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Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yusuke Iseya, Goro Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura ... see more see more... , Arata Furuta , Mikijiro Hira , Hiroki Matsukata , Ikki Sawamura , Ken Mitsuishi , Tsuyoshi Ihara , Masataka Kubota , Sousuke Takaoka , Seiji Rokkaku , Kouen Kondo , Yuma Ishigaki , Kazuki Namioka , Kazue Fukiishi , Koshiro Matsumoto , Mitsuki Tanimura , Takumi Saito , Shinnosuke Abe , Masaaki Uchino , Ittoku Kishibe , Sosuke Takaoka

Cult director Takeshi Miike (Ichi the Killer, Audition) delivers a bravado period action film set at the end of Japan's feudal era in which a group of unemployed samurai are enlisted to bring down a s... read more read more...adistic lord and prevent him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country into a wartorn future. --(c) Magnet Pictures

Flixster Users

88% liked it

17,558 ratings

Critics

95% liked it

111 critics

R, 2 hr. 6 min.

Directed by: Takashi Miike

Release Date: April 29, 2011

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DVD Release Date: July 5, 2011

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Stats: 1,789 reviews

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Takashi Miike
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Flixster Reviews (1,789)

  • jmanard52
    August 26, 2011
    jmanard52
    Slick well done period flick. yes its subtitled, get over and enjoy an immensely good action movie.
  • fb1463751009
    March 9, 2012
    fb1463751009
    "13 Assassins" is an exhilarating, gritty, Samurai movie that soaks you into the culture and setting. I absolutely loved the cinematography. Also, I loved the first half of the movie; though it is hard to keep up with the names and characters because of the language barrier, it r... read moreuns you through the planning and process of what the 13 assassins must endure through to bring justice. The action scenes however, do not have the choreography nor the realism to bring an exciting action movie. What comes after the first half is an overly extended fight scene that lasts about 30-40 minutes long that is not captivating enough to bring excitement and drama. Plus, the story can't seem to manage to have a central key character that brings audiences to have the emotional attachment to relate with. Other than that, I would recommend this movie- it's a good time, but could've been better.
  • JonathanHutchings
    February 25, 2012
    JonathanHutchings
    Much like The Dark Knight deconstructs the idea of the superhero, Miike's masterful 13 Assassins does the same with the samurai as a guardian of values in an increasingly valueless feudal Japan. The film does a fantastic job weighing the myth of the samurai as not merely an anach... read moreronism, but as a belief system whose core reverberates, regardless of historical placement. Thematic concerns aside, it is shot beautifully, with a gritty artistry that belies many of the so called "epics" we see today. The action is tightly wound, and expertly choreographed with a small dose of Miike's morbidly hyper-realistic violent aesthetic. Doing so adds a tremendous amount of stature and weight. This may be the most complete film to date for the great director, and proves once for all that Miike is far more than a mere provocateur. I love samurai films, but 13 Assassins is the first I've seen that views this culture through a postmodern lens. Approaching it from this perspective gives "the samurai film" more teeth and a deeply philosophical current that hasn't been seen since Kurosawa's golden years.
  • Saxia
    February 3, 2012
    Saxia
    Been a long time since I've seen a samurai movie!
    13 assassins go on a mission to save the public from a tyrant. Some of them are young, others aged and experienced, but all of them determined.
    Seven Samurai definitely springs to mind, so if you haven't seen the old school stuff... read more: you have some serious movie watching to do!
    I loved the decor of course, the camera angles, the lighting. And it has some yummy scenes that gave me the shivers.
  • EightThirty
    January 14, 2012
    EightThirty
    15/01/2012 (NetFlix PS3)
  • sanjurosamurai
    January 4, 2012
    sanjurosamurai
    before watching this i had heard so much about how this film was a throwback to some of the great action samurai films of the 50's and 60's, and those assessments couldnt have been more true. the characters werent as compelling as i would have liked, mostly due to poor character... read more development, but the plot was developed well, and the action sequences were on par with some of the best in the history of samurai films. one of the best films of the year.
  • Alireza64ir
    October 21, 2011
    Alireza64ir
    Simple Japanese action by overrated director Takashi Miike.Didn't find it thrilling or stylish at all .everything in this film such as its good and bad characters are second handed.
  • shortcartoonist
    October 3, 2011
    shortcartoonist
    Takashi Miike's bloody epic is a wholly different affair to the film's that make his fame. '13 Assassins' is a film of scale, encompassing history and politics as the driving force to upheaval and retaliation. It is a beast, huge in size and ferocity, yet sleek and intelligent. W... read morehile it is an action film, it holds a beating heart of cultural significance and pride, always inclined to give a reason to the blood being shed on screen. There is much chance for excitement, but equal chance for a rounded and rousing cinematic experience.

    The set pieces are huge, it's action sometimes relentless, and the themes are powerful. But, while everything in the film is big, perhaps what is most impressive about '13 Assassins' is that it remains convincingly personal. It is both an observation to the parting of a political system, but also an ode to the lives lost in this conquest - on both sides of this feud.
  • itsjustme2004
    September 17, 2011
    itsjustme2004
    This was a quality action movie with good dialogue, and very graphic violence. A really long build up to a concluding battle scene, however, made me wonder whether it was ever going to happen. Well it did, and it was good...but by that time I really just wanted it over.
  • fb1672039553
    September 5, 2011
    fb1672039553
    A fascinating look at a value system far removed from the west, centered around absolute servitude. Ill twists of fate can find a Samurai defending, not stopping, evil. This villain, so apethetic and empty, still makes me queasy.

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Critic Reviews

Tom Long
June 10, 2011
Tom Long, Detroit News

Familiar though it may be, as samurai movies go, 13 Assassins" is a killer. Full Review

J. R. Jones
June 10, 2011
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

This slam-bang remake of a 1963 feature by Eichi Kudo builds slowly, accumulating characters and themes, then explodes into a prolonged and masterful battle sequence inside a deserted town. Full Review

Chris Vognar
June 9, 2011
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News

One can pinpoint the exact moment when 13 Assassins transforms from vivid samurai drama to insane work of genius. Full Review

Colin Covert
June 2, 2011
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Epic. Unforgettable. Relentless. Magnificently entertaining. Full Review

Sean O'Connell
May 27, 2011
Sean O'Connell, Washington Post

Does Guinness World Records have an entry for longest on-screen fight? If it doesn't, Takashi Miike's "13 Assassins" just set it. And if a record actually exists, Miike's film just broke it. Full Review

Roger Ebert
May 26, 2011
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

"13 Assassins" has what many action pictures need, a villain who transcends evil and ascends to a realm of barbaric madness. Full Review

Steven Rea
May 12, 2011
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

A film, like so many samurai stories (and American westerns) about brotherhood, justice and sacrifice, 13 Assassins is, at turns, thrilling and funny, visually exquisite and emotionally charged. Full Review

Ty Burr
May 5, 2011
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

Epic in scope, ambition, and execution, it's a classic swords-and-samurai film with postmodern blood and guts, and it's completely satisfying. Full Review

David Edelstein
May 2, 2011
David Edelstein, New York Magazine

Has a mixture of bloodletting and exultation that would make Sam Peckinpah sit up in his grave and howl with pleasure. Full Review

Mark Jenkins
April 29, 2011
Mark Jenkins, NPR

13 Assassins is reliably entertaining, but ultimately it's too traditional to be a classic. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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