Review of 13 Assassins (2010) by Fabrizio B — 19 Jan 2013

This is "Seven Samurai" without the villagers, for better or worse. Supposedly it's more a remake of a 60's movie but you could've fooled me. (That movie must've been a REAL rip-off of Seven Samurai).

This is Miike pulling of Akira Kurosawa, the ultimate director of Japan. And with this Miike assures himself of not only being the most prolific and crazy director of his time but the best as well! Virtually a remake of Kurosawa's "The Seven Samurai" which rings out as one of the greatest films of the 20th century, this film does find its own valid reason to exist by the end.

There are great themes here, and beauty in the violence. Though the first half is the set up and becomes quite boring, the second half is just the opposite, just like what was intentionally done in Miike's "Audition".

I've probably missed some, but this is the best samurai movie to come out in 8 years since "The Twilight Samurai" and "Zatoichi" and could arguably be better than those.A 2nd viewing might bring this right up to becoming one of the best samurai movies I know.