47 Ronin [2 Discs] [Includes Digital Copy] [Blu-ray/DVD] [2013]

Wasn’t too bad. I thought I would enjoy more however. Picture quality was excellent, and had some great action and CGI.

This is a very good movie. Keanu Reeves always puts his best foot forward when making movies. Hes the best actor

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie from the first time that I had viewed it on a 1080P Cable/Internet version. (I also was a fan of the original "man with the iron fists" movie.) This 4K version provides much richer & extensively more detailed picture. The sound upgrade is not Dolby Atmos, but it is Dolby True-HD which is also a better upgrade than the original Blu-Ray. It comes with a 4K Digital copy, however their are currently zero 4K HDR versions on any digital copy platform. Good news is that the digital copy code is good until July 2021. (Therefore it's safe to presume that the 4K Digital copy will be available at some point between this truncated time-table.) There are some interesting extras that this version comes with too!... All in all I would recommend this movie to anyone, and in my honest opinion I would say that it's a vastly underrated movie!... (In package: 4K HDR Film Disc; Blu-ray Film Disc & Moviesanywhere digital copy.)

An underrated gem in the lustrous career of Keanu Reeves. This fantastical sword, sorcerer, and samurai tale is a big-budget actioner with CGI aplenty. Based on the ancient tale of the disgraced samurai out to avenge the wrongful death of their master, this is high fantasy and fun. 47 Ronin features an anachronistic production design and an all-star cast of Asian superstars including Hiroyuki Sanada, Rinko Kikuchi, Cary-Hiroyuki, Ko Shibasaki, and Long Duk Dong from Sixteen Candles. Keanu Reeves' unique brand of stoic intensity is the container in which this ambitious opus pores its crazy mesh of dynastic fantasy, revenge, swordplay, CGI, and unrequited love. 47 Ronin is a jam-packed spectacle, and the world is better for it.

When I saw the short trailer, I was worried that the film might be too campy or, worse, a twisted adaptation of a classic tale to create a vehicle for Keanu Reeves à la 'The Last Samurai'. I needn't have worried. Keanu's presence as Kai, a half-Japanese boy found and reared by a kind lord, is woven in seamlessly, and the other excellent actors, including Hiroyuki Sanada and Asano Tadanobu, are given equal opportunities to shine and show their chops. And kudos to the director for respecting the story and ending on an appropriate note instead of the usual Hollywood finale (i.e happily ever after for everyone). It almost felt like I was watching a live action anime with drama and the familiar fantasy elements. A stellar adaptation.

Before I saw this movie in the theater I had a a serious back and forth in my head about whether or not I should bring my 13 year old daughter. She like movies with fantasy and magic elements, I like samurai, seemed a great fit. In the end, we left her at home. Turns out, this movie is mostly samurai with some magic thrown in at the end. This film is to the original story of the 47 Ronin what 300 was to the Spartans. It's based on historical events, but Hollywood spiced it up a bit. So if you can shut your brain off for a couple hours and have fun, it's worth the time. The disc itself looks great. The high def really does the action and colors justice. Haven't explored the extra features yet, but they're pretty standard.

Historical fantasy in 3d should be filmed to dazzle, and this one doesn't disappoint. The landscapes, Japan in the early Tokugawa era, are complex and scenery is used to optimize the 3d effects, e.g. Mountains as front spaces to add depth to the experience. Since the plot is based on an existing myth, 47 Ronin (samurai who have lost their master return for vengeance on the overlord who murdered him), there isn't much to work with without dramatically altering the myth. When the myth is altered it is only to add the obligatory and shallow love interest (the primary love partners come across as thinly drawn and tend to wallow in the star crossed misery of cliche). Still, I found myself watching it twice in consecutive nights just to soak in the effects.

This film has problems, such as the pacing and the sombre tone of everything, but it is capable of some astoundingly beautiful scenes as well. I would compare it to a high budget 70's martial arts film that takes itself painfully seriously and tries very hard to get across it's message about honour and sacrifice. I do like this film, but not as much as i hoped