Product Description

Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, William AthertonDirector: Edward Zwick

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2005 in DVD
• Brand: Blu-ray Action & Adventure
• Released on: 2007-07-02
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .26 pounds
• Running time: 154 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The Last Samurai gives epic sweep to an intimate story of cultures at a crossroads as Japan undergoes tumultuous transition to a more Westernised society in 1876-77. In America, tormented Civil War veteran Captain Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is coerced by a mercenary officer (Tony Goldwyn) to train the Japanese Emperor's troops in the use of modern weaponry. Opposing this "progress" is a rebellion of samurai warriors, holding fast to their traditions of honour despite strategic disadvantage. As a captive of the samurai leader (Ken Watanabe), Algren learns, appreciates, and adopts the Samurai code, switching sides for a climactic battle that will put everyone's honour to the ultimate test. All of which makes director Edward Zwick's noble epic eminently worthwhile, even if its Hollywood trappings (including an all-too-conventional ending) prevent it from being the masterpiece that Zwick and screenwriter John Logan clearly wanted it to be. Instead, The Last Samurai is an elegant mainstream adventure, impressive in all aspects of its production. It may not engage the emotions as effectively as Logan's script for Gladiator, but like Cruise's character, it finds its own quality of honour. --Jeff Shannon

Synopsis
Edward Zwick directs this sumptuously designed, action-packed period epic that stars Tom Cruise as Captain Nathan Algren. Algren, a former Civil War hero, is adrift in 1870s San Francisco after the war, a lost soul struggling to stay afloat in a booze-soaked stupor. When he is recruited by the Japanese government to train the Emperor's army, he departs for the unknown shores of Japan and begins training the soldiers in American military tactics. But these skills are useless against a band of samurai rebels led by the proud warrior Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe), and Algren is easily defeated. He is taken to a remote samurai village where he learns samurai warrior codes and ways of life, developing a deep bond with Katsumoto and sharing philosophical conversations with him. Caught between the feudal culture of the ancient samurai warriors and the encroachment of modern society, Algren is forced to choose between his own culture or Katsumoto's. THE LAST SAMURAI is lavish in its dramatic period costumes and intense performances, and will thrill fans of both historical drama and action films.

Customer Reviews

Specifications
Excellent movie!

Video: 16:9 2:4:1 / 148 Min
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1: English, Italian, German, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finish

EAN: 7321900108096

In Blu-ray
I have to say this is the most dramatic movie I have seen to date in Blu-ray. This movie was made for it. The colours and detail are amazing, I only realised certain things happened in this movie after viewing this movie ie. heads decapitating etc that I never even saw in standard DVD. HIGHLY RECOMMEND in BLU-RAY

Tom cruse at his best
Great film that I would recomend to anyone, A good balance of action and a meaningfull story means you will be wishing you where a samurai and questioning your own sense of honour by the end of the film.
The transition of this film to Blu-ray is exactly what you would expect, brilliant picture quality, outstanding sound and one fo the largest collections of extra features I have seen on any Blu-ray! which makes this a very good all round addition to anyones collection.

What I watched it on.
Panasonic 42px60 (plasma 1080i)
playstation 3 blu-ray player (HDMI)
JVC th-v70r surround sound (optical) (dolby digital 5.1) (inc tannoy m1 front L/R speakers)