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47 Ronin Review

47 Ronin

Director: Carl Rinsch.

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rinko Kikuchi, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Tadanobu Asano.

Certificate: 12A.

Running Time: 119 minutes.

Synopsis: A year after the murder of their master, a group of masterless samurai join forces with half-breed, Kai (Keanu Reeves), to avenge his death and restore honour to their land.

47 RONIN sees Keanu Reeves return to the big screen, having recently stuck to smaller scale projects; his last proper outing being 2008’s THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. In 47 RONIN, Reeves plays Kai, an English/Japanese ‘half-breed’ who is taken in by the kindly Lord Asano (Min Tanaka), but distrusted by Asano’s samurai – that is, until they become Ronin and need his help to avenge their master’s death.

At the head of Asano’s samurai is the ever loyal Ôishi, played by the brilliant Hiroyuki Sanada. Ôishi fearlessly leads his men on what is essentially a suicide mission (playing to his strengths with a role almost identical to that in THE LAST SAMURAI) so they can restore honour to their fallen master. Although it is Tadanobu Asano’s Lord Kira whom the Ronin seek to destroy, it is actually the character known only as ‘Witch’ that is the manipulator of events. Played by Rinko Kikuchi of last summer’s PACIFIC RIM, her portrayal of the mystical figure is part power-hungry Lady Macbeth, part darkly-twisted Myca, Bai Ling’s character in THE CROW. It is through her magic that we are exposed to the mythical figures within the tale, though the effects on said creatures are a little hit and miss with some clearly having more time spent on them than others.

Those expecting a high-octane action film like the trailer suggests may find themselves disappointed, especially when the first half revolves around the simple life of the samurai and their lord. With the story based at least in part on the small group of men who really experienced these events, it’s a little sad the studio didn’t feel comfortable enough to stick to a wholly foreign cast, writing Reeves’ Kai into the script. A film that shouldn’t be too hyped up in order to avoid bitter disappointment, if you don’t go in expecting the world, you’ll come out relatively happy.

[usr=3] 47 RONIN is out in UK cinemas now.

Kat Hughes is a UK born film critic and interviewer who has a passion for horror films. An editor for THN, Kat is also a Rotten Tomatoes Approved Critic. She has bylines with Ghouls Magazine, Arrow Video, Film Stories, Certified Forgotten and FILMHOUNDS and has had essays published in home entertainment releases by Vinegar Syndrome and Second Sight. When not writing about horror, Kat hosts micro podcast Movies with Mummy along with her five-year-old daughter.

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