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47 Ronin (film review by Frank Ochieng).

Okay folks…here is the riddle of the moment: what do you get when an expressionless Keanu Reeves moping around in a tedious and stiff-minded Hollywood-made Japanese actioner period piece featuring avenging samurai warriors out for retaliatory blood? The answer: nothing much. Sure, the riddle may not be as clever or intriguing as expected but it certainly does have the lame tendencies and aimless outcome of director Carl Rinsch’s flimsy feudal fantasy about Reeves’s mystical mastermind fighting machine joining forces with forty-six other battling brave hearts in the name of honor and revenge.

In reality, ‘47 Ronin’ is dull and delusional, while serving up nothing more inventive than witnessing a middle-aged Reeves stoically parading around in this monotonous martial arts dud while waxing philosophical mumbo-jumbo among mechanical action-packed sequences in atmospheric 18th century medieval Japan. This cockeyed costume drama awkwardly revisits the conventional confines of this familiar genre: a disgraced and evil opportunistic warlord, a respected master meeting an untimely fate, a conveniently packaged Japanese-style folklore, some selective lavish CGI flourishes to enhance the action-oriented confrontations and an angst-ridden outsider (Reeves) wallowing in quiet despair and redemption.

Rinsch does try to cough up ‘47 Ronin’ as a sophisticated and contemplative spectacle but the film has all the exciting bite of a rusty samurai sword and the convincing edginess of Reeves’s decorative hairpiece. Surprisingly, the film is slow-moving and there is a lackluster connection between the characterisations and the sluggish momentum of the storyline. Surely ‘47 Ronin’ does not compare to the vibrant texture and tension of Kenji Mizoguchi’s 1941 original movie that based its concept on the real life events that took place in ancient Japan. The stagnant rhythm, despite the serviceable opulence of the set designs and costume creations, hampers ‘47 Ronin’ to its creative unevenness.

Samurai slicing and dicing does not look very becoming for Keanu Reeves in martial arts dud 47 RONIN
Samurai slicing and dicing does not look very becoming for Keanu Reeves in martial arts dud 47 RONIN

The tale of combat and consciousness involves half-breed soldier of fortune Kai (Reeves) who is one of the forty-seven samurai warriors (aka ‘ronins’) that becomes disillusioned when his beloved master Lord Asano (Min Tanaka) is tricked into committing ‘seppuku’ by the dastardly warlord Kira (Tadanobu Asano). Naturally, Kira would love to take over the territory as he flexes his evil-minded authoritative muscles.

However, there is some doubt about how skilled and defiant Kai actually is when it comes to his combative instincts. His fellow warriors have some serious doubts about Kai’s capabilities. We do learn of Kai’s unorthodox battle training and survival techniques through the presence of forest-bound snake-men. Plus, Kai possesses some sorcery skills that may come in handy when facing the devilish Kira and his outlandish cohorts that include a shape-shifting wily witch (Rinko Kikuchi) and an assortment of bizarre beasts in the fold.

Overall, it seems like a relentless chore watching the trivial sleepy-eyed goings-on in ‘47 Ronin’. As Kai, Reeves demonstrates minimal dialogue and has all the emoting prowess of a red brick (which is an acquired taste if you are a Keanu Reeves admirer of his movies). Of course, his alter ego Kai gains the respectability of his skeptical ronins by slaying Kira’s henchmen and creatures alike but that is the only animated juiciness that one will get from Reeves in an otherwise sleeping pill-induced performance. It helps that Reeves is surrounded by an ambitious Japanese cast that embraces the talents of Asano’s Kira, Kikuchi’s unctuous witch, Kira’s lead warrior and sidekick in Hiroyuki Sanada’s Oishi, Tanaka’s perished Lord Asano and Kai’s childhood love interest Mika as played by Ko Shibasaki.

Still, ‘47 Ronin’ leaves much to be desired as the movie feels scattershot and shamelessly borrows from such dependable vehicles that range from both the entertainingly cheesy and well-constructed samurai sagas to the influences of filmmaker Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth-leanings in ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ films via the distinctive countryside scenery and colorful creepy monstrous cretins that lurk about in ominous fashion.

No one doubts Reeves’s attraction for active martial arts giddiness as evidenced in his wildly popular ‘Matrix’ movies or perhaps as witnessed in his indie-directed ‘Man Of Tai Chi’. In the by-the-numbers bore ‘47 Ronin’, one might want to relegate Reeves to his earlier cinematic incarnations where bothersome small-time crime capers and tepid romantic dramas reminded us just how much this box office action star had overstayed his welcome.  

47 Ronin (2013)

Universal Pictures

2 hrs. 7 mins.

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Rinko Kikuchi, Ko Shibasaki, Hiroyuki Sanada and, Tadanobu Asano

Directed by: Carl Rinsch

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy/Drama/Action & Adventure

Critic’s rating: ** stars (out of 4 stars).

FrankOchieng

Frank Ochieng has contributed film reviews to SF Crowsnest off and on since 2003. He has been published in other various movie site venues throughout the years. Ochieng has been part of The Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) and had written film reviews for The Boston Banner newspaper (USA) and frequently is a media/entertainment panelist on WBZ NewsRadio 1030 AM on "The Jordan Rich Show" in Boston, Massachusetts/USA.

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