PodBill Just what I expected

Bea Swanson This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Tayyab Torres Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

ilhammalik When I heard that there will be an adaptation movie of Rurouni Kenshin I was skeptical about it. I've watch several anime/manga live-action adaptation before and all of them are just not good. But, turns out this one adaptation is not bad. in fact, it is the best adaptation so far. why?ACTION- the action sequence of this film was beyond my expectation, far beyond my expectation. at first I thought that this movie will lack of choreography. samurai X is all about a samurai who seek for a some kind of peace and redemption of his past. in the original work he was considered as the best samurai. his name has become a legend among the samurai. and since other anime/manga adaptation was bad, I thought this one would too. and I didn't expect much battle scenes would be THAT good. and I was wrong. those battle scenes in this films are well made, extraordinary. the choreographer has done amazing job. the speed of their swords slashing each other are just amazing. it felt so fast and natural it make me O_o wut? what just happened?. it was the best sword fight of all time, for me.CAST- the cast overall was pleasant. the acting was good and fit to the character perfectly. it almost feels like they were brought to live for real in this movie. it sure brought back my childhood memories watching this film.STORY- the story overall is fun and easy to follow. for those who haven't seen nor read the manga/anime would still enjoy this film. it was easy to follow. you just have to simply watch and enjoy. ;)EFFECT- when it comes to effect, sure the anime or manga has hyperbole action here and there like a very high jump and so on. and well, this film has several effect that are might be too much in real life, but they are accurately based on the original work. so even though it still kinda weird to see, but you'll still enjoy it anyway, because it was cool! in terms of blood CGI, and all kind of that nature, the director has done great job. no too much CGI effect, no too unnecessary effect. in fact, everything seems to look so natural. overall, this movie is far from what I expected of a live-action adaptation of a anime/manga. this film broke the image of "Japanese live-action sucks". it is absolutely a must-see film. it was enjoyable, easy to follow, and the action sequence was amazing!

phoenix 2 If you like ninja-samurai movies, this one is perfect for you. Sure the characters are a bit manga like, but the action and the whole universe is amazing. Actually, the costumes and the settings were realistic and created an atmosphere of authenticity. The story is quite catchy as well, and entertaining to boot. In addition the characters were interesting and the good performances helped a lot to support the movie, as it had many sword fights. The action scenes were well executed and didn't look fake. The soundtrack supported the mood of the movie as well. So, 8 out of 10.

srijan_srijan Remember that failed attempt at live-action? ... Huh? "Which one?" You ask... Good point. Regardless! I'm happy to say this movie isn't one of those!So we know how hard it is to transfer the charm and grace of fluid animation into acted out cinematography. It is then even harder to hold together a cohesive 2 hour story that does not stray from 90+ episodes worth of critical comparison. These battles of pleasing relentless (sometimes even borderline O.C.D) fans of a popular anime franchise are handled commendably, allowing me to share the good news that this movie is a phenomenal live-action film. Being quite familiar with the arc (very effectively) summarized into a coherent fast paced action movie, I applaud the efforts of not only doing the popular anime justice but also bringing forth more to offer.Visual settings: 9/10Simply beautiful to see the world of Samurai X brought to life in the third dimension. The settings are breath taking and must be seen to be felt. Plot: 7.5/10For those unfamiliar to Samurai X, this is a satisfactory story that is as rewarding as the level of interest you chose to uphold. If you bare with the beginning which has a 50/50 percent chance of reeling or losing you, there will be an acceptable ending which won't 'move' you, but it won't 'rudely barge' you either (say, with the death of the female lead which many older anime displayed a compulsion for).Action: 10/10The display of martial arts is beyond satisfying. You might even find yourself replaying scenes. Unfortunately they do seem to have a mild funnel effect. The early fight around twenty minutes or so into the movie is the best. The quality of action in fact rises, but how impressed you are doesn't really. Should you keep this in mind then you will be pleasantly surprised by the later confrontations. Music: 9/10Nice. The authentic tunes are certainly there and constantly richly enhancing the visual pleasures of this film but you will barely notice over the action being offered at hand here. That said, music does compliment the action brilliantly. Characters: 10/10Finally a live action that does justice to its characters! Excellently portrayed and wisely modified. The more ridiculous elements of some villains have been minimized or removed to make for a more 'you can actually take anime seriously once in a while' feel.Final verdict: Aside from a brief cheesy and slightly stretched monologue (which somewhat fails to be as ambitiously inspirational and heartwarming as it sets out to be), the ending delivers a justified wrap-up to form a neatly sealed and high quality package with that rare stamp of approval that reads: "Safe to play even in the Western World."9+/10 for this culturally rich and fast paced action movie!

cinematic_aficionado The warrior who used to kill for a living, now sworn to not kill again even though circumstances make it compelling for him to do so.We follow the journey of a reformed killing machine who wanders the country using his skill to help the helpless. He is particularly pressed, upon stopping on a small village where a local mobster is ruthless in getting what he wants by oppressing the locals.The story revolves around the wanderer's past, his unique fighting skills but the struggle he faces trying to maintain an absolute oath of not killing again. The plight of a local girl who runs a sword training academy appeals to him. I particularly enjoyed the fighting scenes as they provide intensity without the Hollywoodian exaggeration.Therefore, beautiful cinematography, good dialogue, strong moral dilemma and superb action sequences makes this a winning cocktail.