47 Ronin

[GeneChing]

...and I notice there's no thread on that here, or I'd redirect y'all. I've seen way too many chanbara flicks for the Last Samurai to work for me. And I'm not a Cruise hater. I've always had a fond spot for Risky Business. But back OT, I can see Keanu as one of the 47. A lot depends on who the other 46 are...

[doug maverick]

keanu will be his wooden self as always, but im sure he'll do a good job in the action department, he hasnt stopped his training since the matrix and he was pretty good in those films. my concern is the screen writer chris morgan. he writes alot of trash. i mean cellular, wanted fast and furious god. 47 ronin is a steve zaillian or david mamet job, leave it to universal to take something that could be epic and turn it into action trash. this is the studio that only does franchises mind you all, so somehow thy are going to work out a 47 ronin's two. this is a movie where all the hero's are suppose to die. doubtfull thou.

[golgo]

i think the last samurai was a really good film over all.

part of what I liked the most was the costumes, and the bokken scenes.

I agree. I liked the movie as well. I dont remember a ton from it, but I do remember coming away thinking that the clothes they wore looked extremely comfortable. I wanted to buy a kimono to wear around the house.

And about the language thing... why would a movie being made in the US for a US audience (primarily) staring US actors, where everyone is speaking the same language speak in any language other than English? Schindler's list wasn't filmed in German and dubbed over in English. The Hunt for Red October wasn't filmed in Russian (except the first few minutes).

Call me crazy, but I dont want to have my movies subtitled if it isn't necessary (and I don't mean dubbed either - would rather have subtitles).

[golgo]

up 'til now, Keanu and/or Hollywood has done everything possible to hide or de-emphasize his 'Asian-ness'. Now all of a sudden he's Asian enough to play a Japanese samurai in a historical account. But this always happens when Hollywood 'attempts' to make movies about Asians.

Exactly how does one de-emphisize one's asian-ness? Please enlighten me as to what it means to be asian.

With a name like Keanu, he wasn't doing a very good job of hiding his "pacific-islander-ness."

[SimonM]

I like subtitles...

I especially like BAD CHINGLISH subtitles.

[Jimbo]

Exactly how does one de-emphisize one's asian-ness? Please enlighten me as to what it means to be asian.

With a name like Keanu, he wasn't doing a very good job of hiding his "pacific-islander-ness."

When, besides in The Little Buddha, has Keanu ever played anything other than a white guy? If you can inform me of any, please do so. Obviously, being "Asian" does not mean having to play in Asian-themed films, or the stereotypical bowing and scraping and speaking in broken English. But other than the above film, everything I've seen him in he's played white characters with European surnames.

[Jimbo]

keanu will be his wooden self as always, but im sure he'll do a good job in the action department, he hasnt stopped his training since the matrix and he was pretty good in those films. my concern is the screen writer chris morgan. he writes alot of trash. i mean cellular, wanted fast and furious god. 47 ronin is a steve zaillian or david mamet job, leave it to universal to take something that could be epic and turn it into action trash. this is the studio that only does franchises mind you all, so somehow thy are going to work out a 47 ronin's two. this is a movie where all the hero's are suppose to die. doubtfull thou.

Is Chris Morgan the guy who co-wrote the early X-Files episodes?

Maybe if Universal plans a franchise, they will have all 47 ronin riding off into the sunset at the end? Maybe they'll draw the story out into 2 or 3 films, the last installment having the final revenge and suicide scenes.

[golgo]

When, besides in The Little Buddha, has Keanu ever played anything other than a white guy? If you can inform me of any, please do so. Obviously, being "Asian" does not mean having to play in Asian-themed films, or the stereotypical bowing and scraping and speaking in broken English. But other than the above film, everything I've seen him in he's played white characters with European surnames.

Well, given the fact that Keanu chooses the roles he portrays, I would have to chalk that up to personal choice and not a vast Hollywood conspiracy to suppress his Asian-ness.

Not to mention he didn't even grow up with his father (who was Portugese, Chinese, Hawaiian and English).

[doug maverick]

Is Chris Morgan the guy who co-wrote the early X-Files episodes?

Maybe if Universal plans a franchise, they will have all 47 ronin riding off into the sunset at the end? Maybe they'll draw the story out into 2 or 3 films, the last installment having the final revenge and suicide scenes.

no, he's the guy who wrote cellular.

[Kansuke]

i think the last samurai was a really good film over all.

part of what I liked the most was the costumes, and the bokken scenes.

.................................................. ..unbelievable

[doug maverick]

.................................................. ..unbelievable

well its a movie not a documentary, its not suppose to be believable. but still the whole charging in to gun fire thing with tom in the front and not one ****ing bullet hitting him, was a def NUKE THE FRIDGE. moment, while i liked this film, there was soemthing about it that didnt sit quite right with me. maybe cause i thought tom should have died on the feild like the rest of the samurai's. it was like this ep of boondocks titled "nigga moment" in the beginning these two black guys are arguing and then shooting each other up, and then a black runs into a white guy and they are about to argue when the white guy say: "wait a minute im white." i feel like that what happen to toms character he went native so to speak, and then when it came to the crunch he remember:" oh thats right im white" an d lived.

[SimonM]

When, besides in The Little Buddha, has Keanu ever played anything other than a white guy?

Bill S Preston - white guy name.
Johnny Pnemonic - Ethnicity unclear.
Neo / Thomas Anderson - white guy name.

I'm drawing a blank about his other movies...

[sanjuro_ronin]

well its a movie not a documentary, its not suppose to be believable. but still the whole charging in to gun fire thing with tom in the front and not one ****ing bullet hitting him, was a def NUKE THE FRIDGE. moment, while i liked this film, there was soemthing about it that didnt sit quite right with me. maybe cause i thought tom should have died on the feild like the rest of the samurai's. it was like this ep of boondocks titled "nigga moment" in the beginning these two black guys are arguing and then shooting each other up, and then a black runs into a white guy and they are about to argue when the white guy say: "wait a minute im white." i feel like that what happen to toms character he went native so to speak, and then when it came to the crunch he remember:" oh thats right im white" an d lived.

I thought he did get shot, leg or hip or some crap like that....

[doug maverick]

yeah but other guys were getting shot up and this is a ****ing gat, not rifles or pistols but ****ing gats.

[sanjuro_ronin]

yeah but other guys were getting shot up and this is a ****ing gat, not rifles or pistols but ****ing gats.

Obviously, Tom has the REAL Qigong.