A bravado period action film set at the end of Japan's feudal era in which a group of unemployed samurai are enlisted to bring down a sadistic lord and prevent him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country into a war-torn future.
Though 13 Assassins' setup could stand some tightening, it's all necessary prelude to a spectacular, action-packed final hour where all hell breaks loose and the streets and rooftops flow with blood.
One can pinpoint the exact moment when 13 Assassins transforms from vivid samurai drama to insane work of genius.
– Chris Vognar,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Jun 2011
fresh:
This slam-bang remake of a 1963 feature by Eichi Kudo builds slowly, accumulating characters and themes, then explodes into a prolonged and masterful battle sequence inside a deserted town.
– J. R. Jones,
Chicago Reader,
10 Jun 2011
fresh:
Familiar though it may be, as samurai movies go, 13 Assassins" is a killer.