LAST SAMURAI, THE
Released: December 5, 2003
The Last Samurai - Tom Cruise as a samurai? OK, I'll go along with it. The story kept me awake, great action sequences but the obviously studio enforced tacked-on ending was unnecessary. One action scene where an unarmed Cruise gets ambushed by sword carrying bad guys in a Tokyo alley was great, but it happened so fast. They then replay it in slow motion and you see the ballet-like amazing moves. Worth seeing on the big screen for the beautiful cinematography and Edward Zwick's ("My So-Called Life" exec producer) eye for direction - even if the story gets a tad too familiar as it goes.
154 Minutes
Warner Bros.