Review of 47 Ronin (2013) by Eyehawk — 10 Jan 2014

I went into this movie with essentially no expectations. After a cursory glance at reviews I thought it would be a mindless throw-away experience. However, I could not have been more wrong.

This movie surpassed all of my expectations. I enjoyed the meld of the feudal Japanese setting, the un-overt use of fantasy elements infused with the legend of the 47 ronin.

As far as I remember, the major plot points were covered and I was pleased to see that the end of the story was not changed to accommodate most cheesy Hollywood endings. It's an ending that Western audiences may not understand as being "happy" without having some knowledge of the Bushido code.

In terms of pacing, I felt that the movie moved along at a brisk pace - never at any moment did I feel a scene overstayed it's welcome. In comparison, when I watched Hobbit: Desolation recently, I fell asleep probably 2-3 times due to many of the over-drawn scenes.

Overall, I thought it was a great, entertaining movie. I really don't understand the major disparity between the critic and user reviews. If you are an action, fantasy, or adventure movie buff, I highly recommend this movie to you. Don't bother even considering the largely incorrect reviews from the so-called "pros".