Completed
Neko13Momoiro
40 people found this review helpful
Dec 8, 2012
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
About the story, from the anime series, the plot was changed. Which I will no longer mention what are the changes are to avoid spoiling the others. The fighting scenes were really awesome. How each scenes were directed was perfect or in detailed. The lighting they have used is well chosen and the places too. You can feel the presence of the past era (which I forgot what it is) to the modern. It's funny though that the cops back then are always too late in the scenes. But it is understandable since there are no cars yet that time.
I can say that this is really worth watching for. Even though I was little sad that there are scenes that I like that wasn't included. I guess they just give emphasize to the important ones. Also, my feelings wasn't totally moved. Maybe because I already know the story that's why I wasn't totally moved.


About actors~ Ohhhhhhhhh!! They are so great! I salute them! They really done a great job especially kenshin!!!! He is so cool, handsome and cute!!! Love him x)
The way he express is just right, love it. Same as the same characters, the expressions are totally right. Although kaoru and Megumi are cute unlike in anime which are matured. Kaoru and Megumi wasn't able to absorb the 100% characteristic in the anime. But they did their job well too :D Sano is not really tall, but with his big muscles I guess that's enough. Anyway, they were really great :D

Music, I love the music and background music. It suits the movie. the sound effects were great too.

Anyway, I give it all 10! It was great~ Worth watching~ ^-^

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Completed
Hangebokhan
68 people found this review helpful
Aug 26, 2012
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
One, I hate Karou. Just had to get that out there ^^; Also, I never give 10s across the board, never. Please take that into consideration when you read this review. This got a straight 10 from me!

Ok, so the choreography was simply STUNNING! I mean, I have never seen a better use of martial arts, ever. Bourne Identity comes close but this was... the economy of movement, the sword play, it was spectacular. I am getting the DVD for no other reason than to slow down the flight scenes to half speed so I can see those fights in all their glory! The fight scenes were STUNNING! The actor was so gritty, damn. You only get a tiny idea of how amazing it is from the preview, let me tell you... I wish I could look up movies by whoever is in charge of fight scenes. Just, dman.

Ok, no one cares how wonderful the fight scenes were (you better, it was something like >50% of the movie) the music... I really liked it. It was a very powerful sound track that worked well with the movie and the era. A mix of traditional Japanese music and instrumental with some classical thrown in there, it made me feel the era. It was an era of transitions and you felt it from the music alone.

Story wise, this covered the fake Battousai and Gatling gun/Megumi arcs. If you are looking for the manga made into a movie... well, this movie was by no means pure but it did a damn good job. Watching Sano fight was comical, he was the comic relief of the movie, where Kenshin was all sex he was all humor.

After my first paycheck, if it is still in theaters, I am SO going. Just an amazing movie people! The costumes, the sets, just damn. If you want to know anything more specific, email me because I feel that if I continue, it is just going to be one large joygasm about how wonderful the sword play was.

I will comment that the ONLY point I was dissappointed in was that Kenshin did not do his 'I'm so badass with my sakabatou I can slice through concrete' thing.

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Shika Humoresque
8 people found this review helpful
Dec 31, 2012
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
When I found out Rurouni Kenshin was being made into a live action movie, at first I had my doubts as movie adaptatins of anime/manga, particularly live action ones don't usually fare too well. Regardless of that, being a huge Rurouni Kenshin fanatic, I was still ridiculously excited and had to watch it no matter what.

The movie is spectacular!!! The plot flows well, all the prominent characters from the anime were all included (much to my pleasing, hehe), excluding a select few which I believe will appear in the next few movies they will release (I read they plan on making a series out of it, which is definitely plausible considering the nature of the anime and various plots).

I fell in love with the OST immediately! I absolutely love it and will hunt down the album as soon as I've finished writing this review. The music flows exceptionally well with the amazing choreography and brings out the full emotions, feelings and thoughts of Kenshin. The battle sequences truly are something that would grip all viewers. Together with the soundtrack, it brings epicness to a whole new level.

To top it all off, the acting is top notch. C'est magnifique! A must watch for all RuroKen aficionados, and even if you're not much of a historical, action based samurai loving fan, the soundtrack and the choreography itself is enough to win you over.

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Skye-N-Rain
9 people found this review helpful
May 22, 2013
Completed 1
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
I've been a fan of the Rurouni Kenshin anime for at least 7 years now. It was one of my first anime, and it's been one of my favorites ever since. So when I first heard about the live action adaptation I was a little apprehensive. I was afraid that they were going to ruin the memory of yet another one of my favorite anime. However, this movie went beyond my expectations and was actually pretty good. It kept a lot of the Kenshin anime 'feel', the seriousness along with the moments of comedy that I so dearly love.

Story 8/10: The story was interesting, though predictable (mainly due to the fact that I have watched the anime.)

Cast 10/10: The cast did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life.

9/10: The music was very good and fit the scenes perfectly. Even though its been 3 days since I watched hte movie, i'm currently listening to one of the songs (by One Ok Rock) from the movie.

Rewatch Value 6/10: This film is a decent rewatch.

Cinematography 10/10: Even though we don't have a section for Cinematography on here, i felt this movie deserved one. Normally I don't notice Cinematography since it's not too big of a deal. But this movie went above and beyond normal cinematography.

Overall 9/10; What are you waiting for? Go and watch it if you haven't already!

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Completed
Starae
6 people found this review helpful
Jan 15, 2013
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This was a really enjoyable movie and even more so enjoyable if you've seen the anime or read the manga.

My husband who had never even heard of Rurouni Kenshin and rarely watches dramas with me, enjoyed this movie just as much as I did. It's packed full of action and they do their best to explain everything that happens, and it even has some comedic moments in it as well that anyone would appreciate.

There really isn't much else to say about it but to tell you to give it a shot and you won't regret it.
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Completed
Melwill28
5 people found this review helpful
Feb 10, 2013
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
I rly enjoyed watching this not only b/c I watched the anime, but b/c it was so well done. Rly awesome fight scenes. Even though this is a live action movie based on anime it was able to bring u into the characters lives while telling the story. So, u get a feeling of knowing the characters w/o loosing any of the story. I will watch this again, and suggest others watch it. If u don't like anime this doesn't have that anime feel to it. It is so well done that the anime feeling doesn't come out.
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Completed
helkwo
5 people found this review helpful
May 29, 2014
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
I have never seen the anime series and so I watched this movie without any bias or expectations. But I am happy to say that I was totally blown away by it. I haven’t seen many samurai movies but this movie was packed with superbly choreographed action scenes. The characters are very appealing and well acted by all the cast. I totally bought into Takeru Satoh as Kenshin. He somehow managed to pull it off being both cute/funny and deadly at the same time. I would recommend this movie to anyone that enjoys a story where a hero saves the day with some hectic sword fighting.

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devitto
7 people found this review helpful
Jul 23, 2013
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
First of all, I'd only recommend this to people who've read the manga or seen the anime. Everyone who doesn't know the story might feel overwhelmed by the fast pace and the huge junks of story they just left out.

They tried to get a lot of story into very little time, so in between there's pieces missing that could've explained the character and relationship development. Since I knew the manga and anime, I just added those and found the movie really entertaining.

All in all, the actor choices were great and the characters were acted out nearly perfectly. They chose great story lines, too. A little less story with a little more character development would've been nice, but wouldn't have been as action-packed.

I have to say that I really liked the fighting scenes, too! They were really well-done and realistic.

Overall, it's a great movie and every Kenshin-fan should watch it.

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inactive
7 people found this review helpful
Dec 11, 2013
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
I'm not a fan of the anime and wasn't able to watch it but I have to agree that this movie is simply one of the best Japanese action movie out there. I love the action scenes and it really kept me entertained that I wasn't able to notice the time and it kept me wanting for more. Sato Takeru is perfect as Kenshin. Though it's fast-paced it didn't bother me though I know you will appreciate the movie more if you are a fan of the anime or if you are familiar with the story. But even if I'm not an fan/avid follower I could say that I enjoyed the movie. If you are an action fan I do recommend this movie. I could definitely re-watch it again. I'm looking forward for the next installments.

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Amastris Dratwka
4 people found this review helpful
Dec 1, 2015
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
I don't grade shows very low if I can stand to watch them, BUT I also don't hand out 10s on a whim either. 10 is only for those really exceptional things that keep lingering in your mind hours, even days or weeks later. I'll start by saying, this is one of those kinds of movies.

STORY: The era and plot of this movie is perfect. The idea and message that is conveyed through it is moving. There is a clear path and a clear point and it is made with dramatic scenery, wonderful cinematography, and excellent martial arts sequences. Frankly, the best part about this is the martial arts and the concept of killing versus not killing. However, if you're looking for a true romance movie, you're in the wrong place. If you're in it for great acting and romantic subtlety, you'll get it in spades. If you love subtlety, then you'll understand when I say that the ending was epic.

The fact that this was produced by Time-Warner is a plus. Not to be biased, just staying factual, unless a Japanese movie is being produced by the likes of Sony Corp, the production value tends to be a tier or 2 down from the Mega-Movie producers in the USA. Those places just have instilled longtime quality personnel, longtime experience, and lots of money to spare to put value into a movie they produce. This movie is no exception to that rule.

ACTING: Straight up, you couldn't have cast people better for each role. They all fit their characters well. I have to say that Sato Takeru absolutely nails his character. Sato has the most perfect stances for each scene that shows his expertise and understanding of various jutsu. I was enthralled by it and his moves are so seemless. I haven't seen a movie so good for swordfighting in so long, it was amazing to me. His ability to subtlely use his eyes and mouth to express emotions that delineate the distance or closeness to his relationships or deeper meaning is powerful. I was able to see how much he values the concept of innocence by his shy reaction to it when he comes across it and his desire to protect the concept. Just beautiful and moving. Even though Samurai X was produced in 2012, it brought back to me essences of Liar And His Lover [2013] in that first kiss scene when she says "why are you crying" when he isn't and then the tears flow easily. I see how he perfected that by watching this movie. He is definitely a talented actor and I'm fascinated by how good he is with his marital arts at such a young age. Just mesmerizing.

MUSIC: One OK Rock - The Beginning for the closing song! Enough said! But seriously, the music is very good. It's got a classical feel to it and reminds me of the soundtrack to the anime Sword Of The Stranger yet, nothing will ever quite compare to that epic anime. I say it "feels" like it but it's no where close to the downloadable quality. What I mean is that the music doesn't distract and is impactful and plays well with the scenes being portrayed.

REWATCH VALUE: This is one movie that I will come back to time and time again. The battles scenes are just so good that I don't think I'd ever get bored of watching them. Where do you find a scene with a samurai beating up a bunch of thugs and, if you watch closely, see him take the seconds to show his respect by taking off his shoes and bowing. It's just meaningful stuff like that which you may not catch the first go around that begs for this movie to be watched multiple times.

OVERALL: Just one of those lovely badass films that's worth sinking your teeth into time and time again.

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sparklingangel
4 people found this review helpful
Jan 21, 2013
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
Some movies are great with a Jpop singer/actor in the lead, but "Rurouni Kenshin" needed more, and that's what it got in casting Takeru Sato as Kenshin. It felt like I watched Kenshin come alive, for the first time. I love the anime, don't get me wrong, but I always wondered what the plot would be like in live action. In a word, it's brilliant. I only wish there were more because one movie is definitely not enough.

It's fun hearing Kenshin speak the same way he does in the anime, with an eccentric something tagged on the end of his sentences. It's cute, and it suits him. You get to know the battle-scarred Kenshin, and he is seriously scary, but you also get to know the Kenshin who's seeking a place to call home, as he experiences that need for connection. Isn't that the human condition, the need to connect?

I can't praise the movie high enough. It's different from the anime, but that's okay. There are so many story arcs in the anime that something a little condensed is very refreshing. This movie is high-quality directing, acting, and staging, with absolutely STUNNING battle sequences. I wish all Japanese movies took the time to make such a magnificent work of art.

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shadowdancer
6 people found this review helpful
Dec 29, 2012
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 10
Trying to be fair, I'll split this review in two parts;

for those who have no idea about Kenshin...To begin with what are you doing here? just go and watch the anime and ova's, read the manga! But if you insist: Kenshin is a good movie. Cinematography, costumes,and action is above (very above) avarage. The dialogues can give you an idea about the period, which is a milestone in japanese history and caracters as well as actors are eye-catching. The weak point is unfortunately the story telling, which is a little too slow but I do not think you will get bored because of the beautiful shooting,peaceful colours and fitting music.

for fans...I know you are scared to watch this one, but be brave, I do not think you'll regret it. I totally fell in love with action scenes,costumes,colours as well as Takeru's own Kenshin interpretation. At first I thought it was different/ odd but somehow Takeru convinced me ...(wish he could be a little older) There were one or two scenes where I could barely see Megumi's fox ears,and Yahiko's wide open eyes.Unlike most of the people even Kaouru was ok. If you can accept the changes in the plot, which they wrapped very professionally,the only problem left is the pace which depends on your patience...Overall I think it was a very good movie with a different interpretation of Kenshin's story nicely sugar coated with nice costumes, amazing sword fights and harmonious scenery.
ps: I can not bring myself to write about Saito and Aoshi, it really hurts....

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Rurouni Kenshin (2012) poster

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