Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Just joined Netflix so I am on my mission to review the remaining Anime that I have not bought. Here is the first on that list.

I found that Samurai X was on the top of many people's list of their favorite Anime movies. I had never heard of it or seen it so I decided to give it a shot. After seeing it I am glad I did not waste the money on buying it, but I was glad I did see it.

It is basically a story about the story of Kenshin and how he became a master swordsman. It is a prequel.

I haven't seen the series so I cannot tell you more about who he is. If you are interested in seeing reviews about the series look at some of Ulfson reviews.
Rurouni Kenshin Vol. 1: The Legendary Swordsman
Rurouni Kenshin - Vol. 2: Battle in the Moonlight
Rurouni Kenshin - Vol. 3: The Shadow Elite
And there are 7 others he/she wrote. I'm only interested in movies so I'll never write about anime series (unless it's Ghost in the Shell) so don't hold you breath, check out other fine writers on epinions about those anime series.

The story.
The best part of the story was that it was somewhat unique. It was not a typically predictable story like Appleseed, or like the hero will save the princess, etc. It had a uniqueness to it that I really liked. Basically it is the story of an assassin who is given missions to kill a rival clan in the belief that he is bringing about piece to the defenseless people. He does this with his sword of course and he is the best swordsman in the land.
The problem is with the editing was quite disjointed.

The editing.
This is my biggest complaint. I really had no idea what was going on at the beginning of the movie. I did not know who was who for the first 20 minutes since I did not know the background of the movie. After the first 20 minutes my wife and I pieced it all together and realized which was the flash back and which was present time. So we figured it out together eventually but I was very disappointed with the beginning editing which is why it got a lower score that what other's have given it.

The English dubbing vs. mouth movement.
This was poorly done. The English voices did not match the mouth movements very well and took much of the illusion away.

English dubbing vs. subtitles.
This was probably the worst translation I have seen in an anime. The dubbing and subtitles were so different. I ended up leaving both on just so I could understand what was going on. The English translation ended up just confusing me but the dubbing made so much more sense. I don't know what else to say other than just leave the subtitles on.

The animation.
Here is one of the strong points of the movie, it is absolutely beautiful. So if you need an example of beautiful animation this is one of those movie.

One complaint I have about the movie is there are some scenes with water and plants that seem out of place. They seem to be photographs of the real world that were poorly inserted into the animation. I just could not stand it. I read somewhere that these were computer generated but I am not sure. All I know is that it really bugged me.

The character building
I think the character building was above average. They did put a lot of Kenshin's emotions and background into the movie so I felt like I really got to know him.
The female lead of the movie was mysterious, and that was by design. So her character was built up when needed. They really did a beautiful job with her. 5/5
We get to know the male supporting actor very well. He is emotional, vocal and loves life. He is developed quite well.
Everyone else is not developed well so we get lost in their motives or what they want. I would have liked to have known more about them but that may have hurt the pacing of the film.

The pacing
The pacing was great in this movie. I was fixated throughout the entire movie from beginning to end. There was as slow part after the halfway mark, but that was necessary. But I did not lose interest in the movie. They still kept the plot moving and kept my interest.

What age is this for?
Lots of blood is spilled. So a mature teenager or adult only.

Should I buy this?
Only if you are a fan of the Samurai X series. I am not going to buy this. For that matter I probably won't watch it again.

Who should rent this?
First, if you are a fan of the series then you must see this movie, if should (I think) explain the origin of your hero.
For the rest of us....Only anime fans that are bored and need a movie to rent, or anime fans that are curious. If you are not into anime then I highly recommend that you pass.


Length: 2 hours

Rating: unrated (should be R)

Yahoo users rating: A (for 121 users. No critic ratings.)

Summary
The strong points of this movie is the character building and a unique story. But the English dub, poor editing, and some confusion in delivering the story are reasons I would say this is just a rental for the average movie goer.

Other reviews.
My 10 favorite anime movies

Recommended: No