Thankfully bought at my local Poundland, I had been tempted by the nice artwork of Hirokin for a couple of years. But a gut feeling was saying wait.Wait until you find it at a pound, then think twice again.But I got it. I was expecting Star Wars meets Six String Samurai, but instead got, well, I actually don't know what that was!Slow, boring and with painfully uninteresting fight scenes, Hirokin plays like a slow burning Japanese samurai epic, well it feels like it in running time, but has the flair of a film students documentary on watching paint dry.Nope. Just nope. There was no need!

My summary line is the title the movie received when it was released in Germany. You've got to admit, that makes it sound intriguing and interesting. But the movie itself, that tries to copy quite a lot of Sci-Fi movies (some of them have copied other formulas of course, so there is nothing wrong with that idea), never quite gets there. It starts with the dialog and continues with just above the average (sometimes) fight scenes.Don't get it twisted, it's not completely awful (I've seen worse FX and worse stories). The stoic acting of Wes Bentley will make you wonder if he has lost or never had any acting abilities. A fantasy tale that tries to be epic and does look good (colors on Blu Ray), but is it enough?

When I picked up the "Hirokin" DVD it was solely because Julian Sands was starring in it, and prior to that information then I knew absolutely nothing about the movie, so I had no expectations or beforehand impressions."Hirokin" is taking place on another planet where Griffin (played by Julian Sands) is a ruthless tyrant, keeping the natives oppressed and downtrodden. People live in fear and is waiting for a hero to come along. Enter Hirokin (played by Wes Bentley) who have to come to terms with his own heritage before he can save mankind from oppression and strife.The story told in the movie was nothing new or innovative, it was all stuff that has been used and seen before. "Hirokin" seemed like a mutated mixture of "Dune", "The Last Samurai" and "Star Wars". But oddly enough it worked out well enough. And the movie did suffer from being rather predictable, as you knew exactly how the movie would end right from the very beginning.The effects in the movie were adequate, though don't expect top of the line, million dollar CGI effects. However, the costumes and the scenery was really great. Especially the outfits of the soldiers serving Griffin. Their armor and outfits looked really nice, and had somewhat of a "Star Wars" feel to it. And the landscape and scenery was really spectacular.As for the acting, well people did good enough jobs with their given roles, though it is nothing award-winning. And they had managed to get together a great enough ensemble of actors and actresses to play the various characters.One thing that I didn't fully understand, was the sub-title to the movie; "The Last Samurai". So there are even samurais in outer space? Sure there were subtle references to the samurai and Japanese culture to be seen here and there (especially in the clothes), but it just seemed so misplaced in a Sci-Fi movie."Hirokin" is a good enough Sci-Fi movie and does manage to keep a certain level of entertainment and action all throughout the 105 minutes it is running. However, the movie failed to leave a lasting impression for me, and I doubt that I will ever be making a return trip to watch it again, despite being a huge fan of Julian Sands.The movie seems to well suited for a younger audience, probably late teenagers.

This absurdly poor creation shamelessly steals from the likes of Gladiator, Star Wars, Cyborg 2, Dune, Power Rangers, Braveheart, Mad Max 3, and ends up feeling like a lengthy montage sequence narrated by a drug addict going through withdrawal. Hirokin's hair is the craziest part of the film. It's like a crow's nest. His first girl is kinda rough in the face because the movie doesn't want us to care for her too much. Enter the smart-mouthed, wily, buxom blonde and her pretty eyes. The bad guy is laughable, he wears a man-corset; his henchmen are laughable, they wear full body armor in the desert; his woman is a venomous snake with a heart of venomous gold that just craves to be desired and bedded properly. Did they have but one stock cgi hovercraft desertmobile to spare for the entire army of evil? You bet! Oh, the mentor figure for Hirokin is some crazy plump desert samurai that talks like a homeless person. Oh I get it 'Arids'='Arabs'. Cute. I get the feeling the author of this scenario doesn't speak English as his first language, or even broken English for that matter. The entire film is riddled with moonspeak. And everybody gets to become samurai in the end. Which is brilliant. Hirokin even has a signature move - he takes his pitiful blade, holds it like a throwing spear and then he throws it, impales the target instantly, and then snaps the blade black into his girly hands.Here's a splice from the dialogue: "I have seen you in the.. battlefield of my.. mind Hirokin, you will unite the tribes, my friend, change the world, my friend. My friend. Hirokin replies: No, thank you." and promptly walks away. Thank you Hirokin. I have learned a lot today. You have changed my life. (Btw, his name means 'Sword for the downtrodden', but it's okay if you just call him Hiro)