47 Ronin

[Hebrew Hammer]

Still optimistic about this, follow the link.

http://twitchfilm.com/2013/10/47-ron...w-trailer.html

[enoajnin]

One of the tags in the movie I think was "There is a story of 47 warrriors" My immediate thought was There is and this movie isn't that story.

But then I read this article over at i09 and felt better about the movie, especially when I realized Reeves wasn't directing this one.

Here is the article:

That's the historical event. We went to the site. It's fantastic! You can still go there and pray today. That's that. Then there's this thing called "Chūshingura," which is the tradition of the storytelling of the "47 Ronin." That means Chūshingura is not just a historically accurate story. It's taking it and making it your own. There's been the "Hello Kitty Chūshingura." They've told the "47 Ronin" with all women.

. . . For me, when I first looked at it, I went, "Oh, wow, this is hallowed ground. I don't want to trespass on it. I don't want to f*ck up a national, iconic, story, but then I started realizing, "No – that's the fun of it, is to make it your own." And what (screenwriter) Chris Morgan had done from the very beginning was to say, "What if you made some of the samurai story a fantasy?" And so we just leaned into that and invested that. "Okay, what are some of the fantasy characters I, as a westerner never heard of?" I mean I knew of Kirin Beer, but I can't imagine a real Kirin or Tengu Warrior. I never knew what a Tengu Warrior was, and the more I looked into it, the more I saw that the myth and the fantasy of Japan had more characters in it than Marvel could ever have in their entire menagerie, so I thought, "Okay, this is an opportunity to do something totally, totally different, so our version of "47 Ronin," our "Chūshingura" story, is going to be a samurai fantasy epic. I thought, "That's cool. I haven't f*cking seen that before. Great! Kurosawa on meth. I'll do that!"

[Lucas]

saw a great preview for this yesterday when i watched thor. it looks to be of great quality, some nice looking action and all around well put together.

it has that 'last samurai' white man to the rescue kind of shat vibe to it...but i guess thats the white wash of hollywood we have all come to expect....

Hiroyuki Sanada is in it, which is awesome coming off of his role in The Wolverine, in which he did very well. funny thing is that sanada, if you recall, starred in The Last Samurai....

[GeneChing]

This is one of those 'do the math' issues.

Media & Entertainment
12/23/2013 @ 9:51AM
Review: '47 Ronin'



The Box Office:

It is fitting that we end the 2013 box office year, one in which overseas box office became more important than ever, with a massively expensive would-be blockbuster that seems designed to play far better outside US shores. Universal entrusted Carl Rinsch, a first-time director, with this lavish period piece revamp of a famous Japanese legend and then watched as reshoots and delays caused the budget to skyrocket to anywhere between $175 million and $225 million.

The good news is that Keanu Reeves has been a reliably constant draw for big-scale action pictures. The bad news is that he hasn’t carried a major studio release since 20th Century Fox's The Day The Earth Stood Still in 2008 ($233m worldwide on an $80m budget) and Warner Bros.’ Constantine ($230m on a $100m budget) before that back in 2005. The other bad news is that Reeves’ heyday was during a period when $100 million was considered expensive and $200m worldwide was an unquestionable hit. Outside of the Matrix trilogy, Reeves’ biggest global grosser is Speed with $350m.

So in order to just break even, 47 Ronin has to make more than the Reeves’ second biggest grosser, The Matrix, which earned $463m in 1999. 47 Ronin is a classic case of having to basically break records in order to break even. The odds are grim, especially with the film already more-or-less tanking in Japan with $2.8m after a couple weekends. I’m not one to predict doom, but it will be a miracle if this distinctly Eastern-flavored action picture does much business in America, with stronger overseas business basically being a coin toss.

The Review:

The highest compliment that I can pay Carl Rinsch’s 47 Ronin (from Universal, a division of Comcast CMCSA -0.02%) is that it doesn’t show any obvious signs of its infamous production turmoil. The film has a logical and coherent screenplay that gets from beginning to end without any major narrative hiccups. There are no obvious signs of dropped subplots or inexplicably deleted and/or reshot sequences. The film runs just under two hours and offers ample to time to plot, character, and action. While “competent” isn’t exactly high praise, 47 Ronin looks from the outset like a picture that went off without a hitch.

That isn’t to say that the film doesn’t have its problems. It at times resembles more of a tone poem than an actual adventure story, spending much of its running time to savor the locations and allow the characters to meditate or silently ponder their choices. It is perhaps unwise to criticize a big-scale fantasy picture for putting mood and atmosphere ahead of visual splendor and/or action, but the film spends quite a bit of time telling very little story. It is clear where the $175-$225m budget went, as its a visually splendid film, rich in period detail, practical sets, and genuine fight choreography/stunt work. If only the pointless 3D didn’t darken the gorgeous visuals. Choose 2D if you can.

Also of note is the fact that top-billed Keanu Reeves is actually a supporting character. This is clearly Hiroyuki Sanada’s journey from beginning to end, as Reeves mostly stays in the background as a mostly ostracized “half-blood” adapted member of the clan. Reeves is his usual fine low-key self, but it’s clear that he was either brought aboard for marketing purposes or wanted to participate and didn’t want to turn the film into something akin to Tom Cruise’s The Last Samurai. Regardless, Reeves gets a token romance with Kô Shibasaki and a climactic action beat that was seamlessly added later in the production.

The core story, of a group of former samurai uniting to avenge the death of their master, is loosely based on a famous bit of 18th century folklore, although I’m assuming the filmmakers added the supernatural elements. It’s a simple tale that suffers from a bit too much around the edges, but kudos to Universal for funding such a film without demanding that it be wall-to-wall action. The action set pieces are generally solid, even if I wish the takes had been just a second or two longer during the fight sequences. The picture uses its supernatural material sparsely until the end. While I won’t pretend that the CGI is photo-real, it serves the hazy “stuff of legend” feeling that the picture is generally going for.

Truth be told, this is a case where, fair or not, I could imagine myself being a little kinder to the film had it been a bit cheaper. When one is watching a film that needs to gross around $500 million worldwide to break even, one tends to notice that said film doesn’t quite provide the punch that will excite audiences and/or connect on a global scale required to recoup said investment. It is perhaps contradictory to admit that the film’s budget is mostly onscreen while also stating that the story could have been told much cheaper, but that’s the strange situation one finds themselves in when we start seeing $200m budgets for original properties that aren’t remotely “sure thing” investments.

Separated from financial concerns, 47 Ronin is a solid B-movie action drama, telling a classic story with just enough action and plenty of mood and visual beauty. I’m not enough of an expert on vintage Japanese cinema to know how accurate it is to the genre that it is trying to emulate, but to this relative novice, it seems to get the job done without insulting anyone. The film is well acted and handsomely staged, with a story that mostly makes sense and an ending that stays true to itself. It is all-but-sure to get lost in the Christmas season shuffle in America, but it deserves to find an appreciative audience somewhere down the line.

[SPJ]

went to see it in 3D on Christmas day.

do not like the ending.

No need to commit self ending, that is.

[GeneChing]

I don't know if that totally counts as a review, SPJ. If it has anything to do with the original story, we know how it ends.

Keanu Reeves’ ‘47 Ronin’ Bombing: Universal Prepares for Major Loss


47 Ronin wright down
December 26, 2013 | 04:26PM PT
Studio confirms it took an unspecified writedown
Film Reporter
Dave McNary
Film Reporter @Variety_DMcNary

Universal Pictures has acknowledged that “47 Ronin” is a loser, disclosing that it’s taken the ususual step of writing down some if its $175 million cost prior to the current quarter.

The samurai tentpole, starring Keanu Reeves, opened Christmas Day in the U.S. with a soft $7 million at 2,688 locations, finishing sixth. Internationally, the film has opened in 14 territories for a total of $10 million through Wednesday. Though the film’s opening two weeks ago in Japan was dire, it finished first in its Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan openings.

Domestically, “47 Ronin” is projected to earn under $20 million through Sunday — the worst debut for a $150 million-plus movie in 2013.

Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp., issued a statement confirming the writedown but did not disclose its size.

“Universal Pictures regularly evaluates its film slate for potential adjustment,” the studio said. “In the case of ’47 Ronin,’ we adjusted film costs in previous quarters and as a result our financial performance will not be negatively impacted this quarter by its theatrical performance.”

Universal saw solid performances this year from “Fast and Furious 6″ and “Despicable Me 2.” It’s finishing third in overall U.S. box office with more than $1.4 billion in grosses, trailing Warner Bros. and Disney.

Earlier this year, Disney took a writedown on “The Lone Ranger” after losing nearly $200 million on the Johnny Depp Western.

[Hebrew Hammer]

I caught it last weekend, although I know it tanked in the box office, my matinee showing was half full in a big theater. I caught the 2D version. As the reviews poor in, it is disappointing, I believe Keanu just had a little too much influence on the story line and screen play. **** you Keanu!!! Why did Keanu's character even need to be the lead??? His Kendo needs work, his acting just hasn't gotten any better with age. The visual parts of the film were fantastic though, the monsters, costumes and special effects were great. It might have been better in Japanese with subtitles rather than the poorly accented English...just didn't feel right. It certainly doesn't do the original 47 Ronin any justice, I didn't expect it to based on the previews and would have been ok with that had the story been more compelling. It has none of the sophistication of the 'real' 47 Ronin revenge tale, that's the American film dumbing down effect. I just don't get why Hollywood doesn't think we either have the attention span or desire for complex stories and characters.

It's more of fantasy film and I'd give it 5 Bawangs out of 10.

[GeneChing]

Enter to win KungFuMagazine.com's contest for 47 RONIN COMBO PACK (DVD, BLU-RAY™ & BLU-RAY™ 3D)! Contest ends 6:00 p.m. PST on 04/10/14.

[GeneChing]

I really wanted to hate this. Keanu bugs me. And Chushingura (1962) stands as one of my all time favs when it comes to classic chanbara flicks (I should revisit that film someday soon). The new 47 Ronin isn't horrible. It's not great, but not completely hate-able. It's kind of interesting as a reflection of East vs. West cinema. Instead of being some fantasy version of chanbara, it feels more like the bombastic Chinese epics nowadays, the animated narrated intro, the sweeping landscapes, the big sets blending w/CGI. It has gaudy unrestrained colors, not the Japanese aesthetic of pageantry thoroughly tightly-arranged minimalism, more like the ******* child of Eiko (Ishioka). The saving roles are Hiroyuki Sanada as the lead ronin (he is easily my fav Japanese actor right now) and Rinko Kikuchi as the fox witch with David Bowie eyes - she vamps it up deliciously. The sword fights are ok if you overlook that the first cut is a whirling expose-my-back-to-my-enemy slash. Keanu is a jedi wannabe with his Qui-gon hairdo and glowing katana that leaves blade trails ala V for Vendetta. It's actually these poached scenes that are the most amusing, like a Tarantino flick or Divergent - the You Only Live Twice poison strand from the ceiling to the sleeping victim, the Harry Potter contrails of evil, the dutch fleet which felt Pirated from the Caribbean. Keanu seems to still be wrasslin with Hapa neurosis, which is silly now as the hapa nation is rising. But still, it's nice to see a film get a U.S. theatrical release with an all Japanese cast - even the infamous Gedde Watanabe has a role. This was probably much better in 3D. The best thing I can say is that I wasn't totally offended by it.

[GeneChing]

See our 47 Ronin Combo Pack winners thread.

[GeneChing]

47 Ronin Sequel, a Future-Set Cyberpunk Film, Lands Director Ron Yuan
Keanu Reeves samurai movie 47 Ronin is getting a conceptual sequel, which is now set to be directed by Mulan actor Ron Yuan.
By Joseph Baxter
|
August 13, 2020


Photo: Universal Pictures

47 Ronin may not have made an impact as an action flick—released in 2013 headlined by a post-Matrix, pre-John Wick comeback Keanu Reeves—but someone over at studio Universal apparently has enough love for the medieval-Japan samurai film to greenlight a sequel—specifically a cyberpunk sequel set in the far-future. Now, said sequel has a director.

Ron Yuan, an actor who moonlights as a director, has been hired to helm the untitled 47 Ronin sequel movie, according to Deadline. The film, set up at Universal Pictures Home Entertainment subsidiary Universal 1440 Entertainment, will contrast starkly from its historically-based, Reeves-starring predecessor, touted as a genre-hybrid cyberpunk story set 300 years in the future. It is also reportedly set to be directly distributed by Netflix, although that notion doesn’t seem to be reflected in the source report (at least in its current form). As appointed Yuan expresses in a statement:

“I’m incredibly excited to be working with Universal and the producing team on this genre-blending, martial arts, action, horror and cyber-punk film. This will be a fun, intense, supercharged thrill ride for viewers globally.”

2013’s 47 Ronin, directed by Carl Rinsh off a script by Chris Morgan and Hossein Amini, put the often-adapted feudal-era Japanese historical tale through the lens of a supernatural fantasy actioner, centered on Keanu Reeves’s Kai, a half-Japanese, half-English adopted son of historically-based Lord Asano Naganori. A classic story of vengeance and undying loyalty commences against imperious power seeker Lord Kira (Thor’s Tadanobu Asano) after his machinations—carried out by shapeshifting witch Mizuki (Pacific Rim’s Rinko Kikuchi)—leads to Naganori’s execution. Consequently, Kai joins the rest of Naganori’s subsequently-exiled devotees—branded ronin (privilege-stripped samurai left without a master)—to embark on a low-odds militaristic endeavor to see their force of 47 overthrow Kira and his overwhelming armies.

47 Ronin, however, was a box office dud with a $151.8 million worldwide gross; a financial loss for the Universal-distributed picture against its $175 million budget. Thus, the sequel will initially come across as a surprising and vexing notion. However, the injected concept of a timeline leap to the far future, prospectively brandishing the kind of futuristic Japanese aesthetic famously displayed in anime such as Akira, does somewhat clarify the intent of the project, especially if it is Netflix-bound. Yet, it still leaves the question about why a project—a spiritual sequel at best—would even need to attach itself to the franchise of a failed film unless it will bear some substantive connection such as the return of Keanu Reeves, presumably as a descendant of Kai; a move that could be complementary to his upcoming starring video game role in Cyberpunk 2077. However, no cast members have been confirmed as of yet.

Appointed director Ron Yuan’s work as an actor will soon see him in Disney’s upcoming (streaming-shifted) Mulan live-action movie, also known from his recurring roles on Freeform’s Siren and Netflix’s Marco Polo. He has directed Asia-aimed features such as 2019 dance franchise offshoot Step-Up China and 2017 action thriller Unspoken: Diary of an Assassin, the latter of which co-stars Will Yun Lee, who—in a bit of a coincidence—happens to be a prominent part of another future-set cyberpunk offering, Netflix’s Altered Carbon.

47 Ronin 2 (title to be determined) doesn’t have any production or release windows set, but it certainly sounds like an eccentrically intriguing proposition.

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47 Ronin
47 Ronin sequel

[GeneChing]

The Black Belt from the 47 Ronin Temple

Adisa Banjoko aka Bishop
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8 min read
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12 hours ago

A friends journey to Japan to get buy a black belt- gets crazy!
A few months ago, while teaching and training in the UK a friend from SF in The Bay Area. His name is Prof. Greg Watkins at Stanford University. We met through a friend of ours named Remi when Remi invited me to run a youth chess summer program a few summers back. Greg and I hit it off immediately. He teaches philosophy, he knows Shakespeare better than most, and he loved the UFC. How could we not be cool?! He also has a deep respect for Eastern philosophy. I learned a lot from him about Zhuang Zi, Socrates and so much more.
So while I was in the UK, I called him one day to catch up and he said “Hey I’m going to Japan with my wife, do you want me to grab you anything? I was blown away and I said “Please grab me a black belt while you are out there.” He said “OK” and lets say a month or so later he messaged me asking me where to send it.
I told him to send it to America because I was so scared something might happen to it. I did not want it to get lost in the mail, etc cetera. So he sent it to my parents place. This all happened about 4 months back. I came back in October, and my dad had set the belt out for me.
So, while at my parents recently I was talking to my lady on Whats App and I showed her some of the stuff in my old bedroom. I opened one drawer and it had some incense in a purple box with beautiful art and Japanese writing on it.

[IMG]https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:720/format:webp/1*94GfJBUB3w32qIgP9BtgwQ.jpeg[/IMG]
My kuro obi at Segakuji Temple in Japan.

Adisa Banjoko lecturing on Stoic philosophy at the NXT 45 mens retreat in the United Kingdom.

The box was sealed. The thing is, my parents hate incense. When I was about 13 I bought insense and a little burner for my room. It was the 1983. My parents were like “Don’t try to cover up the smell of marijuana with incense, boy!!” I was such a nerd, I did not even know what weed looked like yet! But I loved the incense and I hated that my parent thought I was trying to smoke something I had never even seen before. I was mischievous though, and it was the 1984. In reflection, their attitude at the time made sense.
My point is, I knew they did not purchase it. But I wanted to burn the incense immediately. I asked her if she sent it before I arrived in the states. She said no but wondered if maybe my parents had bought it for me and maybe forgotten. Once my friend Dr. David Timony sent me some amazing incense. I could tell by the box that something else was happening. I ruled Dr. Timony, my parents and my lady out immediately, and I got off the phone.
As soon as we hung up I wondered if maybe Greg had sent it. I called him. He said “Yeah, that incense came from Sengakuji Temple of the 47 Ronin”. My jaw dropped. The 47 Ronin is one of the best old school samurai stories from the middle ages. It is also a true story. It deserves the popularity of the 300 Spartans.
Check this out:
The story of the 47 Ronin, also known as the Ako Incident, unfolds in 18th-century Japan. After their lord, Asano Naganori, is forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court official. He was set up to fail by a rival lord named Kira. Asano was ordered to kill himself and his loyal samurai, were made ronin ( become masterless warriors) . Led by Oishi Kuranosuke, the 47 Ronin patiently bide their time, enduring various humiliations and acting as if they have abandoned their samurai code. They take on other jobs. One of Anano’s high level samurai was seen running around bars and lives the life of what some might call a drunken bum. However, their true intention was to avenge their Lord Asano’s unjust forced death. They waited patiently for two years. January 30, 1703 the reunited warriors stormed Kira’s stronghold in a carefully planned attack. After being found in a hidden room, they gave him an opportunity to kill himself with same blade Asano used for seppuku. Kira refused, so and was beheaded with the same blade. The 47 Ronin then turn themselves in to authorities, willingly accepting their fate of seppuku. The tale of the 47 Ronin is a legendary example of loyalty, honor, and their unwavering commitment to avenging a master’s honor- even at the cost of their own lives. They were laid to rest at Sengakuji [Mountain Forest] Temple.

[IMG]https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:720/format:webp/1*yYZ_eCjxnAXOVFDUf8Gdfw.jpeg[/IMG]
Map of Sengakuji Temple grounds.

“So, you didn’t get the pictures?” Greg asked in a confused tone.
“What pictures”? I asked even slightly more confused.
“My wife and I bought your black belt at the Isami store and took it to Sengakuji Temple, where the 47 Ronin are buried. We sat the belt at the altar and burned some incense. We took it to the graves of the father and son who led the attack. Then we mailed it to you. We sent pictures of the belt at the altar and the incense together.”
My mind was blown *insert appropriate emoji here*!!

continued next post

[GeneChing]

[IMG]https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:720/format:webp/1*5zG7Rvjuxi785fzUrw_Jeg.jpeg[/IMG]
A young man preparing incense for visitors to the temple of the courageous 47 Ronin.

I go back into the drawer and low and behold, I see the pictures. My heart soars and my eye tear up because I have loved the 47 Ronin for many years. When my son was a young teenager I gave him a very beautifully written and illustrated graphic novel (not bloody just incase parents were wondering). It is by Mike Richardson and illustrated flawlessly by Stan Sakai. I recommend it to anyone curious about the story. If your child is 12 or above it’s a good story about courage, loyalty and patience. I highly recommend it.
Stay away from the Keanu Reeves film (I love him as an actor but the writing for that was way more sci-fi than anything else). The Japanese old school film is great and its on YouTube, but I think it is too slow for modern moviegoers. Last Knight, is a European remake of the Japanese legend. Because it is a European remake, it falls far short of it’s potential. No film, has ever done the actual Ako Incident justice, sadly.
The crazy part is, a few weeks back I had given my belt to a kind friend, Jonny Oh (at the iconic Tiger Claw) who was getting my belt embroidered with the with the word: BANJOKO 7.21.21 on my belt. The numbers reflected the dated I got my belt. The thing was there was a big delay in getting my belt back. My friend Gene Ching explained that part it was because the Venerable Abbot of Shaolin, Shi Yongxin was visiting California. Jonny was overseeing his trip and because of it there would be a delay.
I told Gene, “I think it is the coolest thing that my belt is delayed because the Abbot of Shaolin is in California”. I had no problem being patient. I called Jonny as soon as I learned about the belt being taken to Sengakuji Temple. I reached out to Jonny the next day. He was super apologetic about the delay on my belt. Apparently he had fallen ill with the flu after The Abbot returned to Shaolin.
I explained that there was no apology necessary. Then I explained to him that the belt had been taken to the 47 Ronin Temple, and I wanted to have the 7.21.21. numbers replaced with BANJOKO 47. Jonny let me know that was possible. A gratitude beyond words filled my spiritual heart.
The morning after talking to Jonny, I went to the balcony, sat in the sun and burned incense from the temple. I did yoga and meditated. My focus that day, and this day is on gratitude and patience. I have two incense burners that were gifts to me. I use them often. One from my son, is long ceramic dragon with red eyes named Smaug (the dragon from The Hobbit) . The other is a smaller jade colored dragon I got from my second BJJ student nicknamed Skywalker. (the boy was nicknamed Skywalker). I named that dragon Bruce (after the iconic Bruce Lee).
On December 7th, 2023, my boy DeShawn swooped me over to the Tiger Claw HQ in Fremont, CA, to pick up my belt.

[IMG]https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:720/format:webp/1*JLbhVMqRJYCKsQwXMm5mRg.jpeg[/IMG]
Jonny Oh President of Tiger Claw, and Adisa Banjoko with his new black belt.

Jonny greeted me with the belt in his hands, and we took a quick picture together. I walked out like a kid who got the big gift he wanted for his birthday. To celebrate, we went to eat at Vinum at New Park Mall. I had tea, veggie tempura, and the saba fish. Then we went to my homey King Kou’s house and caught up with him and Skywalker.

[IMG]https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:720/format:webp/1*gHjCp68LGjavbHb1KOsGQw.jpeg[/IMG]
My Isami black belt straight from Japan! Jiu-jitsu gi by JREAM.

After I got home I put on my JREAM gi with my Heroes Martial Arts patch on the back. Then I put on The Belt from Sengakuji Temple, faced East and prayed. I thanked God for the honor of getting to the goal of achieving a kuro obi (black belt), and I thanked God for all of my teachers and training partners. I then prayed for the souls of the 47 Ronin. I asked that I be able to teach and compete honorably in the future with the same conviction they fought with.
The moral of the story: Sometimes the God/Universe does not give you what you want when you think you want it, so that something greater can be organized for you. If you attempt to force a thing into being, you can get it. However, what you got in a rushed manner, my not have been the best thing. With patience the positive conspiracies of divine order can be left to manifest their own beauty on your behalf. I am grateful to Greg and his wife Sue for getting the Isami belt and taking it to the Sengakuji Temple. I know they did not have to do any of that. I am grateful to Jonny Oh, Gene Ching and everyone at Tiger Claw in Fremont, CA for getting my belt embroidered immaculately.
This experience has expanded and instilled my sense of patience and acceptance of whatever comes to me in the future. I hope you, too, can get a sense of its value the next time you hit the mats or life hits you hard.
Adisa Banjoko is a BJJ black belt, award winning writer, speaker and documentary filmmaker. Adisa has lectured on martial arts history and philosophy at Harvard, Stanford, Brown, Oberlin and many other universities. He founded the ONLINE community, the Resilient Men’s Group to help men heal mentally, emotionally and physically.

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