Samurai Fiction - 1998

Director: Hiroyuki Nakano

Cast: Morio Kazama, Mitsuro Fukikoshi

Genre: Foreign-Japanese, Samurai, Martial Arts

Rating: ** = "Didn't Like It"

I had read and heard good things about Samurai Fiction and was excited to see this movie. I was to be disappointed. The movie is well made, but once again I got sucked into a movie with a plodding pace and weak story that was just plain...well...boring.

Samurai Fiction is shot in black and white and is a throwback to the samurai movies of old. However, they have updated the movie with some modern themes and a strange, out of place, hard rock/metal soundtrack. The plot is pretty basic. A noble samurai is given custody of his clan's sword, which is then stolen by a renegade samurai who is a master swordsman. The samurai's naive and brash son decides to pursue the thief, vowing vengeance and to return the sword to his father's clan. The boy is beaten by the renegade, but not killed, and is rescued by a an old recluse and his daughter. Turns out the old man is a master samurai in hiding, having given up the trade a long time ago. He takes the young man under his wing who soon falls in love with his daughter. Meanwhile the renegade takes refuge under the wing of a local crime mistress and seeks to challenge the old samurai to a duel. You can guess the rest of the movie from there.

There is some decent swordplay action in the movie, but it's not great, and what little martial arts there are look slow and practiced. The movie is interjected with many moments of light humor and odd characters, and the acting is actually quite good. However, the pace is simply too slow and at times the movie just drags. The story is a bit too simplistic for my taste, which isn't a problem if this were a roaring, popcorn, action-flick, but it's not. I also didn't like the contrived and abrupt ending.

What Parents Need to Know:
Common Sense Media has not reviewed this movie. I would rate it a hard PG-13 in the U.S. for violence and some adult situations. There are scenes of violent swordplay and sexual situations, but it's a movie that does not take itself too seriously. I would be comfortable showing this to mature kids 14+, but doubt they would like it much.

Rotten Tomatoes has not rated this movie.