Last Knights

After reading the initial reviews of this movie I thought it might be a bit of a turkey. However, I like these type of movies so I thought I would give it 15-20 minutes and see how it goes. Happily, it went well, I was hooked on the storyline and the acting. Clive Owen was fantastic as he usually is in these type of roles, Morgan Freeman, again one of his better movies, and the supporting cast all very well acted. The CGI was good but plot and acting outshone it, which is a really good thing in my opinion. Anyway, I really do recommend this film to those people who like this genre. So please do not listen to the negative reviews to much, watch it for 15 minutes and then decide for yourself if it's for you.

It's odd that a medieval fantasy movie with respectable cast nearly flies off radar. Last Knights is not an epic tale, in fact the plot heavily resembles that of 47 Ronin and considering even Keanu Reeves' journey is inspired by multitude of per-existing works, this plot is unoriginal at best. The pacing is slow, creating a rather bloated runtime. Still, the cast as well as cinematography produce nice atmosphere, especially in latter half, just making Last Knights a moderately enjoyable popcorn flick.

Raiden (Clive Owen) is a commander with a dark past, he was taken by his lord Bartok (Morgan Freeman) and granted opportunity to lead the knights. As a man of integrity Bartok openly opposes Minister Gezza Mott (Aksel Hennie), this doesn't end up well for him as he loses his land and riches, amongst other things. Thus the tale of coping and possible vengeance begins. The premise is far too predictable, more so if you have watched 47 Ronin, the screenplay almost mirrors one another.

Clive Owen has the rugged commander look, but he doesn't seem engaging. I can't help but seeing the solemn Keanu Reeves' persona as neither of them barely exhibits any meaningful expression. Morgan Freeman is as dependable as ever, he's charismatic and does pretty much what one expected. As for the villain, Aksel Hennie performs admirably. He does seem corrupt, conniving and slightly paranoid. The script gives him ominous vibe that audience would love to hate.

Supporting cast is oriented towards the mix of European and Asian, props for the casting department to pull off the eclectic assemble. They also have some experience in action movies and TV shows overall, so it's not all obscure faces. The setting puts emphasis on hybrid culture, architectures and costumes appear to be from ancient Persia with an oriental touch. It's a quaint atmosphere and presents a few lavish set pieces. Cinematography uses grayish filter for most of these areas and outfits, in exception of certain characters or definitive environment which are more vibrant.

While it looks presentable, the plot may deter some audiences. Its script tries to engage with intriguing lines, and it's mildly successful. Unfortunately, the film spends more than half of its runtime stuttering to find its rhythm. This is made worse by the outdated screenplay, the plot devices are not only foreseeable, they are also heavy-handed in execution.

The last act fares better as it offers more polished action sequences, although there is no surprise twist to be had here. Last Knights is made from tired elements of the genres, it doesn't do enough for a fascinating spectacle. However, with a presentable graphic and production design, it's barely sufficient for a light watch.

It is unfair to be too critic about this film. Because it is a decent version of "47 Ronins" and a beautiful knights film. Because Clive Owens is perfect in his role and the story, not remarkable, is correct and interesting and well crafted. A film about revenge. In which the cinematography, the performances, the CGI are more than good. Impressive fight scenes, inspired end and the feeling to see an old fashion historical movie, technicall, at a better level. A real good film.

Raiden (Clive Owen) must find a way to avenge the death of Bartok (Morgan Freeman) his master who was sentenced to death for challenging the Emperor's (Peyman Moaadi) Minister, Gezze Mott (Aksel Hennie). The reasoning is that a challenge to the Minister is also a challenge to the Emperor and must be dealt with by death. Bartok did have the opportunity to kill Gezze Mott and regretted not doing so. The Emperor rules that Raiden must carry out Bartok's death sentence. Well, this wasn't in the cards. (it was in the script, however)

It was never clear to me what country is involved in this. Who has Emperors? Japan, China, France? Hmmm…… I suppose it really doesn't matter as this is not a true story. It does, however, have elements of another movie: 47 Ronin (a good movie BTW).

This has inklings of being an epic, the cinematography was outstanding; the acting: excellent; the music signaled it being so; the fights: bloody, brutal and intense; the scene setups were masterful. You almost believed this was a true story. Kudos. (you're too easy)

The key to this movie is in the words above " Raiden must find a way to avenge the death of Bartok." Keep that in mind and you almost know how this will play out.

I was impressed with the actor who played the Emperor: Peyman Moaadi, who gave a very strong performance even though his screen time wasn't all that much.

Some of the fighting near the end, while good, was always in the dark, blurry, too fast and hard to follow who were the good guys vs the bad guys. (the bad guys wore black helmets)

All in all a well told story with Morgan Freeman and Clive Owen carrying the load in good fashion. (7/10)

Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: No.

In an unnamed empire, a lord is being killed for political reasons and the greed of a competitor, his private army disbanded, his lands divided among the other nobles. A year later, his retainers, all loyal followers of the code of the warrior, take revenge.

This is actually a real and very famous and influential event that happened in Japan in the 18th century, also known as the Ako incident. I found it funny that the ending of the movie was changed to suit Western sensibilities, but the gist of the film is the same nonetheless.

The acting was good, with a real nice cast, the directing was good and the entire feel of the movie, from cinematography to costumes, helped get me in the atmosphere of the story. I felt the music was a bit too bombastic for the scenes, but it was also nice.

Bottom line: a UK and South Korea coproduction, it feels different than an American movie, and in a very good way, but it is not an exceptional film. Perhaps its greatest merit is the acting and the rather faithful depiction of the incident. The ending ruins that a bit, but not by much.