Blade of the 47 Ronin
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Blade of the 47 Ronin
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Blade of the 47 Ronin is a 2022 martial arts action movie in which present-day ninjas fight a secret war against a clan of witches. It's intended to be a sequel to the 2013 movie 47 Ronin, but stands on its own. Expect a lot of martial arts violence -- including bloody sword fights, decapitations, sliced throats, stabbings. There's also fighting with guns and assault weapons. Strong language throughout, including "f--k." On the positive side, women take a central role in a genre in which they have traditionally been relegated to the background. Alcohol drinking. Reference to weed.
What's the Story?
In BLADE OF THE 47 RONIN, a group of clandestine ninjas descends upon present-day Budapest. During a confrontation with a rival witch clan, Lord Arai is killed, and he's believed to be the last descendant of the 47 Ronin warriors. While the witch clan initially believes they have finally ended the reign of the samurai, the surviving samurai, led by Lord Shinshiro, learn that there's still one more surviving descendant of the Ronin. They are shocked to learn that this descendant is not only a woman, but also a pickpocket from New York named Luna (Anna Akana) who has just arrived in Budapest. Lord Shinshiro and the other samurai must find a way to track down the streetsmart Luna and convince her to join their cause in a final battle against the witches that are about to track her down and try to kill her.
Is It Any Good?
This is a stand-alone sequel with some elaborate fight sequences but a story marred by cliches. Blade of the 47 Ronin starts out with some promise -- present-day ninjas existing in secret who arrive in Budapest to do battle with present-day witches also existing in secret. There's a mystical sword involved, female samurai (aka onna-musha) are just as fierce as the men (if not more so), and -- oh yes -- there's a whole lot of sword fighting and the inevitable violent death scenes.
The characters are mostly cliched action movie types -- cocky young men, wise elders, etc. At one point there's talk of one of the characters "fulfilling an ancient prophecy," which is one of the most cliched actions in movies centered on medieval warriors and their traditions. The most interesting aspect of the story -- that of the streetwise New York pickpocket young woman who just arrived in Budapest to engage in some petty theft only to discover that she's the last living descendant of the Ronin -- gets lost in the many side stories, and bombastic fight scenes can only do so much. It's all too much and too little at the same time.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Blade of the 47 Ronin. How does the violence compare to that in other martial arts movies?
How does the role of women substantially differ from how women are often portrayed in martial arts movies, and in action movies in general?
What are some of the cliches in the movie? Do cliches lessen the quality of a movie? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: October 25, 2022
- Cast: Anna Akana, Teresa Ting, Mike Moh
- Director: Ron Yuan
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Run time: 106 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: Strong bloody violence, language and some sexual references.
- Last updated: October 27, 2022
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