Rurouni Kenshin Part I: Origins

I have never even seen a manga so approached this movie with no preconceptions or prior knowledge of the characters. A bit like seeing a Batman movie without ever having read a comic, I imagine. The result was a very pleasant surprise. The principle characters were largely convincing, the photography was very attractive and the story line reasonable given the limits of the genre. The fact that it kept me interested for the entire 2+ hours speaks for itself. I found the sub-titles very effective in keeping me involved which is normally not the case. I am not sure if they are integral to the movie or a third party add-on, but were much better than a dubbed English version which would have taken away much of the authenticity of the movie. I am looking forward to the next episode.

I went to see this film last night with absolutely no knowledge of the manga upon which it was based, which was both a good and a bad thing. Good, because I understand how the average movie goer like myself will feel about this film. Bad, because I feel like as a fan of the original comic, I would have taken a lot more out of this film.

I'll start with the positives - this movie is beautifully filmed. There is not a single unattractive shot within it. I really feel like this movie was made for fans, by fans, because it is so lovingly crafted. The sets are gorgeous, the lighting and colour palette lovely, and the choreography of the fight scenes? FUN. It's actively enjoyable to watch Kenshin dance around with his sword. You actually believe that he is this extraordinary swordsmen, agile and swift.

Which brings me to Sato Takeru, who plays Kenshin himself. Again, I feel like he was a fan of the series, as he seems to be so invested in the role. I've no idea what the character of Kenshin was like in the manga, but Sato's portrayal is so layered and believable, I can't imagine it strays far. On that note, I felt like all of the actors did quite a good job. I've a friend who assures me the personalities of all the female characters do not line up with the manga, but I was actually completely satisfied with them! I was particularly enamored with Aoi Yu (whom I don't think has ever disappointed me in a role) who did her best with the script given to her in the role of Megumi.

But this brings me to what I felt were the weak points of the film. First, was the over inclusion of bit characters. I said this to friends afterwards, I'm sure if I was a fan of the series they would have been charming cameos from beloved fan favourites. As it is though, to me their inclusion seemed pointless, and stole time that could have been better spent on plot development.

And honestly, the plot for the film? A bit weak, and never properly fleshed out. A lot of characters who seem important to the story are never given proper motivations, leaving them seeming 2 dimensional - and the story as well, as a result. Particularly at the end, I feel like the storyline fell to pieces in a series of rushed character inclusions/fight scenes. This is the problem with a film made by fans for fans - while you can feel the love that's been poured into it, you can also see that they're trying too hard to put EVERYTHING in to a two hour film. These sort of films really suffer because they don't have someone ruthlessly eliminating the excess, and making the film more accessible to the public at large.

I read that they're hoping for an international release for this film, and I'm not terribly convinced that it will succeed. Fans of the original anime overseas will be at best a niche market (at least for the domestic release, there's a good chance the majority of the audience will have at best a passing familiarity with the series) and I feel like the rapid inclusion of bewildering useless characters will leave many in the audience feeling somewhat alienated.

I thoroughly enjoyed the film, don't get me wrong, and I intend to seek out the manga as a result. However, I feel like they've pigeonholed themselves somewhat with their audience, if not so much domestically, then definitely abroad. However, if you can manage to be like me and just sit back and let the beautiful cinematography and Sato's truly excellent portrayal of Kenshin wash over you, you'll derive plenty of pleasure from this film.

First off - many of the reviewers thus far seem to be comparing this movie adaptation to "Samurai X" instead of its source material which is the manga. What they must realize is that "Samurai X" was an OVA created for western audiences done by people who had no connection with the manga or the original anime and thus was a departure from the original intent and feel of what the creator of the manga had in mind. He even disagreed with how "Samurai X" ended regarding the fate of Kaoru and Kenshin, so much so that he insisted on having the proper ending he envisioned for his own characters put into a collector's box edition of the original anime released in Japan. Even though it was gorgeously rendered, it was overly depressing and moody. Whether you want to believe it or not, Kenshin really wasn't that way. The whole point of his redemption was that, in spite of the pain of his past, he was still able to appreciate the simple joys in life and even laugh at things. The Kenshin in "Samurai X" was a somber, overly-wrought, super-tortured fellow who was awash with his own suffering. As a fan of RK, seeing him portrayed that way in "Samurai X" really broke my heart because a huge chunk of his personality went missing and all that was left was this emo dude. Onto the review:

PLOT/STORY: Understandably, this movie had a hard time trying to capture everything in the first volume of the manga in just over two hours. Because the manga was continuous, there was no way for the movie to be cut and dry in terms of villains and side characters. The director had to draw the line somewhere so the movie could have an ending. So, many fan favorite scenes were cut or changed in order to accommodate a more fluid movie. Time constraints didn't allow for a deep fleshing out of all the characters but, since this the first installment of other movies to come (it has been greenlit as a continuing series) I suspect that the audience is going to be exposed to that over time. I was taken aback at just how many things were changed (Sano's intro, Jin'e's concocted connection to Kanryu, Hanya's choice of weapons, the Oniwabanshu but no Aoshi?!) but I felt they did their best to stay true to the spirit of the story by trying to streamline events. There is even a flashback scene of Kenshin's past included in this movie but it gave you a hint (just a hint) of his tortured past and leaves you wondering.

ACTORS: The casting was very well done for this movie. Kenshin is supposed to be relatively diminutive and almost feminine in his looks and stature (the creator based him on an actual historical figure who could carry out assassinations in broad daylight, he was that good), which is why people always underestimated him in a fight or commented on his slight figure. He was a Jekyll and Hyde that way. He could go from unassuming, humble Rurouni to out-and-out killer who's eyes would change into a murderous gaze when the "hitokiri" side was provoked (straight outta the manga). You could say Kenshin can "hulk-out" lol. Sato, with his pretty looks and physicality, really did well in portraying the conflicted character of Kenshin. Emy was cute as a button, perhaps too cute, since Kaoru is supposed to be a bit more plain and a tomboy but it was satisfying to see her bickering with Yahiko. The kid playing Yahiko was spot-on with the brashness and stubborn pride. Sanosuke's portrayal was a little goofy. There is no allusion to what drives Sano into being a fighter for hire but read the manga for clarification and you will see why he and Kenshin create such a strong bond of friendship. In the movie, there was no time to do so, I guess and Sano's a lot tougher than he is portrayed. Megumi's actress did her justice, I think. Again, not too deep in fleshing out her past either but still, you can see her intelligence and intensity underneath her manipulations. Lastly, Saitou's actor was awesome. He captured the cold, brutal carriage of the Wolf of Mibu very well with his stoic face and the constant badgering of Kenshin. I will stop at the main characters or else this will be too long. All in all, the casting was superb.

MUSIC AND CINEMATOGRAPHY: The music ranges from fairly modern (techno beats with tribal vocals) to standard orchestral. I don't remember hearing any traditional Japanese instruments being played over scenes but I could be mistaken. Sometimes the music seemed to be out of place or over-used. For example, dramatic fight scenes seemed to bring out that techno song again and again). A part of me wishes they had somehow incorporated Kenshin's theme from the original anime series; just s simple wooden flute part or something as a nod since it's so recognizable. Otherwise it was fine. The look of the movie is fantastic. Whether it's a war-torn forest or just a village scene or a shot of Kaoru's dojo, it looks thick and substantial. I remember seeing shots of the creator of the manga (Nobuhiro Watsuki) on the set of the movie and watching over the set building. It gave me great comfort that he was there to see it through.

Overall, this is one of the best, if not THE best, live-action adaptations of a manga I've yet seen. For those of you who are going to see it, if you haven't read the manga yet it certainly isn't required in order to enjoy the movie but it was thoroughly more enjoyable to see these beloved characters come to life on screen. In any case, I am greatly looking forward to the next installment and will relish in trying to figure out what storyline is going to be featured next!!

...you will love this live action version. The actor portraying Kenshin was perfect. So are Saito, Sano and Megumi--so perfect in fact, that I recognized each of them at first sight. And was filled with all sorts of warm/fuzzy feelings as if I was seeing long lost friends again for the first time in years.

I am not sure how people new to the Kenshin franchise will respond, because the film's creators leave out a lot of character development that we get in the slower paced manga and anime TV series in order to jump straight into the action. Since this is one of the best manga/anime series to come out in a long time, I suggest reading the manga, seeing the anime and THEN watching the live action film for maximum enjoyment.

"Oro!"

Lets get this out of the way: Im no kenshin fanboy. I've read the manga and have watched the anime. That's it. So when I heard about a live action movie I thought 'Oh my god'. Uwe Boll-like crap induced horror scenarios crossed my mind. But what a pleasant surprise. They haven't cocked it up. In fact, they did a pretty damn good job of making the manga come to life.

STORY

The story is basically the first 2 arcs of the manga mixed up and slightly changed to fit into a 2 hour movie. It's pretty good. nothing too fancy but it works and doesn't bore.

EFFECTS & CHOREOGRAPHY

No. Bleeding. CG. Like, none. everything you see is done by real humans. thank god there are still directors who know their stuff. a rope helps here and there but nothing as stupid as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. there was but 1 instant in the entire movie where a move looked slightly 'unnatural'. You'll know what I mean when ya see it.

the fights are simply awesome. real swordfights and at speeds that make your eyes go 0_o. slick moves, smooth as silk with a great pace. and the occasional brawling, courtesy of Sanosuke. the action is top notch. some of the best, if not -the- best sword fight scenes I've ever seen.

ACTING

The characters are all portrayed as they should be. there is no crappy acting. Kanryu is slightly over-acting but I guess it kinda fits his character anyway. solid acting all over. some dayplayers in the background seem to have been given little instructions of what to do at times though, it seems. they sometimes look rather lost or keep repeating the same motions. but no matter. you wont notice unless you re nitpicking.

OVERALL

The entire movie has a slightly 'cartoonish' feel over it. the way people talk, the way they move. but it still all seems very natural and appealing. The music is very nice as well. no tunes from the anime, but some nice original scores that fit the bill.

all in all this movie is what so many game/anime-turned-movies should have been. It's well made, with good actors, good music and it doesn't bore you for a second. Word has it there will be a sequel. if it can rival the quality of this movie, Ill be back for part 2.