Rurouni KenshinAre you a fan of the Rurouni Kenshin Manga/Anime? Well this  film is the live action film adaption, which critics have said is the perfect adaption of the original series.

Me? I personally haven’t watched the anime or read the manga – but that may change after this watching this movie!

This movie begins during a pivotal point in history, the end of Japan’s Edo age as we see ‘The Man Slayer’, Battosai, on the battle field.  At the end of the battle it is declared that history has been made, and Battosai walks away and vows never to kill again.

He also takes on a new name – Himura Kenshin.

10 years pass and there have been some killings that resemble Battosai’s handy work – so naturally everyone assumes it is the ‘The Man Slayer’ back to his old tricks. But of course it isn’t!

A man named Udo Jin-e,  who was thought to be dead survived the battle at the beginning of the film, has Battosai’s old sword along with some strange powers – he can use fear to paralyze and manipulate his opponents, all but Kenshin.

Kenshin

Kenshin meets some new friends but a rather powerful man and his gang are causing trouble and kidnap one of Kenshin’s friends, all the while Udo Jin-e is causing trouble while Kenshin must not only fight but face the constant pressure to kill again.

Kenshin is an interesting character.  Of course he has the violent past and we learn a bit about how he gained a coupe of identifiable scars on his face – but most interesting is his vow not to kill.

Kenshin carries a sword with a ‘reverse blade’, which means the front cutting edge of the sword is blunt, and the side which faces him is sharp. So naturally, Kenshin uses his sword in defense mainly and uses combination of strikes and throws to take out his opponents… but not kill them!

The fighting

Even empty handed the use of some extremely well choreographed Jiu Jitsu and Aikido style movements performed excellently create a sense of awe for his character.  Backed up by a fast pace and terrific Japanese swordwork, this film is as much a pure martial artists film as a successful adaption of an anime or manga.

With the top notch action, spread nicely throughout the film to keep things interesting, the rich story line and characters drawn from the original series makes this film wickedly entertaining.

We slowly see a relationship start to bloom as Kaoru (a girl which Kenshin is staying with) starts to develop feelings whilst Kenshin seems to be a bit more welcoming as time goes by.  This is all intertwined with the fighting and problems faced by having to deal with the villains of the film.

To top everything off the film is quite aesthetically impressive with a stark contrast in look between characters and some very cool costuming.  The scar on Kenshin’s face, a rich gangsters crazy hair and the dark almost ‘Samurai Terminator’ feel / style of Udo Jin-e gives the movie a sharp visual edge.

The 'Samurai Terminator'

Once again – top costumes and visuals, terrific and exciting action with a rich storyline – how could you go wrong?

If you haven’t seen this movie than I highly recommend it.  It’s not one of the very best martial arts movies you’ll see but one of very high quality that is a thrill to watch.  Check it out!

On Blu Ray –

Region Free (All Countries)
Rurouni Kenshin – LE Steelbook [Region Free]

Region B (UK, Australia, New Zealand, Europe etc)
Rurouni Kenshin

On DVD –

Region Free (All Countries)
Rurouni Kenshin Live Action Movie [All Region]

Region 2 (UK, Europe, etc)
Rurouni Kenshin [DVD] [2012]

Region 4 (Australia, New Zealand, etc)
Rurouni Kenshin

More info on Movie Regions here.

25 Martial Arts Movies All Fans Must See - FREE


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