Review of 13 Assassins (2010) by Tero H — 21 Oct 2012

With great anticipation, I pre-ordered it on DVD. However, I found this movie a disappointment. Instead of focusing on medieval japan, the film is entirely about killing, torture and plotting. Not only are the samurai killing each other, but a deranged political leader is killing innocents, such as women and children, brutally. I found the whole thing saddening to watch.

A violent mock up of Seven Samurai it seemed to me. It did have some exciting moments here and there, and over all the pre-meiji era and the samurai theme and the Iai-jutsu moves were quite interesting, but the problem was its over reliance on mere bloodshed and nothing more. It was well acted, that much I must say. However, the screen is just filled with anguish of people getting killed - if that is all you want, then thats what you got. Takashi Miike seems to make this sort of films.