I watched the movie over the weekend. Believe it or not, all screenings were sold out. I liked the film. I agree with
aohige that it's a fantastic adaptation, with a few minor tweaks and new characters to tie the early arcs into a single, coherent narrative that remains faithful to the original.
I'm particularly impressed with the screenplay, in that the screenwriters managed to come up with a script that stands very well on its own, while leaving the door wide open enough for much-anticipated sequels, depending on the project's box-office performance. (I think we can be very optimistic about that.)
I still think
Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen is the best movie in the franchise, though. It'll a lot to top that achievement.
On that point:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shinji103
Holy crap. How long is this movie? Because I spy...
the origins of the cross-shaped scar.
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No, the movie doesn't reveal the origins of the cross-shaped scar. It does show how Kenshin received the first scar, and he does hint at who gave him the second scar, but the movie doesn't show much else about Kenshin's background as the Battousai. (Meaning, yup, huge potential for a sequel or two.)
And, oh yeah, I agree with
Mystique that the
cast was superb. Practically everyone was a believable live version of the manga and anime characters, heroes and villains alike. Special kudos to Takeru Sato as Kenshin; he truly managed to bring his character alive. Emi Takei as Kaoru is perhaps the only slightly flat note in an otherwise perfect cast, but that's only because she isn't quite how I pictured Kaoru. People who aren't familiar with the original material shouldn't have any trouble accepting her performance.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mystique
Megumi: I didn't remember this character in the anime series, lol. But the actress played her very well, she played her part in the plot really good, was impressed.
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She's one of the new characters, along with the main villain of the movie. Megumi becomes slightly implausible somewhere in the middle of the show, but she nonetheless adds interesting chemistry to the main cast.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mystique
This isn't for the faint hearted as people get sliced and diced in graphic detail, so yeah.
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Nah, as someone who is a die-hard fan of
Tsuiokuhen, I say the movie is not quite bloody enough. But then again, it hasn't quite reached that level of drama. Here's hoping that future movies in the franchise will dwell more intensively on the
Dark Knight level of pathos found in the OAVs.
(Yup, I'm a fan of the much more mature takes on
Rurouni Kenshin. I've always found the original anime too shounen cartoonish for my liking. So shoot me.)
EDIT:
I forgot to add, do watch out for the guest-starring performance of
Genki Sudo, a retired mixed martial arts fighter well-known for his
spectacular stage entrances and even better known for his
World Order music videos (check out, especially,
Machine Civilization). Sudo plays a minor villain who engages Sanosuke (played by Munetaka Aoki) in a hilarious and highly enjoyable duel, done very much in the brash street-fghting style that defines Sanosuke, the manga character, as well as Sudo, a real-life MMA pugilist.