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 47 Ronin 

What grade would you give this film?
A 20%  20%  [ 1 ]
B 20%  20%  [ 1 ]
C 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
D 40%  40%  [ 2 ]
F 20%  20%  [ 1 ]
Total votes : 5

 47 Ronin 
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Post 47 Ronin
47 Ronin

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47 Ronin is a 2013 American fantasy action film depicting a fictional account of the forty-seven Ronin, a real-life group of samurai in 18th-century Japan who avenge the murder of their master (stories, plays and other dramatic performances of the 47 Ronin story are commonly referred to as Chushingura in Japan). Produced by Universal Studios, the film is directed by Carl Erik Rinsch and stars Keanu Reeves, Rinko Kikuchi, Tadanobu Asano, Hiroyuki Sanada and an ensemble of other Japanese actors. Filming started in Budapest in March 2011; it moved to Shepperton Studios in London and was concluded in Japan. The release date was moved from November 21, 2012 to February 8, 2013 and then again to Christmas Day, 2013.


Fri Dec 20, 2013 4:10 pm
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Post Re: 47 Ronin
47 Ronin is an enormous portion of coal on Christmas: for Universal Pictures, who reportedly spent north of 200 million dollars on the production; for the squandered, clearly uncomfortable cast; and for viewers such as myself caught in a theatre showing the disastrous final result. The basic storyline, inspired by a historical event which has become a legend, is well-known: in Japan in the early 1700s, a group of former samurai disobeyed the law and avenged their deceased master, and, in honor of their courage, they were given the chance to commit ritual suicide and preserve their honor rather than be hanged. This easily and often altered story of loyalty and sacrifice is super-sized here and injected with computer-generated, post-Lord of the Rings fantasy elements which rub against the more traditional content rather than forming a satisfying whole. There is simply a great deal wrong here, to the point I am tempted to simply list a few of its more grievous flaws and move on with my life.

Highly controlled, regal Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada is obviously the lead as the samurai who decides to plot revenge for his wronged master, but A-list American action hero Keanu Reeves is the star, a tension the film never resolves as it bends and reaches and otherwise pains itself to focus on Reeves (as an outsider who must earn the respect of the samurai because he has a white father), to prop him up as the film's central concern, however inauthentic. Not to criticize Reeves, who delivers a quietly capable performance within his limited, but charming range, but rather a runaway, unfocused production which betrays him and his co-star at the same time. Also ringing false is the idea feudal Japan was of course a place in which daily life involved giants and witches and glowing forest carnivores with multiple eyes. Whether it is due to the mediocre computer-generated images themselves or poor staging of the action sequences, the simple truth is this: the abrupt bursts of the fantastic are never a source of excitement and suspense, and they definitely further undercut what should be a credible, if heightened drama of combat and obedience. So, in the end, the film fails both as an honest interpretation of an important piece of Japanese culture and history (no tears will be shed) and as an absurd, bold, electrified popcorn movie (no cheers will be heard nor any guilty pleasures had).

The rather somber adventure moves in stops and starts, never establishing a rhythm nor a significant sense of momentum and mounting dread, though there are, I admit, individual moments of genuine spectacle, often due to a combination of the mega-budget production design and the generic, but still rousing original score. Beyond the ones played by the aforementioned international stars and also an antagonist portrayed in a modestly amusing and very over-the-top turn by Rinko Kikuchi of Babel and Pacific Rim fame, none of the characters are developed and truly do blur together. Call it The Brooding Sword Studs, the Glam Witch Bitch, and the Indistinguishable Other 45 Ronin: The Movie.

D

P.S. See the tattooed skeleton man on the poster? Stare at him for 30 seconds, and you will have seen more of him than in the actual film. ;) A glorified extra with one line the poster would lead you to believe is a central and scary character.

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Wed Dec 25, 2013 10:33 pm
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Post Re: 47 Ronin
47 RONIN

This film was okay. I really was looking forward to seeing this and I did enjoy the action sequences for the most part. I thought the sword fighting was well executed, but towards the end the final action set was a bit underwhelming. As far as the story, I liked it. It didn't feel epic or grand even though we have the Shogun visiting this town I would expect to see hundreds of extras. It felt more like 100 extras early on. The costumes were fantastic though. I liked that. The music felt generic Asian influenced stuff. I think they edited down the tattooed guy's sequence because in the trailer he seemed to do a lot more shooting. One other thing, I hated the voice introduction in the beginning and end. That wasn't very good.

Grade - B

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Wed Dec 25, 2013 10:41 pm
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Post Re: 47 Ronin
I noticed the...shall we say, big, yet small scale, too. It is mentioned at one point they will face AN ARMY OF THOUSANDS on their quest for vengeance, yet the final siege is presented as if they were nearly evenly matched.

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Wed Dec 25, 2013 10:54 pm
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Post Re: 47 Ronin
Oh, I should say I give this film a bit of credit for including Reeves' character in the final suicide. I was half expecting them to come up with a corny reason to spare him ("YOU MUST LIVE TO TELL THE STORY, HALF-BREED!"), and they did not, so...congratulations.

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Thu Dec 26, 2013 9:03 am
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Post Re: 47 Ronin
47 Ronin is a very well told version of the classic Japanese tale of honor, so I'm not surprised it's not catching on with the ADHD multiplex crowd. I mean the producers dared to include a story, of all things! And it's told right too, so you can forget about a happy ending.

Keanu Reeves comports himself with dignity and the rest of the Japanese cast is sterling.

A fine movie that will remain unappreciated by most.


12 out of 5.


Wed Jan 01, 2014 3:02 pm
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Post Re: 47 Ronin
This was always going to be a perfect opportunity for Bradley. Low box office? Check. Bad reviews? Check. Huge financial disappointment? Check. WOKJ users think it's shit? Check. Bradley loves it to be different? Check.

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Sat Jan 04, 2014 12:52 am
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Post 
47 Ronin

A two-hour movie about the Samurai and lots of people die, yet not one drop of blood is seen. Lame.

Keanu Reeves just makes bad movies. He hasn't made a good movie in 11 years, and now he's just agreeing to appear in any shit, especially shit that will add to his legacy of being the Western Bruce Lee wannabe. He and none of the cast can act, and the story is very boring and generic. The film is afraid to break narrative convention and that is its biggest mistake. I think it's a feat to make a film about the Samurai and then make it this bad. The script is probably one of the worst I've seen, and the effects are sporadic and uninspired. Total shit.

The film is also far, far, far too long. And why the fuck do they all speak English? It makes no sense. They all speak fluent English, yet they write in Japanese. lol. Generic score, too. I'll be glad to forget this movie. I'm also glad that Warner Bros. lost a shitload of money on this crapfest.

F

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Sun Mar 30, 2014 11:06 am
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Post Re: 47 Ronin
Warner Bros. didnt lose a single cent.

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Sun Mar 30, 2014 2:54 pm
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Post Re: 47 Ronin
Whatever. Someone did, and I'm glad about it.

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Sun Mar 30, 2014 8:21 pm
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Post Re: 47 Ronin
The action is pretty good and the acting is fine. The letdown here for me is the direction and script. The pacing is horrible, and it drags down the entire movie. Watchable, but not worth paying to see.

C+

Just a note on my rating system. A reasonably entertaining movie with nothing special about it would be a B. Use that as a gauge.

If I watch a movie that I give an F, then I've failed as a moviegoer and never should have watched it. The worst movie I've ever seen compared to my expectation for it is Eragon. I give the movie a D. The only redeeming value is the dragon looked good. It may just be the worst adaptation of a book to a movie ever.

The worst movie I've ever watched all the way through was Lake Placid 2. I gave that a D-. I couldn't give it a F because one line during the movie caught me off guard and made me laugh really hard.


Wed Apr 02, 2014 1:09 am
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Post Re: 47 Ronin
SolC9, you're just too picky as a moviegoer. You only watch what you feel will entertain you. I, on the other hand, will watch anything, it totally depends on the situation, and thus, I have seen a lot of crap. I liked Keanu Reeves, so therefore I watched 47 Ronin. I went with some friends to see Fast Six because they wanted to see it. I had heard good things from WOKJers about 2001: A Space Odyssey. Three completely different reasons, yet all those movies are F's. It doesn't mean I've failed as a moviegoer, it just means that there are some absolute crap movies out there and I was unlucky enough to see them. Also, I will always watch a movie from start to finish, giving it every opportunity to entertain me at least somewhat, so I have watched many bad movies in their entirety.

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Wed Apr 02, 2014 8:22 am
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Post Re: 47 Ronin
Algren wrote:
...I had heard good things from WOKJers about 2001: A Space Odyssey. Three completely different reasons, yet all those movies are F's. It doesn't mean I've failed as a moviegoer, it just means that there are some absolute crap movies out there and I was unlucky enough to see them.

There may be another reason that you are overlooking.


Wed Apr 02, 2014 9:55 am
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Post Re: 47 Ronin
Yawn.

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Wed Apr 02, 2014 10:33 am
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Post Re: 47 Ronin
I didn't mean it that anyone who watches a movie they give an F has failed as a moviegoer. It's my own personal expectation to not allow myself to waste time watching a movie I'll hate. It cuts both ways though. I avoid most of the bad movies, but I miss/delay watching movies I end up liking as well.


Wed Apr 02, 2014 6:37 pm
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