Plot: The Boshin War was one of the most significant conflicts in Japanese history. The shogunate was clashing with the new government, with the Shibata clan caught in the middle. Their fort was under attack, but a ragtag band of criminals and samurai joined forces to set out on a mission to protect the fort.
Watches
March 21, 2025
Kazuya Shiraishi's is a roaring samurai epic in the vein of Seven Samurai, only with a band of anti-heroes in the lead. Shiraishi's director is strong, as always, it's just that I'm a little less interested in this type of story. It didn't help then that the runtime clocks in at 150 minutes, which felt unnecessary.
There's nothing inherently wrong with the film though. The performances are nice, the cinematography is on point and the intrigue is decent enough. Even the pacing is proper, but 150 minutes of the same thing was a bit too much to keep me fully engaged from start to finish. If you like a good samurai epic though, there's a lot to like here.