Les Guerriers de l'apocalypse

Sonny Chiba delivers an excellent performance in this movie that pits modern weapons against the formidable swords and strategic brilliance of the war lords from ancient Japan. I saw this movie first as a teenager in Germany and it was shown under the title Time Slip. I searched for many years until I found it again as G.I. Samurai. I purchased the DVD which has the English dubbed version along with the original Japanese with English subtitles. The Japanese version has much more impact due to it's more authentic delivery of the dialogue. Some of the emotion and mannerism is lost in the dubbed version.

I would firstly say that somehow I remember seeing this movie in my early childhood, I couldn't read the subtitles and I thought Sonny Chiba was Sean Connery. But I did really like the concept. If you are not able to at least partially suspend your adult scepticism and embrace your inner seven your old you may want to avoid this movie. That said, having just watched the restored 137 minute version on DVD I have to say I enjoyed it, though not as much as when I was seven ( I remembered the ending ).

There are aspects of the movie that are worthy of criticism , the first 15 minutes and final 15 minutes both have some really comic moments, my favourite being the contrast between scenes acted out in the final 10 minutes and the curious choice of backing music ( listen to the lyrics ).

For an action film there is a great deal of focus on the personal stories of certain soldiers and the social dynamics of the squad as the strain of their time travel takes its toll. By the ending of the movie I had decided that this was a good thing, when seven I though the 'relationship' guff was a bad thing.

For an action film there is also plenty of gratifying gory action, especially a couple of epic battle scenes between the platoon and hordes of Shogun era warriors. The makers of the movie have ensured that as many deaths as possible are bloody and, lets face it, humorous. I thought this was a splendid aspect of the movie when I was a kid, and I am not ashamed to say that I still do.

I also like the fact that the modern day soldiers in general don't spend the movie walking on egg shells trying to avoid altering the space time continuum, they've got heavy calibre machine guns, mortars, rocket launchers, a tank and a helicopter and they're hell bent on making feudal Japan theirs. Which is what I'd like to think any vigorous IMDb user would do in their boots.

In short the movies worth watching, it makes the viewer regret that there are not more movies made with a similar premise, and at the same time offers some hefty hints as to why a movie like G.I. Samurai is so unique.

I have a pre-cert copy of this film, which is under the title 'time wars' and it runs at an even shorter time than the 110mins version mentioned here by other users. My copy barely hits 60 mins and the hacked editing shows in a very obvious way. There is little explanation of what is going on; the prostitute from the past seems to be still working at the brothel in the late 1970s; a Samurai appears riding a horse down the street in the 1970s for NO reason and while the ending is reminiscent of Macbeth there is a much a much stronger feeling of MacDuff to the whole finished product. I would like to see an unedited version of this in relation to what people are saying about it as my memory of it is as an instigator of Family arguments

BO!

High concept movies don't get much higher in concept than G. I. Samurai, which is about a group of military personnel and their equipment getting transported back in time 100s of years, to samurai times. Once there, they get involved in a great many battles and ridiculous action ensues, especially for what feels like most of the second half.

At 140 minutes, I feel like it's way too long. There are also some uncomfortable/awkward moments here and there that soured things a little. But at the same time, I enjoyed quite a lot of it, and I liked how gonzo it was. It found a good deal of things to do with the wild premise at hand, and in that way, it definitely didn't feel like a waste or a missed opportunity.

I just finished watching the 139 min version (widescreen) with some friends and we were blown away. I won't bother repeating what others have said. What the filmmakers do with the concept is unexpected and fun. The huge battle is exhausting. Afterwards we were stunned to find there was still nearly 30 minutes left to go but that didn't keep us from being completely involved and entertained.

There is one thing that nearly ruined it and that was the horrific music/songs. Blues, Country/Folk and Rock Ballads do not belong here and every time they are used we all broke out in laughter. It's hideous. You have been warned but the story and storytelling keeps you grounded.

There are several outstanding moments that make you appreciate the talent behind the camera. There are many uses of silence as well as slow-motion photography that work beautifully. I really wish I could erase the music but alas.

Seek this out. It's fun, it's different and it takes you to places you wouldn't expect and that's very refreshing.