Story: Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is a United States military captain who is sent to Japan to train troops in the art of American warfare against Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe): the leader of a group of Samurai trained in the old ways. As Captain Algren trains the Japanese troops in preparation for battle, Katsumoto watches as his way of life is threatened to vanish from a modernizing Japan. Neither knows their fates lie entwined with each other as politicians and US ambassadors work behind the curtains to remove the ways of the Samurai from the empire of Japan.

Review: xThe Last Samurai has been receiving a lot of negative responses due to its subject matter since before its release into theatres and onto DVD. It’s been getting a lot of negativity because of this silly idea of “the white man journeying into a foreign country changing things around” and how everything happens in his favor because he’s a white man from the US. That, my friends, I say must all be disregarded! That being said, The Last Samurai is a great movie…if not the best movie ever! It is a story of friendship, honor, love, and redemption. It is these components of the movie that make the movie work out so well, and if you’re still on the outer fence and don’t know if you want to give this one a shot yet, listen up.

A big component of the production is how well the actors and actresses play their parts. Acting is very good in regards to each and every character, though nods must be given to Tom Cruise and costar Ken Watanabe for their portrayals of Nathan Algren and Katsumoto. Tom Cruise played his part to perfection and I have no complaints with his work. He plays his character with enough feeling and the right amount of suaveness that it makes his part of a Captain troubled by his past actions seeking redemption even more plausible than one would initially conceive him to be capable of. Ken Watanabe also shines in his role as Katsumoto. His cool and simple attitude simply breathes life into the part and emanates Katsumoto facing extinction of his way of life. If anything, these two are definitely Oscar worthy, or at the least, nomination material. That’s not to say that all the supporting characters of the movie aren’t praise worthy, because they really do deserve some credit. Everyone worked together to bring The Last Samurai its look and feel of authenticity of a world long past.

Set designs and scenery for The Last Samurai are simply amazing! From local scenery to broad horizons of the countryside, every last detail is jaw-dropping. It is apparent that much research and work was put into the creation of the look of the movie. Imagine a world full of cherry blossoms in full bloom, countryside as far as the eye can see, extravagant buildings and palaces, and you’ll know what this movie is all about. There’s a making of featurette on the second disc that shows the creation of the cityscape and how they converted a regular New York-Esque street full of buildings into Japanese style housing and business structures. Cinematography is truly remarkable; from the wide angles and panning in and out of scenes, it really gives the film a look of epic proportions.

Plot-wise, this movie gets thumbs up from me. It’s not too simple, and it’s not quite a thinking man’s movie. Granted, you do need to pay attention to get what’s going on, but what movie doesn’t require at least a little bit of awareness? The movie is in essence a movie about the modernizing of Japan. The emperor Meiji of Japan wants to modernize his land so he brings in all things American thinking that’ll help modernize his empire. Then we have his sneaky assistant who plans everything for him. But in actuality, the emperor is the puppet in the grand scheme of things. From the beginning, we are introduced to Captain Nathan Algren who has been brought over to Japan to train the troops in the American style of warfare. All this military strengthening is to rid themselves of the Samurai who to them represent the ways of the old. Due to fate, Captain Algren and Katsumoto, leader of the Samurai cross paths and thus begins a tale of friendship, love, honor and redemption that will ultimately decide the fate of the empire of Japan and its people.

For action enthusiasts, The Last Samurai will not disappoint. Action scenes are for the most part, fast paced and exciting. One scene that drew my attention was the ninja vs. samurai fight! It’s rare to see these two disciplines pitted against each other, and it really is a treat to see it in action. The smaller melee fights are choreographed fairly well, but the big epic battles are where the meat is at in this movie. Reminiscent of battles from Musa: The Warrior and Braveheart, this movie rocks my socks off! Imagine battles where there are close to over five hundred or more combatants in one scene and you have an awesome film!

Overall, The Last Samurai is a ground-breaking piece of filmmaking, one that will have you drawn into the drama, action, story, intricate set designs and cinematography. Friendship, honor, love, and redemption are the key aspects of this film and they all come together culminating in a truly rewarding experience technically, historically, emotionally, and aesthetically. Don’t miss out on The Last Samurai!