if you haven't seen either, then don't read my review, or anyone else's, if you hear they're good you'll expect too much, if you hear they're bad you'll expect too little, so just know this: they're worth seeing.

I admit when I saw the very first teasers for the Last Samurai I snorted and turned my back on it. Lets just say I'm not the biggest Tom Cruise fan, but, after the trailers, and seeing the movie, I'm certainly a fan of The Last Samurai. It was an epic adventure, about a man's journey. It's about learning of another way of life, and growing to respect and love the unknown. The music, the scenery, the characters, everything seemed flawlessly depicted (barring the first scene by the ocean - it looked too CG for me, and the bay looked like a gigantic set - and one slightly over dramatized fight scene - does anyone get that? After he'd killed them all, he started fighting them again??? What was that about?)

I must say as a sceptic and a harsh critic, I have nothing to complain about. This movie made me FEEL everything, and it totally ensared me, infact it has me at a loss for words. I'm trying to think of something else to complain about but I can't. Perhaps the only thing I wish is that I hadn't seen it b4 ROTK because I couldn't help but compare the two.


ROTK. Perhaps the most awaited movie this year, everywhere you go people are talking about it, either counting down the days or discussing the first two. Finally its out, and for one reason or another you're the only person who hasn't seen it yet, and everyone is talking about how great it is, except for that long winding ending. So you finally go see it, ... well I did anyway, perhaps my expectations were toooooooooo high? Perhaps The Last Samurai was still in my mind? Although I didn't want the movie to end, and I enjoyed some scenes tremendously, it didn't leave me feeling as joyous and empowered as the FOTR, nor did it leave me giddy and excited like TTT. I expected to cry, but barely got teary eyed, I expected to jump, or cring - but perhaps the fact that I'd read the books already, had something to do with it.

Don't get me wrong I really enjoyed ROTK I'll never forget pig face, or Legolas killing the Oliphant, or Aragorn becoming the king and loosing all traces of strider. But I did wish there was more of Arwen with Aragorn, and that Eowyn and Faramir's love was shown more clearly. I wish that we saw what becomes of Gimli and Legolas, and that the ending was more powerful. I wanted it to be hard to let go or LOTR but it isn't. I wanted to bawl my eyes out but I didn't.

So perhaps my tragedy is that I expected and expected with ROTK whereas I expected nothing if anything from the Last Samurai.

Someone in the bathroom afterwards said "Peter Jackson, thank you for the best christmas present ever!" I believe that is the best summation ever. And if the Oscars don't recognize him and the most amazing cast ever assembled, then the oscars should be disbanded, and destroyed.

Last samurai : 9.5 stars
ROTK: 9 stars

What're your favorite scenes from ROTK? Mine is when Aragorn says "You my friends will bow down to no one" and everyone kneels b4 them.