How many times can Keanu Reeves play the chosen one? I guess he felt he’d done it too many times in the US, so he decided to sully a classic Japanese tale with his destiny. 47 Ronin tries to be faithful to its source material, but turns into a slavish adaptation devoid of power. Perhaps Agent Smith is a better adversary than a changeling witch.
47 Ronin is a classic tale in Japanese history/folklore. This version centers around Kai (Keanu Reeves) and Oishi (Hiroyuki Sanada). Kai is considered a half-breed from the forest tarnished by magic when kindly Lord Asano (Min Tanaka) and his daughter Mika (Ko Shibasaki) decide to shelter him. When things go wrong when Japanese leader Shogun Tsunayoshi (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) visits Kai’s village, Oishi is banished from the kingdom along with his samurai. Mika is also promised to the duplicitous Lord Kira (Tadanobu Asano), who has taken league with a witch (Rinko Kikuchi). Oishi teams up with Kai to stop the marriage and save the honor of themselves, their city, and their leader.
To perform due diligence to the story of the Ronin, the story is stretched out to two hours. However, the quest of the Ronin doesn’t begin until almost an hour into the story. The first hour is padded I’m guessing to get the audience to understand Japanese culture, but it disservices the Ronin quest, which is more interesting. As such there are gaps in storytelling that reek of plot device, like the traveling performance group that willingly helps outcasts, or the source for swords and Kai’s powers. There are also basic logic complaints: the distance the Ronin have to travel seems vast, so how did it take them less than a week, which is the amount of time they had? These little problems just add up until they dominate the movie.
These errors could be suppressed if the action delivered Michael Bay style. However, the results are disappointing mostly. The exterior shots consistently deliver: the Japanese forests and mountains look beautiful and alive, and the villages and outfits deliver on color and vibrancy. There are also some delightfully creepy sets that create a sinister feeling. However, the special effects fall short of the great spectacles in cinema. Many of the fights are done in quick cuts to the point where it is hard to figure out what is going on (one during a fire is particularly confusing). There are strange creatures that fall closer to bad CGI than good, and the final battle for Kai lacks in awe compared to Optimus Prime vs. Megatron.
Keanu Reeves does what he does in dramas, act broody overtly serious. He doesn’t really add to the story here: someone with more terror for the magic and power he possesses inside would be a better cast than Reeves. Most of the supporting cast do not really stand out, good or bad. The one exception is Hiroyuki Sanada, who showcases real lows when the concept of dishonor is tied to his name.
47 Ronin tries to give rebirth to an epic tale, but fails in its execution. Keanu Reeves can be an asset to a great story, but usually has trouble carrying mediocre scripts like 47 Ronin. I’ll give Keanu a break though, he could still be jacked into the Matrix or hopefully have his mind on the potential Bill and Ted movie in development. Whoa…