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It stands to reason that there must be something pretty dastardly about the target of the assassination plot that makes up Takashi Miike's 13 Assassins; after all, an enormous amount of energy and planning goes into this effort. And hoo boy, have we got a dastardly villain for you: Japanese feudal lord Naritsugu (Goro Inagaki), the demented half-brother of the emperor. His taste for perversity results in a few early scenes that will test the gag reflex of unprepared viewers (and let fans of Miike know that the director of Audition still has his gonzo streak, even if the rest of the movie is conventional by his standards). Court councilors agree that somebody needs to take Naritsugu out, lest this madman actually ascend to power; thus a veteran samurai (Koji Yakusho, the charismatic star of Shall We Dance and Cure) is charged with assembling a team that can eliminate him. The movie spends some time on the (always sure-fire) method of picking the expert samurai who will join the mission, and then plunges headlong into an epic battle sequence. 13 Assassins delivers on the spectacle, as Naritsugu has 200 soldiers at his side, so the destruction of an entire small town is called for in the final throwdown. Miike is an adept field marshal, and the movie has plenty of crazy-go-nuts moments (as well as a couple of borderline-mystical puzzlers), but he also takes the time to explore the delicacies of the samurai code: in particular, Naritsugu's chief of security (Masachika Ichimura) is as disgusted with his boss as anybody else, but must live according to the oath he swore when he took the job--an exquisite sort of self-debasement. In short, action connoisseurs will find little to fault in this big-scale samurai epic. --Robert Horton
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Miike shines again,
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This review is from: 13 Assassins [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)
Another excellent movie to add to Miike legendary line-up, not his absolute best of course but a must own for every samurai fans. the whole story of a group of rogue samurai who choose to make a spoiled - bored and cruel shogun's brother pay for his deeds and save the fragile peace of their land unfolds in classic Miike fashion, so once one of the protagonist dies the switch from hope to desperation is masterfully depicted and the awe inspiring end scene that lasts an amazing 55 minutes (basically half of the movie) shows each samurai or <ally> (you will understand when you see) giving their whole being to achieve their mission against impossible odds. The cinematography and photography are breathtaking by moment and the actors are solid, you really feel for them and want them to succeed. I was so into the movie that it was like I could feel each stab they received. As mentioned by Miike in his interview it is not an action movie but a drama and you can clearly say that it is true in a sense after watching the whole movie and if you compare it to the classics samurai action flicks like lone wolf and cub for example. So bottom-line, a must watch for fans of the genre but definitely not for everyone, some scene are made to disgust you in classic Miike fashion, you have been warned.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Like seven samurai... but with thirteen instead.,
By
This review is from: 13 Assassins [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)
13 assassins is a beautiful, well paced and played action epic that clearly aims at more traditional styles of film making dating from the Kurosawa days, it's something that just feel much more tangible then many of the live action anime inspired action films of late.The actors are there for their ability to perform and the costumes for delivering a taste of authenticity. Not just pretty faces with layers of CGI retouches. The only thing that keep this film from being a true five star is how it feel like it's only paying homage to past films. You can't escape the feeling of not only deja-vue but of bringing really nothing new at all. This doesn't make the film bad, it just makes it predictable and feel a little fulfilling if you were expecting something that would bring new life beyond what Seven Samurai already did.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great movie,
By Mac (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: 13 Assassins (DVD)
Well paced and well acted, this movie takes a while to get going, but has it's spikes of action and drama before the final scene. The final scene is a barn burner, with the outnumbered assassins taking on their enemies in creative and intense ways. Not just a simple revenge flick, there are lessons to be learned and wisdom is imparted along the way, from all sides of the story. There is lots of violence in this film, and it may not be for everybody.
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