This movie should've received high praise great reviews. I read reviews stating that it lacked emotion, intensity. The problem is how Western Society judges Japanese culture and its movies. The Asian (Japanese) method of acting is not what American audiences are good at judging in general. American culture tends to mostly watch only American Hollywood style movies. So, that's why this did'nt get rave reviews. Its ignorance to a culture that hurts its rating, nothing more. Jared Leto is remarkable and you watch him transform during the course of the film.