More than just "Dances With Samurai"

Rating: 8/10 (1 December 2003)

Truly one of the better films I've seen so far in 2003 (which may or
may not be the highest criteria I could give a film, but it will have to
do). Even if you are not a Tom Cruise fan (he's actually quite good in
this one), this is a film not to be missed! I jokingly refer to it as
"Dances With Samurai," because plotwise, it is very similar to
"Dances With Wolves," although really, I think, it is much better. In
fact, while the first half of the film is like "Dances With Wolves," the
second half is more like Braveheart - so if you liked either of those
films (or both), you will definitely like this one! This qualifier begs a debate on the merits of remaking old
plotlines for Hollywood movies, but when a film such as "The Last
Samurai" comes along and is clearly better than its predecessor, I
have no problem in giving it praise. For fans of historical epics, this will not disappoint - nor will it be a
disappointment to those with an interest in Japanese culture, as it
focuses on "Bushido," or the code of the Samurai warriors. Also, one last detail - I enjoy films such as this that do not insult
my intelligence by having the courage to present the actual
language of the country being portrayed. Although there aren't
many parts of this film with Japanese dialogue, I would much
prefer hearing Japanese being spoken and read subtitles, to
hearing Japanese actors speaking in a fake, broken English
dialect.