I can say that this is really worth watching for. Even though I was little sad that there are scenes that I like that wasn't included. I guess they just give emphasize to the important ones. Also, my feelings wasn't totally moved. Maybe because I already know the story that's why I wasn't totally moved.
About actors~ Ohhhhhhhhh!! They are so great! I salute them! They really done a great job especially kenshin!!!! He is so cool, handsome and cute!!! Love him x)
The way he express is just right, love it. Same as the same characters, the expressions are totally right. Although kaoru and Megumi are cute unlike in anime which are matured. Kaoru and Megumi wasn't able to absorb the 100% characteristic in the anime. But they did their job well too :D Sano is not really tall, but with his big muscles I guess that's enough. Anyway, they were really great :D
Music, I love the music and background music. It suits the movie. the sound effects were great too.
Anyway, I give it all 10! It was great~ Worth watching~ ^-^
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Ok, so the choreography was simply STUNNING! I mean, I have never seen a better use of martial arts, ever. Bourne Identity comes close but this was... the economy of movement, the sword play, it was spectacular. I am getting the DVD for no other reason than to slow down the flight scenes to half speed so I can see those fights in all their glory! The fight scenes were STUNNING! The actor was so gritty, damn. You only get a tiny idea of how amazing it is from the preview, let me tell you... I wish I could look up movies by whoever is in charge of fight scenes. Just, dman.
Ok, no one cares how wonderful the fight scenes were (you better, it was something like >50% of the movie) the music... I really liked it. It was a very powerful sound track that worked well with the movie and the era. A mix of traditional Japanese music and instrumental with some classical thrown in there, it made me feel the era. It was an era of transitions and you felt it from the music alone.
Story wise, this covered the fake Battousai and Gatling gun/Megumi arcs. If you are looking for the manga made into a movie... well, this movie was by no means pure but it did a damn good job. Watching Sano fight was comical, he was the comic relief of the movie, where Kenshin was all sex he was all humor.
After my first paycheck, if it is still in theaters, I am SO going. Just an amazing movie people! The costumes, the sets, just damn. If you want to know anything more specific, email me because I feel that if I continue, it is just going to be one large joygasm about how wonderful the sword play was.
I will comment that the ONLY point I was dissappointed in was that Kenshin did not do his 'I'm so badass with my sakabatou I can slice through concrete' thing.
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The movie is spectacular!!! The plot flows well, all the prominent characters from the anime were all included (much to my pleasing, hehe), excluding a select few which I believe will appear in the next few movies they will release (I read they plan on making a series out of it, which is definitely plausible considering the nature of the anime and various plots).
I fell in love with the OST immediately! I absolutely love it and will hunt down the album as soon as I've finished writing this review. The music flows exceptionally well with the amazing choreography and brings out the full emotions, feelings and thoughts of Kenshin. The battle sequences truly are something that would grip all viewers. Together with the soundtrack, it brings epicness to a whole new level.
To top it all off, the acting is top notch. C'est magnifique! A must watch for all RuroKen aficionados, and even if you're not much of a historical, action based samurai loving fan, the soundtrack and the choreography itself is enough to win you over.
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Story 8/10: The story was interesting, though predictable (mainly due to the fact that I have watched the anime.)
Cast 10/10: The cast did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life.
9/10: The music was very good and fit the scenes perfectly. Even though its been 3 days since I watched hte movie, i'm currently listening to one of the songs (by One Ok Rock) from the movie.
Rewatch Value 6/10: This film is a decent rewatch.
Cinematography 10/10: Even though we don't have a section for Cinematography on here, i felt this movie deserved one. Normally I don't notice Cinematography since it's not too big of a deal. But this movie went above and beyond normal cinematography.
Overall 9/10; What are you waiting for? Go and watch it if you haven't already!
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My husband who had never even heard of Rurouni Kenshin and rarely watches dramas with me, enjoyed this movie just as much as I did. It's packed full of action and they do their best to explain everything that happens, and it even has some comedic moments in it as well that anyone would appreciate.
There really isn't much else to say about it but to tell you to give it a shot and you won't regret it.
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They tried to get a lot of story into very little time, so in between there's pieces missing that could've explained the character and relationship development. Since I knew the manga and anime, I just added those and found the movie really entertaining.
All in all, the actor choices were great and the characters were acted out nearly perfectly. They chose great story lines, too. A little less story with a little more character development would've been nice, but wouldn't have been as action-packed.
I have to say that I really liked the fighting scenes, too! They were really well-done and realistic.
Overall, it's a great movie and every Kenshin-fan should watch it.
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STORY: The era and plot of this movie is perfect. The idea and message that is conveyed through it is moving. There is a clear path and a clear point and it is made with dramatic scenery, wonderful cinematography, and excellent martial arts sequences. Frankly, the best part about this is the martial arts and the concept of killing versus not killing. However, if you're looking for a true romance movie, you're in the wrong place. If you're in it for great acting and romantic subtlety, you'll get it in spades. If you love subtlety, then you'll understand when I say that the ending was epic.
The fact that this was produced by Time-Warner is a plus. Not to be biased, just staying factual, unless a Japanese movie is being produced by the likes of Sony Corp, the production value tends to be a tier or 2 down from the Mega-Movie producers in the USA. Those places just have instilled longtime quality personnel, longtime experience, and lots of money to spare to put value into a movie they produce. This movie is no exception to that rule.
ACTING: Straight up, you couldn't have cast people better for each role. They all fit their characters well. I have to say that Sato Takeru absolutely nails his character. Sato has the most perfect stances for each scene that shows his expertise and understanding of various jutsu. I was enthralled by it and his moves are so seemless. I haven't seen a movie so good for swordfighting in so long, it was amazing to me. His ability to subtlely use his eyes and mouth to express emotions that delineate the distance or closeness to his relationships or deeper meaning is powerful. I was able to see how much he values the concept of innocence by his shy reaction to it when he comes across it and his desire to protect the concept. Just beautiful and moving. Even though Samurai X was produced in 2012, it brought back to me essences of Liar And His Lover [2013] in that first kiss scene when she says "why are you crying" when he isn't and then the tears flow easily. I see how he perfected that by watching this movie. He is definitely a talented actor and I'm fascinated by how good he is with his marital arts at such a young age. Just mesmerizing.
MUSIC: One OK Rock - The Beginning for the closing song! Enough said! But seriously, the music is very good. It's got a classical feel to it and reminds me of the soundtrack to the anime Sword Of The Stranger yet, nothing will ever quite compare to that epic anime. I say it "feels" like it but it's no where close to the downloadable quality. What I mean is that the music doesn't distract and is impactful and plays well with the scenes being portrayed.
REWATCH VALUE: This is one movie that I will come back to time and time again. The battles scenes are just so good that I don't think I'd ever get bored of watching them. Where do you find a scene with a samurai beating up a bunch of thugs and, if you watch closely, see him take the seconds to show his respect by taking off his shoes and bowing. It's just meaningful stuff like that which you may not catch the first go around that begs for this movie to be watched multiple times.
OVERALL: Just one of those lovely badass films that's worth sinking your teeth into time and time again.
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It's fun hearing Kenshin speak the same way he does in the anime, with an eccentric something tagged on the end of his sentences. It's cute, and it suits him. You get to know the battle-scarred Kenshin, and he is seriously scary, but you also get to know the Kenshin who's seeking a place to call home, as he experiences that need for connection. Isn't that the human condition, the need to connect?
I can't praise the movie high enough. It's different from the anime, but that's okay. There are so many story arcs in the anime that something a little condensed is very refreshing. This movie is high-quality directing, acting, and staging, with absolutely STUNNING battle sequences. I wish all Japanese movies took the time to make such a magnificent work of art.
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I stand to rate this movie independently from its other content. Which by the way is far more beneficial because I AM NOT A RUROUNI KENSHIN fan, I found the original story in my teen years to be ridiculous and very annoying. Hence, I ventured into this solely because of a comment saying this would stray from the original content.
So if you are venturing into Rurouni Kenshin, allow me to prepare you for what to expect. It's a samurai movie heavily based on the barely there fighting sequences hence plot is rather sacrificed to put some focus on the action.
The plot features fight sequences triggered by Damsels in Distress and Kenshin being well just a regular dude contemplating the shittiness of his past life. If you come into this movie expecting lots of slayage, 3/4 of this movie lacks this hence where I should not dock points, I did. If a movie with a badass sword fighter spends a majority of its time trying to build a lazy plot then I am going to have to take the plot into consideration.
The plot revolves around Kenshin, a swordsman whose alter ego everyone pronounces like it's sacrilegious. Known as Battousai the Manslayer, Kenshin spends most of this movie doing none of that, having sworn never to kill anyone else. We are given dishes of his past which I found thoroughly underwhelming and just not very original. The story also focuses in splices on other characters which means nothing is ever really developed. We in the end have a black and white scenario of the self-righteous good guys vs the baddy bad guys.
The worst part is that in a movie where the main character's name is in the title, he's by far not even the most interesting character. Badass villains are featured here with intriguing personalities but in the end they are merely bad guys who do bad guy things and act crazy. Funny enough though, learn all your life lessons from the bad guys. Not kidding here, the bad guys here have got all the most realistic quotes you need. Because the good guys are all "we're samurais who will not kill" like are you kidding me?
The movie definitely did not need the length that it had. It dragged yet offered nothing that really aided the plot. The climax is an underwhelming stereotypical good guy getting beaten up only to recover
I don't know if I've edited too much video but some of the fight scenes relied heavily on cuts making the sequences feel haphazard though overall, they aren't bad though. There's a level of fluidity that makes them somewhat fun to watch. Not enough to carry the movie though.
If perchance you're thinking, I am not a fan of the genre, I assure you I've read the likes of Vagabond, Blade of the immortal and even read the Mushashi novel by Eiji Yoshikawa. Samurai tales were my obsession for quite a while which is precisely why the lackluster tale of Rurouni Kenshin has never appealed not when its philosophical and better written counterparts exist.
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