The second live action movie, part one of the Kyoto Saga where he faces his successor, Shishio Makoto. For those not-in-the-know, this is a live action film based upon one of the truly great, and emotionally stirring anime ever made. Well, they jumped a lot of storyline to do the Kyoto Saga, but that was probably for the best since it is the most epic storyline. They are also splitting the storyline into two movies, which means an awful lot will get cut. I think the biggest thrill of this, and the previous film, has more to do with seeing some really cool characters brought to life in a non-animated way. They work very hard to keep things as close to the anime and manga as they can, even though some things do get left out for time... and possibly also because they would be too difficult to make into something believable. Himura has his godlike speed and does a lot of wirework, though it is very subtle. I think it was a great decision to make things as real as possible, though it is a shame that we do not get to see the Hakujin no Tachi. Given a choice, its probably for the best as such a weapon would require a lot of CG that the audience would really focus upon... what CG is used is always so subtle that you genuinely feel its all real, and I kinda like that. If I have any complaints, it would have to be the fact that so little emphasis is placed upon the heart of the story, Kenshins vow to never kill again... The emphasis is there, but in order to get through this very long story in only two movies, I felt that it was just a bit underplayed. I dont think new audiences will be able to really feel for Kauru as much as old fans of the anime did, and the struggle to maintain this vow while protecting others is a little harder to pick up on in this movie. The thing is, its a lot easier to pick up on if you watch the first movie (or the anime and OVA), but it barely stands up on its own if this is your first experience with Kenshin. So, I guess all I can suggest, watch the first movie quickly, and then get to this one and its conclusion is Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 06:43:12 +0000