvents self as Indian/Samurai, take your pick). The over matched samurai soldiers versus the Japanese modern army made me think of Braveheart's last stand against the army of Edward Longshanks. And Tom Cruise returning to the idyllic Japanese village at the end reminded me of Liam Neeson coming back to "Mary McGregor" at the conclusion of "Rob Roy". Incidentally, of the three movies (Samurai, Braveheart, Rob Roy), Rob Roy is easily the best in all sorts of ways. Enough said.