By Matthew Meyer (December 11, 2003)

Last Friday Edward Zwick’s new movie, The Last Samurai was released in theatres. This film was terrible. Honestly, Dances With Wolves had a baby with The Postman. This movie had so much potential; but Hollywood is portraying history inaccurately left and right. Meanwhile, tickets sales are rising. Last Samurai is a collection of recycled action, and emotion lacking substance.

Nathan Algreen (Cruise) is a former "Native American Hunter" who in his later years has become an alcoholic, yet has not lost his heroic and victorious name. He receives a request from the Japanese Imperial Military Representative to train Japanese soldiers in the ways of the West. The Samurai forces are in rebellion against the dominating power of the Emperor, and militarily are winning. The training task is near impossible because the men Algreen has been assigned to train are weak, soft and peaceful. 

After losing to the enemy, Algreen is taken captive and is surprisingly treated with respect. He is cared for by his captors and soon begins to learn the ways of the Samurai, along with gaining sympathy and compassion for them. You guessed it; he becomes one of the ol’ Samurai warriors. Haven’t we seen this before? Yes, we have, and it does even more injustice to the past than Dances With Wolves.

The dialogue is horrible, modern day phrases are used left and right. They use humanism and feminism as well, making many of the detailed, intense scenes frankly humorous. Humanism has been ingrained into our present society. However, despite what most Westerners think, individualism would never stand a chance in the 19^th century. Nathan Algreen’s character, a tragic hero filled with animosity and guilt has apparently a soft, Gap-addict sensitive side (Thanks a lot, Cruise).

This film tries to equate to The Seventh Samurai (a flawless film) but ends up more like Karate Kid. I encourage you to read about the Meiji Restoration before you see this film, you’ll see why it made me so angry.

By Rachel Reich (December 11, 2003)

Far from being light hearted eye-candy, The Last Samurai offers an intense plot split between intervals of fighting and sword-swinging action and deep, thought-provoking scenes. It contains everything from ninjas and Samurai, to machine guns and cannons. 

The scene is set in the late eighteen hundreds, when Japan had finally opened its doors to foreign trade, and was rapidly trying to catch up with the surrounding world. The main character, Captain Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), a leftover from the American-Indian wars, suddenly finds himself called upon by an old Colonel to help train and lead Japanese troops. Though he holds extreme animosity towards the colonel, Nathan is obliged to take the position.

Upon arrival, Algren finds himself flung into the midst of a rapidly modernizing Japan, and discovers why the Japanese are so anxious to have him there. The Samurai, led by Katsumoto (Ken Wanabe), are heavily opposed to the modernization of Japan, and instead work to preserve the tradition of bushido, the code of the Samurai. Refusing to use firearms, the Samurai rely on their old ways in order to defend their way of life from these "outside invaders" and their inventions. Algren is shocked and confused to find that the men he trained knew Katsumoto, and had fought together with him at earlier times, but now must fight against him.

I would not recommend this movie to people who are in any way averse to the sight of blood, as it is a war movie and has a great deal of graphic violence. However, do not be fooled into thinking that this is a typical guy’s night out movie.The Last Samurai is definitely not a Saturday night chick flick but you may want to bring tissues to it all the same. 

The movie is rated R and directed by Edward Zwick (Glory, Shakespeare in Love, Traffic) and written by John Logan (Gladiator). Be sure to see this future Oscar candidate.