Review of 13 Assassins (2010) by John S — 15 Aug 2012

85%.

13 Assassins is a beautifully crafted period film with an interesting story, odd yet effective musings of humor, and one of the most harrowing battle sequences you'll ever see. Although, it is a mixed bag.

The film feels well-polished enough with subtly beautiful cinematography, inspiring imagery, powerful dialogue, and a well-written plot. However, the experience does feel disjointed. The film takes on a serious drama tone early on the film, but it becomes corrupted as the film goes on. The strange comedic tie-ins are funny but feel off-kilter with the overall intensity of the film. There is this aura of lightheartedness present in similar films such as Seven Samurai but it doesn't fit in as well. There are also many other inexplicably odd moments and ideas thrown in that are somewhat distracting to the overall experience such as supernatural elements, lapses in logic, and bad effects.

The final battle sequence is jaw-dropping. The film's ability to build tension and excitement is fantastic and the very final scenes are truly stunning. This is mostly made possible by one of the most easy-to-hate despicable villains in recent history, Naritsugu. The final fight between him and Shizaemon and their subsequent deaths is a brilliant scene.

Despite its slightly disjointing idiosyncrasies, 13 Assassins still manages to capture the viewer's attention and deliver an exciting and enthralling experience of samurai action but still maintaining the film's heart and soul.