The Last Samurai

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The Last Samurai

R

Released Dec 5, 2003

2h 34m

Adventure

Drama

War

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

66%

Tomatometer

219 Reviews

83%

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250,000+ Ratings

Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is an American military officer hired by the Emperor of Japan to train the country's first army in the art of modern warfare. As the government attempts to eradicate the ancient Samurai warrior class in preparation for more Westernized and trade-friendly policies, Algren finds himself unexpectedly affected by his encounters with the Samurai, which places him at the center of a struggle between two eras and two worlds.

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Critics Consensus

With high production values and thrilling battle scenes, The Last Samurai is a satisfying epic.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Outstanding action and performance; lots of blood.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 28, 2010

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Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

It's easy to stand back and wax ironic about The Last Samurai. But it's not all that difficult to succumb to its full-spirited romanticism either.

Aug 25, 2008

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Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Competently mounted in its studiedly immersive, elongated way, Zwick's earnest costume epic dresses a knee-jerk, reactionary sensibility in exotic garb.

Jun 24, 2006

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Anderson Jones

E! Online

Is a romance really necessary, no matter how ridiculous, just to prove the two male leads aren't in love with each other?

Apr 26, 2022

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Tony Black

Cultural Conversation

The Last Samurai delivers one of the stronger historical adventure epics of recent years.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 16, 2021

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David Walsh

World Socialist Web Site

Zwick's film idealizes the "noble savage" and denigrates modern society not from the point of view of a serious critique of capitalism, but in a misanthropic, right-wing populist manner.

Feb 15, 2021

Full Review

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Jason Loves W

Beautiful movie with a strong story, good cinematography, epic scores by Hans Zimmer, great cast, the battle scenes are so well made and look realistic and Tom Cruise gives one of the best performances.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/02/25

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Christian K

Super weird!! The voiceover narration is awful, Cruise maximizes his yelling potential, the production and performances are solid.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/30/25

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Spencer P

While it’s definitely the kind of historical fiction epic that was marketed as an American star vehicle and couldn't be today, The Last Samurai puts Tom Cruise in 19th century Japan and a story that sheds light on the samurai culture for beginners and ties it together with a strong supporting cast, beautiful visuals and satisfying battles.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/16/25

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Garrett B

Very underrated. Deserves more attention

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/03/24

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Jerod S

Cruise is in his element as a feeler and a fighter that redeems his own story.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/23/24

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Tim C

One of my favourite films. The redemption arc of Cruised character is beautifully written. + the soundtrack is amazing.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/14/24

Full Review

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Edward Zwick

Director

Tom Cruise

Capt. Nathan Algren

Ken Watanabe

Katsumoto

Timothy Spall

Simon Graham

Billy Connolly

Zebulon Gant

Tony Goldwyn

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Synopsis

Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is an American military officer hired by the Emperor of Japan to train the country's first army in the art of modern warfare. As the government attempts to eradicate the ancient Samurai warrior class in preparation for more Westernized and trade-friendly policies, Algren finds himself unexpectedly affected by his encounters with the Samurai, which places him at the center of a struggle between two eras and two worlds.

Director: Edward Zwick
Producer: Tom Cruise, Tom Engelman, Marshall Herskovitz, Scott Kroopf, Paula Wagner, Edward Zwick
Screenwriter: John Logan, Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Radar Pictures, Warner Brothers, Bedford Falls Productions, Cruise-Wagner Productions
Rating: R (Strong Violence|Battle Sequences)
Genre: Adventure, Drama, War, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 5, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 1, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $111.1M
Runtime: 2h 34m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SR, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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