Dances with Katanas (aka Last Samurai)

[Shadowdancer]

Anyone else planning on seeing this movie this weekend? I am, but I'm having serious doubts about Cruise's ability to disappear into the role enough to make me forget I'm watching Tom Cruise play an American Civil War hero playing at being a samurai.

I think the movie overall will be good, and worth seeing. I just don't know if Cruise's presence will ruin it enough to keep it from being great. After seeing the trailer, particularly the scene in which he is accepting the job to train the Japanese soliders. He is laughing and, I believe, drunk. I don't think he is pulling off that scene very well. If that is indicative of his total performance . . . Oh well, we shall see.

 

[Ranger REG]

Well, he was supposed to play a disgraced and disenchanted soldier who simply went to Japan because of the money and get away from America, to train the Emperor's army to be sharpshooters, or at least handle the rifles.

But suddenly he finds new life when he was captured by the enemy of the Emperor, a small band of Samurai that clings to the old ways.

 

[Dagger75]

I heard it had ninjas in it. Ninjas are always cool.

 

[Hand of Evil]

He is a disillusioned soldier, feeling the lost of honor and dissatisfaction from the results of the Civil War and the western expansion. Discovery Channel had a show on Sunday night called XMA, Extreme Martial Arts, it had clips from the movie and comments from Tom. I feel the movie will be very good and yes it has Ninjas.

 

[Numion]

My thoughts when I saw the trailer:

"The Patriot in Japan"

But I've been on a bad vibe from the latest movies I've seen, so maybe that influenced it. Oh well, RotK will no doubt fix it.

 

[hong]

He is a disillusioned soldier, feeling the lost of honor and dissatisfaction from the results of the Civil War and the western expansion. Discovery Channel had a show on Sunday night called XMA, Extreme Martial Arts, it had clips from the movie and comments from Tom. I feel the movie will be very good and yes it has Ninjas.

Ninjae + katanae + Tom Cruise = real ultimate power!

 

[Sirius_Black]

My thoughts when I saw the trailer:

"The Patriot in Japan"

My thoughts, which I promptly shared with my companions, upon seeing the trailer were:

"So Mr. Cruise finally found some co-stars he was taller than."

 

[Enforcer]

I liked the Patriot, personally. Not the best movie ever, but so what? Speaking of the Patriot, though, lots of people called that Braveheart in the American Revolution...to which Mel Gibson responded, "Thank you."

Just because a movie is similar to another movie doesn't make it bad. Most people are saying The Last Samurai is Dances With Wolves in Japan. I loved Dances With Wolves, so I hope they're right.

 

[Ranger REG]

Personally, calling it "Dances With Wolves In Japan" is all wrong, especially when Tom Cruise is so much different than Kevin Costner, who not only starred but directed his award-winning film.

I don't see Tom Cruise's name on the Director's Chair.

 

[MarauderX]

I plan to see it, and hope it is as good as it looks. I also hope they didn't spoil the whole darn thing by feeding us everything in the trailer.