Exciting finale to the trilogy, Still the best fight scenes
So this series has the best fight scenes I'd ever seen and this is no different; the choreography, sound effects, cinematography for them are all just amazing and it is definitely something I'd rewatch over and over again. It gets me hyped every time.In terms of plot, this one had the most solid one in my opinion — it had established characters and there was a nice balance between personal growth and battle scenes. I loved seeing more of our main character's past and how he was with his mentor, leading to how he applied lessons to fighting with antagonists. Amazing development there.
The side characters were still consistent and fun, and I do think everyone got some scenes, but part of me did miss having the gang travel, work, live, and just chill together. I loved the scenes they did interact with each other and craved more of them.
All in all, I haven't read the manga so I don't know how great this series is as an adaptation (it sounds good from what I've heard) but as a movie and movie series, it's great and I'd consider it a classic.
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This review may contain spoilers
One of the Best Action Trilogies I've Ever Seen!
There's a reason that there aren't many good sequels out there, let alone two to make up a trilogy. The first film is usually the best with significant fall-off from there. I can only think of a few trilogies that are rock solid from first to last. This is one of the few.Kenshin finds himself back with his old master. He doesn't know if Kaoru is alive or not. We can see the despair and rage in his eyes. He pleads with his master to teach him the ultimate technique that might help him defeat Shishio and his minions.
People with Kenshin's past often find it more challenging to live. They view their own lives as sacrifice and recompense for a tumultuous and far-from-ideal past. Kenshin's master has to remind him that he cannot fear life, and he can't look at his own life as being of less worth than anyone else's. In other words, he can't sacrifice his life to save others because he views others' lives as being greater than his own. This reminds me a bit of Nathan Algren from "The Last Samurai" who is so wracked with guilt and shame that he pretty much wishes for death, and he can't help but wonder how and why he's escaped death so many times.
We also find that the new government--out of fear of Shishio--puts out a call for Kenshin's arrest at Shishio's demands. First thing is first, of course. Kenshin needs to recollect himself as well as find himself before he's ready to take on Shishio.
The climactic battle doesn't disappoint as Kenshin and a few of his newfound allies--some who are former enemies--fight side-by-side to rid Japan of its most evil and devastating enemy. The battle sequences are so long that even I was starting to feel as tired as the characters who were fighting. And, of course, the same question remains: can Kenshin defeat Shishio without killing him.
Kenshin is easily one of the deepest and most profound heroes in recent cinematic history. A man who doesn't say very much, but we know and admire the complexity of the man and his newfound mission: to save those who cannot save themselves and to do so without taking a life.
In many ways, Kaoru is Kenshin's rock. She serves as a reminder, that no matter how difficult it may be, Kenshin can serve his mission and live by his code. Kaoru serves as the ultimate companion. The person who believes in us even when we begin to doubt ourselves. And perhaps it is the deep, underlying philosophy at the core of these films that makes them delve far deeper than any typical action film.
In short, this is one of the best action trilogies I've ever seen, and the action lies on the periphery if its heart, its wisdom, and the belief that a man can, indeed, change.
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Takeru Satoh’s Brilliance
The man surely knows how to get into character. Rurouni Kenshin is such a warm, ambitious and wholesome character which has kept me on board with the movies; Takeru seeps his paws into Battosai’s character and doesn’t let go. It’s mind blowing to watch.As much as I love him, I was not a very big fan of this plot line. For example, the movie prior to this ends on some sort of a cliffhanger where Kenshin forgets his mission and stalks his way into the ship to get to his woman. It’s heartfelt, powerful and captivating. His feelings for her overwhelm his thought process and he hurries to her rescue. This movie starts off with Kenshin washing away at an island and he thinks Kaoru is dead. It’s shocking and depressing as he falls to his knees in disbelief.
I loved it. However, when it is revealed that Kaoru is alive, his reaction is… underwhelming. It’s out of the blue and he simply smiles and that’s the end of it. There’s no relief washing over him or uncontrollable happiness which seemed very odd since the loss really seemed to impact him in the beginning. He wants to learn the heaven’s technique for her after all!
Though, I liked how the villain ended up burning to death on his own. It was satisfying. His side kick, agile swordsman’s insane breakdown was also incredibly captivating and satisfying to watch.
Overall, I loved it but it could have been better with more plot.
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After an amazing first movie, they somehow completely butchered the sequels.
The first of the original 3 Rurouni Kenshin live-action movies was absolutely brilliant (as I elaborated on in detail in my review for that entry). Unfortunately, however, the second and third installments of the live-action trilogy are not only not anywhere near as good as the first (either overall or in terms of adaptation), they're really just not very good movies, period (nor are either of them standalone). Don't get me wrong, the production, fight choreography, and acting are (mostly) all still at the same level (indeed, the fight with the dual-blade-wielder in movie 2 is at least worth watching just on its own), but movie 2 is otherwise quite forgettable, some of the violence becomes overly OTT to the point of tastelessness by movie 3, the story is bizarrely (and fruitlessly) butchered to hell and back, and-- most egregiously-- the characterization flies right out the window, utterly ruining one of the manga's more interesting characters and caricaturizing more than several others.TL;DR: Don't watch these 'sequels' 😕-- just leave it at watching the excellent first one (and then read the manga afterwards instead).
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