Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Incredibly violent samurai movie with epic battle scene.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
13 Assassins
What's the Story?
In 1844, samurai Sinzaemon Shimada (Koji Yakusho) is chosen to assassinate the sadistic sociopath Lord Naritsugu (Goro Inagaki), who likes to cut off the arms and legs of his female companions when he's through with them. For the good of the nation, Naritsugu must be killed before he advances to a more powerful position and leads the country to war. Shimada finds 11 volunteers for this dangerous mission. On the road, they meet the 13th team member, the gleeful, half-mad hunter Koyata Kiga (Yusuke Iseya). Then comes the final battle, in which the assassins attack the evil warlord and his seemingly endless run of guards. Can anyone survive this onslaught?
Is It Any Good?
A remake of a 1963 movie, this is basically a Seven Samurai, Dirty Dozen-style "assemble the team" film that starts slowly, and keeps moving fairly slowly until the big 45-minute blowout battle. In the lead role, the fine actor Koji Yakusho isn't used to his maximum potential here; he usually has a kind of distant sadness that doesn't quite come across. Moreover, viewers that know director Takashi Miike's other work will find this movie a tad... ordinary.
But on the plus side, 13 Assassins is a terrific way for newcomers -- older teens only -- to be introduced to Miike's work, and to Japanese cinema in general. Moreover, Yusuke Iseya, who plays the gleefully scrappy hunter, brings a much-needed injection of life into the film's second act; his energy keeps things humming. And the battle scene itself should be studied by 95% of so-called action directors in America. Miike really shows how it's done. (Tsuyoshi Ihara from Letters from Iwo Jima also stars.)
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the movie's bloody violence. How does it affect you? Is it thrilling? Disgusting? Boring? What effect do you think the director was trying to achieve?
Is revenge a good motive in this movie? Does the sheer evilness of the villain justify the heroes' acts?
Are the samurai in this movie good role models? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : July 5, 2011
- Cast : Koji Yakusho , Takayuki Yamada , Yusuke Iseya
- Director : Takashi Miike
- Inclusion Information : Asian Movie Director(s) , Asian Movie Actor(s)
- Studios : Magnet Releasing , Magnolia Pictures
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 126 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sequences of bloody violence, some disturbing images and brief nudity
- Last updated : July 2, 2022
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