Great movie with a good story. When it starts, pay attention and the subtitles help if you can stand them. I personally love them because it tells who is speaking, what sounds are heard and you capture the whole story as well. The beginning sets up the rest of the movie. We are introduced to a man that is pure terror and evil practicing his whim and want on anyone, anywhere at any time all bad and perverted as well as murderous. You have no trouble hating this guy and then at some point, are repulsed by him. It makes you want to join the "13" in the movie and make it "14" no problem who just want to kill this guy slowly I might add. He does some gut-wrenching deeds so be ready. The recruiting of the 13 is good to watch as they all offer something and everyone offers a vow to fight to the finish. Great scenes on setting up the decent battle to come of a few against the many. They take over a town and do some nice little moves in it to even the odds. These Assassins fight a good fight and keep in mind, a Samurai is an exceptional swordsman who can cut off any part of your body within a quarter part of a second cleanly I might add. These boys just go at it swinging their swords until they are exhausted making the point that it is not over until it is over and when that will be who knows. Nice build-up to the ending with closure and I might add I found myself tired as if I was doing the fighting and so will you. Recommend a nice snack or some pumpkin or sunflower seeds to keep your hands busy plus a tasty drink of choice. To see good fighters fight until the end is worth a watch and to see them fight for a cause is a must see. Kudos to the actors and the Director for pulling this off. Prepare for battle!

The answer to the inevitable question of everyone who is considering watching this film for the first time is yes, 13 is too many assassins. Of course I am not referring to the strategic value of that number, but rather what it suggests about the approach to story and character in this film. I think of any chanbara film I have ever seen, this one has perhaps the least to offer in way of commentary or emotional resonance. It's a little confusing, because I can tell Miike is a good director, or at least has the capacity to be one. From a directional and visual standpoint this film isn't lacking by any stretch of the imagination. It's well executed. The problem is in what exactly is being executed. The story is simple to a fault. It's incredibly predictable how the series of events will play out to the point that you know by the ten minute mark what's bound to happen at the two hour mark. Here is where the issue of the excessive number of assassins is relevant. Going into this film, I knew that there wasn't going to be an opportunity to develop every character to the point of being fully realized. My suspicions were of course confirmed, but even more sobering was that there was hardly a single character I could really care about among this excessive cast. There's somehow no room in this two hour epic for a single character arc or decision not made in the first half an hour which makes any of the characters three dimensional. This is where an imbalance in the story and execution is really apparent. All the scenes are done well, but the story fails to make any of it mean anything. Simplicity in film plot is not an inherently bad thing. A story without real character or theme is however. 13 is too many assassins. There isn't room for characters amid the epic turmoil on screen. To reiterate, it's not bad. This film is perfectly functional, but nothing more. It is, unfortunately, an example of a chanbara period piece which fails to make a compelling commentary on the nature of society in feudal Japan or the conflict between bushido and the individual. The central conflict of ideas in this film sort of side steps these complicated ideas in favor of opposing ideologies which equally appeal to the altruistic nature of the classic samurai. I don't know why that is. It sort of raises the question of why this film was made to begin with. What's the point? The thematic nature of this film puts things at sort of a grade school level from a moral perspective. Again, it's confusing, because I have the suspicion that Miike doesn't really see the world in such juvenile terms. The technical skill coupled with the novice narrative is all together disappointing. It feels like there's a real lost opportunity in all this. This is objectively a good film in execution, but it's a story which isn't really worth telling.

I was actually looking for the 1963 Black & white movie this one is a remake of but got this one almost by accident.However, I'm not exactly disappointed because it's a Takashi Miike movie(not surprising he directed it if you know his works). This wasn't my first rodeo with Miike & I've watched his earlier works like 'Koroshiya Ichi"(Ichi the Killer) & "Visitor Q" &"Audition". So I expected the "Splatter Gore" he is so well known for & also his penchant for the Strange & Weird.But "13 Assassins" is him with a milder version of violence(on movie scale,that's comparable to Tarantino bloodfest &not overkill on fountains of blood except for one explosion scene in the movie that'll actually make you go "Soreha no Takashidesu")&no weirdness in story,probably since it's already off a well-known play & a movie.But characters in the movie have definitely been revamped to up the ante & have their own unique identifiers of 'just-off' which is super-cool! So whether it's super-samurais Shinzaemon & Hanbei(one master-less Ronin & other serving Akashi-clan tyrant Daimyo),classmates,rivals & with distinct qualities of opposing natures chosen to oppose each other, a violent Hiruyama(movie shows adviser Doi picking him for his "spirit of sword" kenki),apprentice Samurais Higoichi & Hioke who train in explosives but almost always get time of explosions wrong or mercenary spear-man Sahara,who just wants to live big..they are ALL a bit-off normal & chosen specifically to assassinate an even crazier & almost philosophically sadistic Daimyo(feudal lord) & King's adopted(read 'natural' or 'Bastard') Half-brother Naritsigu from a well-drilled Akashi army led by Hanbei. Weirdest & wildest of them all is 13th member,almost accidentally so & clearly inspired by Akira Kurosawa's 'Seven Samurai''s Kikoichi character immortalized by Toshiro Mifune, the wild-ling bandit Kiga Koyita(played by Yusuke Iseya,who's a far cry from Toshiro,but is equally comic & nearly as unkillable). Takashi Miike got a lot of fun out of him but actually made him almost magically able to heal a sword wound & run around jumping after.He's one character who is hard to swallow..but rest are well-cast & great. A driven Shinzaemon(Koji Yakusho), strategic & 'okashira'(boss & trainer of 13) Kuranaga(Matsukata), Lost to gambling&finally-found a purpose(Takayuki Yamada with probably the widest scoped character of 13),Harakiri-driven Mamiya clan Zuso(Uchino)&Yahaachi Horii(Koen Kondo) are all well cast.Honor killing,Harakiri by Seppuku & assassination is the crux of the whole movie.The sadistic character of Goro Inagaki as Naritsugu deserves all the plaudits it can get & it was superbly put to life.He rapes,murders,mutilates,philosophizes, strategizes &dismisses his servants & enemies alike with equal disdain & is one for archives! All in all,story is well known,chase & strategizing & period drama dialog straight out of a Manga & actors brilliant.Definitely the best I've seen of Takashi Miike.When he's not being strange,he is one of Japan's best directors.Worth a watch as much as 1963 Eiichi Kudo version.Ones who like action will love it.

I came across 13 Assassins, after watching a line-up of old Japan movies with samurai's which made this movie a eye opener for me.While watching 13 Assassins, I noticed the dialog, the acting and the physical part (action), all those were a prefect match. I have seen great movies, and I'm proud to put this one on the list of movie worth watch.I don't know about you guys but I get the feeling that sometimes I wish I never saw movies that are great, so that I can watch them for the first time again and again.Regards Brian