Samurai Rurouni Kenshin: Live Action the Movie - The Legend Ends

The Movie: Beautiful love-letter to the last half of what fans know as the "Kyoto Arc". I say "love letter" because unlike the others, this film deviates from the original story the most. And yet, even in doing so, it manages to keep the feel of the original series and the intents of its characters. Themes of past histories, guilt, loss, and irrepressible hope for the future are visited and revisited, fights for honor and truth, frustration and desperation are exacted in such painful beauty, you'll forget they are just actors. It's obvious the actors have forgotten they're actors and are living the characters. I truly appreciated how the director conveyed undercurrents of emotion (as well as long-held suspicions) into visuals and twists that will leave EVERYONE entertained. And though the final fight goes on just a little too long, it's the climax the characters have been anticipating since the start of the second film. You've been feeling for these guys for so long, so when it happens, it's a joy to watch them finally have it. OH! And the ending was perfect - I'll leave it at that. THE DVD: I have to admit that while the quality of the film and soundtrack is good, after the fantastic subtitles from the second, this one lacks a little in synchronicity as well as detail. It was not enough to make me stop watching the movie or enough to confuse, but in a marathon, it was obvious which DVD production had just a little more thought in its conception.

Great wrap to story and well told story summary of the Kyoto arch. I wish the Shishio group (Jupongatana I think) were more representative as they were on the anime and battled more seriously than just quick kills. If movie 2 was on Aoishi and his squad with nods to the rival of Yahiko and the master of Sono creating the second fight between him and Kenshin, it could use movie 3 to start the Kyoto arch better. Sono should have two Jupongatana with the monk teaching him the punch that he could practice waiting on Kenshin to return in movie 4. The second in the ship would have balanced him well. Aoishi should have spared his leader so he could help in Edo and Kyoto as Kenshin's aid. He should face the sword specialist elder and speedster on shore and ship. The police captain should have had two long hard fights on shore and ship leaving the sword stealer at first and boy second for Kenshin. The three friends can watch Kenshin vs Shishio at the end as in the anime. I liked Kenshin's new finisher but still prefer the vortex godlikespeed one from anime better. I love this one but feel the three could have fleshed things out more if it were four movies. Aoishi and several things in a second movie could have allowed time for the band of ten to get more story so they were more intimidating in the final film.

Everything that's been said about the movies quality is true. One thing I noticed in addition, is my copy had a bit of screen tearing (a slight jerking/fuzziness around the whole of the screen) at random moments throughout the movie. I'd say that the sub titles were done by someone with English as a second language, as the order of of the sentences is closer to how it'd be said in Japanese, but said in English. Otherwise it's still a great movie, so much better than any other live action anime *cough Dragon Ball Evolution *cough that I've ever seen. If you know the anime and are a die hard fan, you'll enjoy these, if you can get passed all the other issues.

The movie itself it amazing! The actors/actresses, the acting, the fight scenes, the music, etc--worth all 5 stars! Enough cannot be said about it. However, this version sold here definitely loses a star due to the English subtitles. At many points the translation is just terrible! And/or at some instances the actors say something that does not even make it's way into the translation. For someone who knows the story, you can definitely manage to fill the gap where the subtitles fall short--but ugh!

Way back when this cartoon was on every Sunday here in BELGIUM..... i use to watch this every , it had a outstanding message, and the fighting was really WAY ahead of it's time.... towards the end it really got dicey and this is why when the LIVE action came out WOW... the actors the way they pulled it off, i only down fall is trying to get the 2nd movie, i still have the old VHS.... yes this is right of the cartoon, however dam glad i have the 1&3 of the live action.

Not an official release, as far as I know. The disc was in good shape- played just fine, the subs were also decent-only a few mistakes/rough translations. Overall I would recommend this disc. The story was great, and well cast, these are the best live actions I have ever seen.

Excellently acted live action version of the anime I grew up loving. Great production values, help tell the completion of the story that is a paired down version of season two of the television series. Despite the compacted story, it still manages to hit every important point of this resolution of the second season. If you loved Kenshin as much as I do, you won't be disappointed in this movie!

I absolutely love this trilogy. I was so excited to finally have my copy of this movie since I had to wait six extra months after it came out for someone to sell it on Amazon. The action sequences are amazing and I am so glad that they kept to the original storyline so closely. This movie comes with subtitles and the quality of the English subtitles is really good. I recommend this seller.