The movie is uneven. It overwhelmingly gives advantages to Cruise and his Japan Samurais, but it surprisingly does the job smoothly and deftly. In the end, "The Last Samurai" is a great movie to watch without thinking.

What about true history?

I saw it at a free screening. I want my money back.

Cheesy hollywood product disguised as an art film. 'Dances with Wolves' set in post-feudal Japan, but more sentimental and phony. 19th century Japan is portrayed as an eden-like paradise threatened by the evils of western modernization and those darn white people (except, of course, our hero, transformed into the last surviving Samurai). Insulting.

Great acting and action.

The best movie of this year. Just go see it.

It was hard to believe that quality acting, along with spectacular sets and scenery could result in such a poor movie. The premise that the samurai class was the protectors of the peasants rather than their feudal oppressors was completely contrary to fact. The real story of that period in Japan was the astounding way in which the Meiji emperor broke up their stratified society and started it on the road to a modern meritocracy.… Expand

Not much to say, but cheesssy hollywood movie, like all others, were the GREAT WHITE HOPE comes and saves us all, wow........ The acting(and dialogue) and from the japanese actors were much better and down- to earth than tom's. At one point he like sounded superman, terrible movie, only good thing were the fighting scenes, and that's it...The story kept draging, ahh not to mention the script(awful)... Well the bright side is i've heard Onimusha (the game) is being made into movie so lets hope it will be a lot better than this.… Expand

I think my dog would give a better performance than Tom Cruise. Jesus...he ruined the entire film.

I love this film. Whoever cast Ken Watanabe should be knighted. Tom Cruise was actually ok in this. Amazing action scenes and class thinking scenes. One not to be missed.

An honorable brotherhood of samurai butchers comes up against magic gatling guns that perforate riders whilst never hitting their horses. Application of musical score way way over the top. Overdone. To overdo is to stupefy the viewer and trivialize the story.

Great acting, great setting. Has a philosophical side to it. It's a perfect movie in my opinion. It's not laden with fight sequences, but the story is built up through it as we see Tom's character change. Awesome.

Excellent story, great fight scenes, and wonderful scenery and filming. what more could you wnat. you wont regret seeing this film.

I believe this is a powerful movie made even stronger by the amazing soundtrack that draws you into each scene. It is also, in my humble opinion, the best performance of Tom Cruise's career.

I wasn't completely disappointed with this film, but it definitely left a lot to be desired. The lone shining point in this movie was the great acting portrayal by Ken Watanabe as the pensive samurai warlord. And with the exception of the bumbling British interpretator who was brought in as a tool for the storyline, the rest of the supporting cast played their parts extremely well. When it comes to Tom Cruise as the leading protagonist, though, it's obvious that he did not exhibit the skills to fulfill this demanding role. First of all, be forewarned that this is indeed a typical "Hollywood movie." All flash and minimal substance are the only ingredients to what some would say is an "epic" tale set in 19th-century Japan. With that said, most moviegoers will thoroughly enjoy the beautiful cinematography and the frenetic action sequences (in particular, the visceral ninja battle scene). And yet, is this an optimal vehicle for Tom Cruise and his endless pursuit of celebrity stardom? Yes. Is the ending to this film so contrived that it's almost laughably bad? Yes. Does the theme of the movie stay true to the samurai credo of honor and respect? Mostly, but it is dwarfed when compared to the classics, like "The Seven Samurai" by Akira Kurosawa (trust me, rent it if you get the chance). The crux of the movie's main dilemma lies with the fact that Cruise has not shown in his career that he has the composure of an actor with any depth of soul. However, if you can appreciate a blending of the emotional impact of "Glory" combined with the liberal thirst for cultural intimacy of "Dances With Wolves," you will not be as sorely disappointed with this, the latest Hollywood blockbuster.… Expand

A little distant, but stilla good film. Ken Watanabe is good, Tom Cruise is... okay.

+9, as good as it almost was with great performances by 499 or 500 actors; -1, Tom Cruise's acting; -1, embarrassingly racist overtones, thankfully probably unbeknownst to most of the people involved in making the film; -1, dialogue by numbers; -3, wretchedly Hollywood ending to what would have been a decent, touching, beautifully shot/choreographed/art directed had it ended 5 minutes earlier; +1, refreshingly subversive undertone of support, even if unintentional, for reactionary terrorists against a corrupt capitalist regime =4… Expand

Very good movie. Better than Cold Mountain, which I also thought was good. Great battle scenes and also some tear-jerking scenes. The scenery is fabulous. It's been compared to Dances with Wolves, which is okay because that's a great movie too!

It's interesting reading the strains of cynicism that run through some comments on the film. I wonder if any of these people could innovate anything of a higher standard in their lives in general. The film had alot of creative parallels to the emergence of modern Japan, 1868-1919 and was effective in illustrating the "limited" power of industry and commerce over cultural tradition and humanity. I really enjoyed it.… Expand

The story is stupid, but Ken Watanabe is so freakin cool. The action is also pretty intense. It's also really funny because the dude who plays the emperor sounds like a little girl.

this movie contains everything I want! Big sword, good casting, cool music and JAPAN!!!!

Leaden star-vehicle garbage. Worst epic of last year by a country mile. I'm utterly and thoroughly confused by the positive public notices it's getting. Appalled, too.

I'm not a fan of Tom movies, but I was throughly surprized by this film. The film did an excellent job of capturing the honor of the samuri way. Excellent battle sequences, you've got to love those beautiful swords. This movie really makes you think about which civilization is really the "savages."

Perfectly done! ayos!

I didn't think I would like this movie becuase I'm not big on long historically based films. But, I was very entertained and educated. A great film w/ terrific acting. Highly recommend.

Great Movie, a very touching film. This movie is filled with alot of honor and sacrifice. Which most of the people who gave this movie low scores are in need of. It is much more than just an action flick. Most of the time its racist people themselves that see the racism in things. I saw none. If your in need of a history lesson rent and watch the dvd extras. This movie comes very close to reality. Only shallow people hate this movie.… Expand

Western as eastern with guiltridden white man playing indian in the form of a samurai. riproaring violence, beautiful woman, handsome tom. but cartoon history.

What a movie, what a movie! First of all it was a really long movie, but i was never bored during it!Brilliant acting, plus good fighting scenes. I loved the details showing on the scenes! I read some of the comments on this site, and i have to say to those people that they have to open their minds a little! Do not judge cultures without knowing anything about them. Especially when you come from a country with a short history! Samurais have been on the earth since ever! Does sound strange that more and more people want to know more about this culture every day???… Expand

I'll give them an "A" for effort, but that's about it. Tom Cruise is a good actor, but his character is too good to be true, as usual. For some reason, the Samuarai don't kill him in the beginning, but inexplicably take him back to their village, nurse him back to health with the woman whose husband he just killed (though I couldn't tell what made him in such "bad shape" in the first place) and then let him stroll through the countryside during the day while the peasants are all working. That made absolutely no sense. Then, he becomes one of the village's best swordsman. Before the last battle, the wife of the man he killed, and the child who was the son are both in tears knowing his upcoming battles. Right. Oh, also; the Japanese peasants he trained for about only four days miraculously turned into a highly trained and diciplined army. In the end, it wasn't believeable enough to move me like a "Saving Private Ryan", based on real battle and real American heroes.… Expand

I didn't expect much from this film. But I never expected it to be the joke it turned out to be... Mr. Zwick cheats way too much. Especially in the first army-battle shot in the studio-created woods. How can you create a gladiator-like massive scene if there are never more then 10 people on your screen, who so inventively change costumes, so they would be able to play soldiers from both armies. For the rest... The landscape shots are beautiful, but are they enough to create a good film with a history lesson?… Expand

This movie was better than what i though it would be. good thing you guys added the swords of the samurai, cause if you didnt, i wouldnt even like it.

One of the greatest movies in the history of cinema!9.5/10

This film is a true epic....Fight scenes excellent contrasted with a good storyline. Not a bad film-RENT IT!!

One of the best of all time. Screw the critics who gave this movie below 90. Reminds me alot of the upcoming zelda game. It's not just a boring drama or a over the top action movie. It is a true masterpiece.

One of the best movies I have ever seen. Most of the newspapers are, again, stupid.

The rapport between west and east mentality is well rendered. The slow immersion and understanding of Japanese culture by Cruise is lovely.

Critics say that the show is predictable.It is,but that doesn't take away anything from the show, and everything from the pulse raising battles to the subtle,spiritual moments to the silent,stoic romance the develops between Cruise's and Koyuki's characters are beautiful.

Good Movie! Great Martial Arts Action!

First off let me say that I hyped up this movie to no end. I thought it was actually going to be an action movie from all the previews I heard about it. While it wasn't, it was still a pretty good drama. Okay, Tom Cruise is Algren, a civil war hero who is nlisted to help Japan become modernized. he gets captured by the samurai rebels and eventually, he learns their style and agrees to help the mtry to take down the empire. The movie was good plot wise, and acting wise. However, this movie was boring a few times, especially in the begining when they first capture Algren. They repeated the same scene fifty times over it seemed like. I also hated the ending. I mean, what the hell, that has got to be one of the most cliche (I mean the horrible cliche not the good cliche) way to end things. However, the few action sequences they did have were really awesome, especially the ninja attack. No, on to address mr [Anonymous] there. First off., so what if the japanese didn't hire westerners to help modernize themselves, how does that make this movie racist? Secondly, the movie is called the Last Samurai, now let us see here the plural for samurai is oh yeah samurai. It meant the last of the samurai, and if you didn't noticve, +the samurai village was still around, Algren could have trained the children to grow up to be samurai. I don't think this movie boasted Tom Cruise as the last samurai. I still think it meant the last major group of samurai. and whoever is taking this movie as history is , in my opinion, pretty stupid. This isn't based off a true story or anything so stop trying to beleive this is how everything happened. Anyway, one of my friends hated this movie, my brother LOVES this movie, I guess I'm kind of in the middle, good movie, but with really boring parts.… Expand

An absolute wreck of a movie. Petty, disgusting, racist, and a total waste of money. Yes, the cinemetography was rather good, in conventional way. Saved this movie from a 0.

To clear up some confusion, the use of the word "samurai" in the title is plural. In other words, it is not refering to one specific person, but to a group of people. With this in mind, I thought the movie transcended the label "just a Tom Cruise vehicle," especially in light of the fact that he is entirely overshadowed by Ken Watanabe. Watanabe delivers a riveting performance as an advisor to the emporer who embraces the "old ways" of the samurai to the point that he must take arms against the forces of modernization, even though he knows it means his doom. A feeling of melancholy pervades the film, as if something beautiful and good is forever lost at the hands of the machine. While it is no more an accurate depiction of Japan in the 1870's than "Lord of the Rings" is an accurate depiction of prehistoric Earth, it is a worthy 2+ hours of entertainment. (For better or worse, your enjoyment of the film may be enhanced if you imagine that Tom Cruise and the emporer are on the verge of kissing every time they share the screen.)… Expand

Yes, we've all seen this movie before, but the ample culture, meaning, and heart in the flick far outshine anything I've seen in an epic for quite some time. While it does stick to convention, it's a flawlessly constructed and executed feature, and one that should not be missed. Needless to say, it's stuck with me and left a very, very good impression.

This movie is extremely beautiful, moving, and entertaining. People who say that it is racist do not know what they they are talking about.

Yes, this is a Hollywood movie and is very predictable from one scene to the next; however, I felt it was so well done , with Tom Cruise once again taking a movie and forcing it to progress and just as in Rain Man letting someone else shine.Tom just carried the movie on his back showing the star power and ability of this most underrated actor.

Awful, racist and just plain bad.

I went in expecting not much. I came away thoroughly captivated by the story, the acting, the detail, the scenery- this is a movie with much to say. Yes, it was cliche'd here and there, but unlike Master and Commander, this movie stayed with me throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening. I am recommending it to everyone.

The most unoriginal and manipulative film this year. Barely watchable and derivative. Call it "Dances With Samurai," "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Samurai," or "The Last of the Samurai." Yes, this film even has themes and concepts shameslessly stolen from all these films, plus "Gladiator" and even "Whale Rider"! Tom Cruise, who has the acting chops of wet cauliflower, never fully transcends the role. The story is so implausible, one must wonder what those critics who actually are praising it were on when they watched this film.... To say this film is "inspirational" is ridiculous, considering there's hardly a shred of plausibility in the story. For instance, how believable is it that the leader of the Samurai would force the widow of a warrior to lodge and serve her husband's killer??? How ridiculous is that, even for the most ethnocentric western mind? And how convenient that said widow is not only young and beautiful, but the most Western-looking woman in the "Japanese" cast. The actress is probably not even Japanase in real life. But, only in the movies. To it's credit, the film showcases some well edited fight sequences, and Cruise does acquit himself well with a sword. The cinematography is a delight. But in the end, none of these things save the film from descending into the oversized buckett of crapola overcrowding our theaters today.… Expand

Great movie. only one complaint, Tom Cruise, he did such a bad job compared to his co-star Watanabe (Kasumoto) . Ken Watanabe's performance was nothing short of spectacular. And to the anonymous rater who said this movie is racist is a complete moron. My friend who is japanese, saw this movie and absolutely loved every second of it.

This movie, although cliched at times, provides solid entertainment that is well worth seeing. Those who say this movie is racist, are most likely racist themselves. You cannot get away with making a un-politically correct movie these days without some minority group trying to rip it to pieces. Some people representing the Jewish faith are trying to do the same thing to Mel Gibson's movie on Christ without ever viewing it. If this movie is racist then so is Antoine Fisher, Finding Forrester, Ghandi, and any other film where the cast has a racial difference. Go see it, its way FUN!!!!… Expand

Its a fun film, if you forget the awful ending and all the historical errors.

This movie is Tom's best !!!!! Ive lived in Japan for 5 years and this movie while not historically correct at least its gets the mood right....many Japanese people love this movie. It gets the bushido right !

I'm a mixed bag of nuts about this one....i didnt see it in theaters and it took me 3 rentals from the video store to get through it! where does it leave? unfortunately a spiraling circle that wants to know the truth of the era.... I thought the Japanese actors were well, but Cruise has to go.....too much focus on himseld through the movie... and yes if he died in the last battle, that would of left a better feeling of sincerity.....whom was the last samurai.....and i surely didnt know the you can be a samurai in less than a year.......! pathetic.… Expand

Warm, heart-felt movie with beautiful scenery and a great story; see this in DLP if you can. There is one fatal flaw: the love story. This movie suffers a bit from the Pinkerton effect: why would a japanese woman fall in love with the man who killed her husband? I don't think people would have bought this as much if the woman had been white. If they could have muted the love story a bit more, the film would have been better.… Expand

An extremely intelligent film, and one that is very poinient in the current climate of American Imperialism. My only reservation being that the ending is unnessesarily "Hollywood", going against what the ending "should" have been. Still, overall this film is intelligent and thought provoking as well as superbly paced, directed, shot, acted and cast.

Simply an amazing film. The scenery was beautiful, and the fight scenes were specatacular. The movie showed the meaning of bushido and my Aikido sensei recommended that everybody see it again to watch for some aikido movies.

Beautifully done. well acted by all.a touching drama about relationships.and people willing to stand by their moral convictions. Tom cruise fine job plus good supporting cast. liked better than cold mountain.more inciteful.

Many people just can't watch Tom Cruise, and for them the whole film will be spoiled by that. You have to accept Tom Cruise, and then you have to forgive the film a little for a bit of cliche and so on. But if get past that, it's very much worth it. It's a movie to see in the theater, not just wait for the DVD.

I loved this film from beginning to end. The acting was surprisingly solid. I must say that it's Tom Cruise's best performance. The story and scenery blend so well together that it really makes you feel like you're in 19th Century Japan. The battle and fightings scenes are spectacular and reason alone to see it. But what really elevates this movie into the "excellant range" is the relationship that forms between Cruise's character and the villagers.… Expand

Perfect. But tom cruise sucked.

Sublime. This was one of those rare films where I expected to love it going into it, only to find out that my already high expectations were too conservative. Tom Cruise gave one of the best performances of his career, delivering a character with fully developed dimensions on par with his roles in Born on the Fourth of July, Magnolia and Interview With a Vampire. In fact, every actor in this movie did a marvelous job. Ken Watanabe and Koyuki deserve extra praise for being two standouts in a superb cast. Even the romantic storyline in this film, which develops under severe circumstances, worked. Like the rest of the movie, powerful emotions are conveyed with minimalist actions. … Expand

Epic feature that often slips into schmaltzy Hollywood filmmaking.

The 3 points I'm giving it are for the excellent cinematograpy, some of the acting (which doesn't include the star) and the action scenes. The rest of the movie is a complete failure. Poor dialogue. Ridiculous plot. Racist undertones. And, a movie star who conquered the fighting sequences, but couldn't deliver the macho image on screen and couldn't deliver his lines with believability. What was set out to be an "epic" film turned into a "disaster" of a motion picture.… Expand

This was a great movie. Open up your minds for christ's sakes. It's a movie, meant to entertain. And I was entertained. I wish more movies were like this instead of computer generated flicks of today. Lots of Action, Drama and most of all HONOR.

Man... a lot of you guys really hated this one! Oddly enough, I didn't think it was that bad. There are plenty of dull parts, and the end sucked a little (and if you read the title you predicted about a half hour before it happened), but, all in all, it's pretty good for a war epic about some oppressed Japanese people.

I despise Tom Cruise in most movies and I didnt go in excpecting it to be one of the best movies I ever saw but it was. I has the potential to bring out emotions in anyone, even a heartless bastard such as myself. I almost cried on the bridge scene.

Awsome movie. One of the best of all time. Everything in this movie is awsome.

The critics have totally missed the point here. This film holds key messages that will, if properly understood, have dramatic effects on your own life in a spiritual way. For weeks after watching this movie, which is also very moving, I was spiritually affected. This is not the effect of a poor movie, but a most powerful one.

While it certainly is not groundbreaking or original, Edward Zwick's The Last Samurai doesn't succeed in telling a moving story in a well-crafted manner, while the film succeeds in its dull tagline that Zwick was trying to develop. Zwick's target was trying to keep the film as silent as possible. And for its 5th nomination for an Oscar, it should win for horrible producing.

Although this movie, as well as almost every other, does not have an original idea, this movie is an astounding display of culture and reality. This movie has been slammed by several critics for Tom Cruise's role. My personal belief is many critics and people do not like Tom Cruise and therefore take it out on the review. While I may not be one of Tom Cruise's fans, his acting was amazing for the part.… Expand

The weeaboo move of the decade, fo sho. Wapanese Scientologist Tom Cruise makes sure to murder Japanese chicks' husband before gettin' with her. Most Honorable movie evar!!!

Okay, I live in Tokyo and I just watched the movie in a cinema full of Japanese people. Several people were in tears at the end, and every enjoyed themselves. History was contorted, but so what, this movie had a moral! I don't know what the anonymous person who gave it a 0 for being racist was talking about, but I wish they'd elaborated on it. If you're a fan of Japanese movies, you'll appreciate how the characters really come to life (in a Japanese way). Watch this movie!… Expand

After seeing the rather low metascore this movie received, my belief that the majority of professional movie critics are tasteless whores pandering to a socialist political agenda is solidified. "THE LAST SAMURAI" is one of the best movies I've seen in the past few years and makes my top 100 list of all time. A great movie draws you into the characters; it makes you care what happens to them. I found myself deeply moved by the struggle of the samurai and truly hating "the bad guys". Combine this with fantastic action and breathtaking scenery, the end result is a blockbuster of epic proportions.… Expand

An amazing movie. If it weren't for how it ended, I would have given it a 10. Best movie i've seen in Years!

Hokum and self-indulgent - a major mess of a film!

Good visuals, thin and trite story. Convoluted and contrived. Worth watching but not very original.

I think we have reached a point in this A.D.D. world where if there is not a car crashing or building exploding, we are bored to death. This was a fantastic movie.The film was not racist at all.Western powers already control had China and were trying the same thing in Japan.The Japanese knew they had to defend themselves.They did reject American help.Eventually German officers did come and help form their military. Now it didn't happen the way the movie says but,close enough. This is a period piece. You cannot assign 2003 western morality to 1877 Japan. Some people cannot accept the past as it really was. Some people just don't like Tom Cruise. I see that these reviewers have personal agendas and never gave the film a chance. Shame on them!… Expand

Visually stunning, particularly in battle, but The Last Samuai never escapes from being a Tom Cruise movie. From the very opening scenes, I never bought Tom Cruise in this role and as the film went on (and on) I was less convinced. And without believing the main protagonist, I never believed the movie. Not to mention the fact that these samurai train all their lives from when they are small boys to be great warriors and over the course of ONE winter, Cruise becomes the best of the bunch, [spoiler omitted]. It's as though the filmakers researched Japanese culture by studying American movies ("Glory," "Dances with Wolves," "The Matrix," etc.) instead of Japanese history. I kept waiting for Katsumoto to ask Tom to take the blue pill.… Expand

Ok give me a triple cheeseburger and a bucket of coke. Would you like to upgrade to .......... Yup this move was fast food quality and the script was written by the chaps in charge of WWE. The last scene! The perfect ..... And made in NZ. GAH!

Sure, this movie has its flaws, but the fact is Cruise delivers a excellent performance and this movie is excellent. The plot is predictable, but is that always such a bad thing? A true epic.

Its been done already with Lawrence of Arabia and Dances with Wolves. I find it insulting that an American can go into a Japanese village and end up becoming better samurai and swordsman than these people who have been practicing day and night for their entire lives. The message this movie delivers is also suspect. The soldiers who died in the Emperor's army were no less honorable than Tom Cruise and his samurai buddies. They also seem to have forgotten that samurai had been using cannons and rifles since the 1500's when Nobunaga first employed them to conquer the country. Using swords against guns is dumb, and Nobunaga knew that 300 years before the setting of the movie.… Expand

This was a lot of fun. Is it a GREAT movie? No. Does it try it's a great movie? YES. Is it a GOOD movie? Yeah. Amazing action and Ken Watanabe are the real heroes of the movie. Ken is amazing, he deserves a nomination. The cinematography is very good but i expected more from John Toll. The movie's main downfalls are a) the cliched script, which is VERY VERY cliched. b) the hans zimmer music that is sh.t, I can't stand his music, so heavy-handed. Overall, a good time at the movies.… Expand

The movie began slowly with a lack of substance and good dialogue. However, as it progressed the hammy acting fades to reveal a more serious story with characters engrossed in a cause. I noticed that the film began with a few laughs here and there whether about the or the stupidity of some of the scenes, but by the end of the film the majority of people had grown silent -- which clearly shows the film had a bit more power than most had anticipated. The action sequences were clean and some of the acting was worthy of note. I recommend it.… Expand

Absolute waste of time and money.

Although the beautiful cinematography alone is worth watching this film for, the acting contributes its fair share to the success of The Last Samurai. Cruise portrays his character with finesse, never over-acting, which is more than can be said for most movies nowadays. The Last Samurai is a culturally rich journey back into time, a journey that I would take all over again without hesitation.

Saw an early screening of this film last week. I agree, it's very cliched. The ending... I could have done without. Overall, though, a good movie.

This movie has as much substance as "Pearl Harbour" had. Its photography and story is full of cliches. The action sequences have more sound effects than visual appeal, and the music is lousy...the girl is cute though.

Would be a great movie without Tom Cruise, actually, without his character entirely. Well, at least, it wasn't Keanu. Fight scenes were quite breathtaking but disappointing in the end, as Tom Cruise's character kept surving, which pretty much spoiled the movie even more.

Yes its not historically acurate, but it has a great story. kept me interested until the end. The music was also moving.

Very well done & captivating film. Cruise's character did its job without getting in the way of the actual story. The only issue i had with the movie was that Omura was painted out as the antagonist & everybody seems to forget that the samuari were attacking the japanese people in the first place.

i liked this movie! dont diss it!

It's hardly a great epic, considering that it lacks a coherent and original story. It portrays only a muddled version of historical events and the samurai way of life. And Cruise's near-constant presence as the center of attention is misguided in a movie that really has two main characters. But despite all its superficiality, this is still a very entertaining and well made movie, and I recommend it on the condition that you don't expect a Japanese "Braveheart" or "Glory."… Expand

This is a very good film in most respects. Tom Cruise, who I generally do not like, did a credible job -- especially with his sword training. This is a movie about honor and a time long gone. There are a number of stereotypes and oversimplified characters in the film. It is not perfect. But it is beautiful and moving in many respects. Those who find this movie racist are simple minded. There are both good and bad Japanese characters. There are both noble and evil Japanese characters. The Emperor is portrayed as a wuss. But the books I have read indicate that he was at that time. A work of art is not racist simply because there are evil ignoble characters of a particular race in the work. Please.… Expand

I can't believe the critics gave Master and Commander a higher score than this one, let alone a much higher score. The acting was captivating and they had enough sense to have Tom Cruise give his co-start enough room to act. Idiot critics and reviewers were dumb enough to complain about lack of plot when this film is a character-driven drama. It just goes to show how sheepish the American audience is. How many characters were in Braveheart or Master and Commander, for example? Just one for each. The Last Samurai broke out of this mold and fleshed out more than a few characters in their own ways. On top of that, it did good work of explaining and demonstrating Bushido in a short 2.5 hours. The score was more than good, it was appropriate. At least I can credit the users here for giving this film a higher rating than M and C. … Expand

Enjoyable action!

Exellent!!! Not for the acting, else the movie, the japanese culture and discipline.

Horrible. Horrible.

One of the best.

One of the best movies of the year. Cruise gives a fine performance and it is unfortunate that many people label him for past projects. Within this film he is great. What really works for the movie though is how understated everything is. There are no gratuitous sex scenes or exploitationb of the audience. The end is a perfect example, the camera stops on Cruises face instead of coping out with a love scene. We know what is going to happen next, and the audience is left to do the rest. That is what makes this movie beautiful. Nothing is overdone, in some ways it follows the teachings of the samurai itself.… Expand