Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

The Last Samurai
2003
**½
Director: Edward Zwick
Cast: Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Timothy Spall, Tony Goldwyn

This beautifully staged but painfully obvious drama recycles Dances with Wolves and Shogun into a story about a scarred Civil War veteran who travels to Japan to train its army in modern warfare. After the initial arrogance our hero embraces the local culture and masters the art of samurai in a jiffy. Tom Cruise is miscast in the leading role. Nice New Zealand scenery.