Review of 13 Assassins (2010) by Drlowdon — 16 Mar 2015

Set in 1840s Japan the Shogun's twisted half-brother, Lord Naritsugu of the Akashi tribe, has been committing heinous crimes upon the people. Realising the situation will only become worse should Naritsugu gain more power, justice minister Sir Doi seeks out a trusted older samurai (Shinzaemon) to put together a team to stop him.

The last half hour of the film is amongst the very best extended action scenes in recent memory and makes the film worth a watch alone. The rest of the movie, although not exactly boring, is slow going however and along with the subtitles could be enough to put a lot of people of before they reach the end. 13 Assassins is a good example of foreign cinema but its pacing problems prevent it from being a true classic.