Khalied I

Far better than those who haven't seen it assume. The only jarring element is the witch, who in her mannerisms and the special effects surrounding her, seems out of place in what is a very well put together, traditional tale of loyalty and courage. The samurai, the feudal Japan setting, even the body language of the cast, is spot on for the Era in which it is set. Had this been told as a straight version of the Japanese legend, I have no doubt it would have been better received. Look past the special effects to appreciate this film for what it truly is- an expression of loyalty by 47 warriors for their betrayed lord.

This is a VERY underrated film. I took my 8 year old to see it and she loved every minute. The scriptwriters knew what they were doing as there is a nice mix of straight up kiddie humour and sentiment with a few touches of adult sentiment and humour. What was most enjoyable is that the characters are for the large part understated even if cliches abound. (Modern "family"films can take a lesson from this). The overall effect is less cringe and more chuckle, which I did, often. Performances seemed very sincere and this is a movie with heart. Poor John Leguizamo tries a bit too hard but his lines were a bit flat so I suppose he had to make do. My daughter's favourite character was "Axe"-watch it and you'll see why:) I can see why John Cena is so popular- he has that spontaneous genuineness so lacking in social media mega-stars. The Rock can take a lesson from him... Don't go in expecting high brow-it's a kiddies comedy after all-just go and have fun with it. I guarantee you'll leave the cinema smiling ☺