Bardlerx
Strictly average movie
PlatinumRead
Just so...so bad
Mathster
The movie runs out of plot and jokes well before the end of a two-hour running time, long for a light comedy.
dgillustrations
A sincere, concise, energetically paced adaptation that stays faithful to the source material and simultaneously functions on its own merits as a feature film. Wields together the first manga arcs highlights and improves upon it. Top-tier fight choreography on display here. An absolute delight.
Lomedin
I watched the Rurounei Keinshin OVAs back in the day and I found them excellent, both artistically and plot-wise. The seriousness of the work made it a perfect anime for mature audiences. Then, I started to watch the prequel series and I couldn't go further than the 6th episode or so. The series were a joke, a lighthearted anime for kids full of clichéd jokes and the typical ever so powerful enemies ala Naruto, Bleach or even Dragon Ball. I almost found it offensive to be a continuation of the OVAs. The story of Himura Kenshin should have been finished with those OVAs.Now, this live action movie is based on the series, so you can expect what to find. Granted, most of the silly humour is gone, although it completely misses any sense of maturity found in the OVAs, since the story is that of the series. I literally dozed off through the first hour of the film, being quite dull and unnecessarily slow and lacking action. After that first hour, the action starts appearing and things get a bit more interesting. Not as much as to really give great credit.Alright, you have good and fast swordsmanship in a couple of fights. That hardly count for over 2 hours of movie. And what's with the physics of that huge sword the brawler wields? Ridiculous.We do have a few minutes long flashback about how Kenshin got his first scar, although it gives zero real screen time to the lady who gave him the second scar, and I find that outrageous. Alas, you won't be missing anything if you decide to skip this movie. If you are a fan of the series, you might have some fun jumping around seeing your heroes in the flesh. However, I can only imagine that those who get excited by this fact would jump around with a set of keys being shaken over their heads.This movie should be 1 hour shorter. Or based on the OVAs.
Harriet Deltubbo
It's 1868, after the end of the Bakumatsu war, and the former assassin Kenshin Himura promises to defend those in need without killing. All the characters struggle against a system that has perpetuated falsehoods, and there are fisticuffs back and forth. The content isn't for everyone. It is difficult to watch and has no shortage of violence, abuse and neglect. There are slow spots, but to me the movie is too good to dismiss based on them. It is depressing and hard to watch and definitely not a movie for those who are easily bothered by the content mentioned above. This is a gritty, hard movie about gritty hard people, but it's also intelligent.
srijan_srijan
Remember that failed attempt at live-action? ... Huh? "Which one?" You ask... Good point. Regardless! I'm happy to say this movie isn't one of those!So we know how hard it is to transfer the charm and grace of fluid animation into acted out cinematography. It is then even harder to hold together a cohesive 2 hour story that does not stray from 90+ episodes worth of critical comparison. These battles of pleasing relentless (sometimes even borderline O.C.D) fans of a popular anime franchise are handled commendably, allowing me to share the good news that this movie is a phenomenal live-action film. Being quite familiar with the arc (very effectively) summarized into a coherent fast paced action movie, I applaud the efforts of not only doing the popular anime justice but also bringing forth more to offer.Visual settings: 9/10Simply beautiful to see the world of Samurai X brought to life in the third dimension. The settings are breath taking and must be seen to be felt. Plot: 7.5/10For those unfamiliar to Samurai X, this is a satisfactory story that is as rewarding as the level of interest you chose to uphold. If you bare with the beginning which has a 50/50 percent chance of reeling or losing you, there will be an acceptable ending which won't 'move' you, but it won't 'rudely barge' you either (say, with the death of the female lead which many older anime displayed a compulsion for).Action: 10/10The display of martial arts is beyond satisfying. You might even find yourself replaying scenes. Unfortunately they do seem to have a mild funnel effect. The early fight around twenty minutes or so into the movie is the best. The quality of action in fact rises, but how impressed you are doesn't really. Should you keep this in mind then you will be pleasantly surprised by the later confrontations. Music: 9/10Nice. The authentic tunes are certainly there and constantly richly enhancing the visual pleasures of this film but you will barely notice over the action being offered at hand here. That said, music does compliment the action brilliantly. Characters: 10/10Finally a live action that does justice to its characters! Excellently portrayed and wisely modified. The more ridiculous elements of some villains have been minimized or removed to make for a more 'you can actually take anime seriously once in a while' feel.Final verdict: Aside from a brief cheesy and slightly stretched monologue (which somewhat fails to be as ambitiously inspirational and heartwarming as it sets out to be), the ending delivers a justified wrap-up to form a neatly sealed and high quality package with that rare stamp of approval that reads: "Safe to play even in the Western World."9+/10 for this culturally rich and fast paced action movie!
