Rurouni Kenshin

2013 • 134 minute

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January, 1868. The shogun's forces are defeated by a samurai uprising under a lone swordsman known as "Battosai the Killer", signalling the birth of a new era. Once legendary for his killing prowess, Battosai becomes a wanderer under the name of Kenshin Himura and vows never to kill again. But things are not so simple: faced with those who wish to return Japan to times of darkness, Kenshin is forced to grapple with what renouncing violence could mean. 2012 Nobuhiro Watsuki/Shueisha/

Graderings en resensies

Warning: Small spoilers. I have not seen the anime or the manga this film is based on, but I can wholeheartedly recommend the film to those who love watching samurai films in general. There is enough action to satisfy the die-hard action fan, but it is tempered with enough plot and storyline to appease the average viewer. The action itself is unbelievable at points, but I suppose that can be attributed to the story's origins as a manga. The soundtrack fits the mood perfectly, and the actors play out their roles well. It was startling to see the lead actor seamlessly transition between the rurouni (wanderer) and the hitokiri (assassin). The others match him in skill, though I do have to admit that I was a tad disappointed in how they decided to portray Kaoru's character, as Kaoru appears strong-willed when we are first introduced to her, only to later turn into a damsel in distress. The camera work was nicely done, as there were some interesting framing of certain scenes. A memorable one would be when Kenshin looks on a woman crying over her dead husband's body, and when he remembers a similar scene in the past. The editing was remarkable in this instance.

True to the anime storyline. Excellent actions scenes! Good to see some one can finally get an anime/comic adaptation right without completely destroying it. 5 stars

Very entertaining. Good likeable characters, a decent plot and great action scenes. Not exactly at the level of Kurosawa’s masterpieces, but nonetheless highly recommendable. I will definitely watch the other two movies from this series.