Rurouni Kenshin Part III: The Legend Ends (2014)

Why did I just watch this today? This is the best action movie by far. Acting is spot on, perfect casting and the fight scenes are mindblowing.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*Firstly, I grew up with the original manga series. It was one of the first tastes of Japanese media I ever had and, 10+ years later, it is still a series I hold very closely to my heart. When I heard a Japanese live action was being released, I had my doubts. Still, I was excited to see a real life Kenshin on the big screen. The first movie I could excuse many of the missing plot pieces, I found it far to reminiscent and enjoyable. The second movie...well, my worst fears for this mini-movie series started to come true. Here we are at the final installation and all I could do was say, "ARG" and compliment it with a deep, highly disappointed, sigh. If you haven't read the original manga, or watched the Rurouni Kenshin TV series, I can see where folks might think this was a pretty fun romp through a period piece world. Who cares that character development and common sense went out the window! There was flashy sword fights and explosions. YEAH! Unfortunately for a die hard fan, the well choreographed sword play and cast just wasn't enough to save it. Here are my gripes and likes for this film:First, what I liked: -Takeru Satoh as Kenshin Himura was, hands down, the PERFECT choice. -Though repetitive and poorly placed at times, the music was fun. -All of the sets and places our characters visit really felt natural and well done. -Let's face it, the flashy sword fighting was superb. Very big thumbs up on the choreography. -The Shishio fight was a tad over dramatic, but it was the one point in this movie that I found kept me on the edge of my seat. Plus, key elements of the original story were where they needed to be. -Seta Sojiro was one of my favorite villains, I'm glad he got the screen time he did. Although, I *really* wish they had done away with the screen time of the other Juppongatana (who barely made any worthwhile appearances, anyways) for more depth to be allowed to his character. -Saito Hajime, in my opinion, finally got the bad ass screen play he needed. I was afraid for his character, after the whole chandelier fiasco... -Hiko Seijuro, well cast and well played. I especially enjoyed the flash backs that added a little more depth to both Kenshin and Seijuro. -Megumi Takani, in my book, to be the next best portrayed character. What I disliked: -Lack of character development in far too many characters. -What did they do to Kaoru's character? These movies made her into the stereotypical weak little girl she fights so hard in the original story to *not* be portrayed as. Kidnapped twice. Comatose. Heck, I was waiting for her to get amnesia or something else totally out there. -Yahiko? Who's that? Oh, he was that little kid that showed up every now and then... -Sanosuke. I realize in the manga he had goofy moments (they all did) but they turned him into an underplayed comic relief. Who uses the same fighting moves over and over and over again each fight. It gets old. His was another character I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know in the comic. -Aoshi, need I say more? His story was flimsy and, quite honestly, unnecessary by the third movie. They either should have left his character's story in tact (could've easily been done), or left him out period. -Poor Seta Sojiro. His entire backstory was whittled down to one nonsensical line read off by the monk Anji. As far as the movie goes, his mental break down (if that's what you could call what happened) made him look ridiculous. I didn't feel anything for this fight. Sure, you could argue his "weak vs. strong" mantra was appropriate, but coming out with no build up or reason left this scene lacking. Terribly. -The Purgatory. Maybe they left the ship in there to act as a better "final stage", I could live with that. But taking it from Kyoto, which held very dark memories for the former assassin Kenshin, and moving it to Tokyo? Why? To what point? The ship never lived to sail out of Kyoto, originally. If anything, it should have stayed in Kyoto. And don't even get me started on the sudden blind eye Shishio turned to the police who were building a defense within visible distance of his ship. That whole relationship with Shishio and the police was ludicrous. -Shishio's fighting style. They didn't really explain why his sword kept bursting into flame. -Kenshin's scar. They explained what happened to give him one side to it (via repetitive scenes that really didn't need to be shown 4-5 times), but never delved into how he came to get the cross shape. Maybe this is a subtle hint of a fourth, and final, film? One could argue the origin of the scar doesn't surface until far later in the original series...Those were my biggest pet peeves. Considering they left plot holes and unfinished story, I'd say they've made room for at least one more film. What I would like to see is a mini-series (TV or otherwise) to tell the origin story of the Hitokiri. For those out there who are curious, you can watch the OVA called "Samurai X". It's only 4 episodes. I recommend either watching the complete "Rurouni Kenshin" TV series or reading the original comic, in addition to Samurai X. These shed a much needed light on characters and succeed at telling a masterful samurai story.

.... is that you need an even bigger movie to kill them.A story so big it steals from the characterization and the development of the themes that made the Kenshin tale so interesting in the first place.I have already questioned why anyone in their right mind would want to spend the better part of 6 hours building up to the "final fight" behind Kenshin and the super-baddie (who is so overdrawn he could just as easily have appeared in a Bond film) ....? And I see in the IMDb, at least so far, one or two fans have been brave enough to make the very same points I am making.To be honest, I enjoyed the children's TV series more than this opus. Whether that makes me a poor critic or a child at heart is another matter entirely.I repeat my view that the point of film is to entertain. If a film fails to entertain, it fails, period.In this film, the only one who seems to be having fun is Masaharu Fukuyama, playing Kenshin's original Master, conveniently appearing to assist a very tricky plot arc.The first time he finds Kenshin on the beach, almost dead, he remarks how astonished he was to see his "stupid student" again after almost 15 years.But he says it with a smile, and we know he is happy to see Kenshin.At that single juncture, I thought, for one brief shining moment, that this saga was finally going to be fun.And it was. For the 15 minutes or so that Masaharu Fukuyama appears on camera, we get a peek at what this film might have been.But just a peek.

Disappointing! This third movie really gives you an anticlimax storyline. Really it doesn't have the feeling of rurounin kenshin that i've known from manga and anime. Well, i know limitation in time is the biggest problem to be faced in this long epic story, unfortunately this film producer/director/story maker, you named it... really can't get any better solution for that problem.1. There is no point for Kenshin meeting his teacher. Really it's not make any strong bond in here, sadly it's quite long in this part, Did he learn something new technique in here? big NO. Its just talking, talking and talking. it was really boring2. Ultimate technique? i don't see any differences The ultimate? gee.. there is no different from the usual. It's so plain, nothing special in this so called ultimate Why don't you just say "the more confident kenshin" technique At least, please put some effect ! in anime there will be some kanji and light circle effect, why they don't do that3. Not meaning character. Aoshi really not important character in this film, not even feel fit into the storyJyuppon Katana The 10 strongest man of Shisio. Yeah the strongest was beaten with just one hit.. eat that! Kaori she is just sleeping, wake up, running in the beach, then go back to Tokyo. WTFSanasuke He is just a clownSaito his part is so simple.. just smokingI like the first one even more for the second one For the third one, sorry.. far from the expectation My score is 5