“47 Ronin” is a dull epic from Universal that attempts to
fuse Japanese historical legend with generic CGI-heavy action fantasy and the
result is far from satisfactory. While the reported $175 million budget is
evident in the handsome production values, it falls short on character
development, emotional involvement and narrative drive. And although the
preview clips focus on Keanu Reeves, he is not the central character. The
opening voiceover explains that the 47
Ronin saga dates back to early 18th century feudal Japan. The
disenfranchised samurai avenged the disgrace and death of their master, Lord
Asano, by killing Kira, the villain responsible for his dishonor, in direct
defiance of the ruling Shogun’s orders to refrain from retaliation. Their quest
of loyalty and sacrifice would cost them their lives, either in the battle or
in enforced ritual suicide as punishment for their transgression. Arguably the
biggest problem with this retelling is the screenplay, which strives to be
respectful to its source material while at the same time, juicing up the story
for Western audiences raised on action, video games and melodrama. And, of
course, providing something for Reeves to do.
Reeves plays Kai, a slave with a mysterious past who lives
in a shack behind the lord’s castle. Tormented by the 46 prejudiced samurai who
will reluctantly fight beside him and loved by the lord’s colorblind daughter,
Kai is eventually revealed to be the only one capable of defeating the
villain’s sorceress (Rinko Kikuchi), who slithers across the screen like she’s
the only one having any fun. Perhaps aware of how troublesome it is to suggest
that a foreigner played the hero’s role in ‘a story of Japan,’ the film tries
to have it both ways, clearly identifying Kai as the protagonist while also
isolating him from the central plot. Hiroyuki Sanada plays the ronin leader,
Oichi, and he dominates the first third of the movie. The fights are often hard
to follow and the fantasy element of colossal beasts and dragons seem more at
home in a video game. “47 Ronin” is overly long and disappointing, certainly
not worth the extra price to see it in 3D. 12/25/13
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