Consider me highly impressed. Japanese movies have come a long way to reach today's standards. This film, along with the rest of the franchise, is by no means a small-scale production, and we all know how harsh fans judge any live-action adaptations.
To be fair, most adaptations deserve their bad ratings, but this movie is highly underrated in my opinion. Apart from the main character's slightly over-the-top acting, the rest of the cast is near perfect, especially Eisei and Ouki. I'm honestly more than impressed by the actor who played Ouki; he managed to rock that look and way of speaking without feeling cringeworthy. Eisei is exactly how he is portrayed in the manga. They even look similar.
The action, cinematography, and CGI are great. Nothing to complain about.
Now, back to the main character's exaggerated acting. If you've read the manga, you'll understand why Yamasaki's acting is a little over-the-top. Manga Shin is indeed a rash and brash character, which Yamasaki has managed to portray quite accurately. What he has failed to capture, however, is Shin's seriousness and determination. It would really help if he could tone down some of those awkward facial expressions and gestures he keeps making throughout the movie.
It's also important to keep in mind that exaggerated acting has always been a feature of Japanese movies and shows in the action genre. They've definitely toned it down over the years, as evidenced in Yamasaki's performance, which is considered super tame compared to some of the atrocities of the past. In fact, locals probably wouldn't see this as overacting at all.
Overall a really great film. I've already seen all 3 at the point of writing this, and can't wait for the 4th.
To be fair, most adaptations deserve their bad ratings, but this movie is highly underrated in my opinion. Apart from the main character's slightly over-the-top acting, the rest of the cast is near perfect, especially Eisei and Ouki. I'm honestly more than impressed by the actor who played Ouki; he managed to rock that look and way of speaking without feeling cringeworthy. Eisei is exactly how he is portrayed in the manga. They even look similar.
The action, cinematography, and CGI are great. Nothing to complain about.
Now, back to the main character's exaggerated acting. If you've read the manga, you'll understand why Yamasaki's acting is a little over-the-top. Manga Shin is indeed a rash and brash character, which Yamasaki has managed to portray quite accurately. What he has failed to capture, however, is Shin's seriousness and determination. It would really help if he could tone down some of those awkward facial expressions and gestures he keeps making throughout the movie.
It's also important to keep in mind that exaggerated acting has always been a feature of Japanese movies and shows in the action genre. They've definitely toned it down over the years, as evidenced in Yamasaki's performance, which is considered super tame compared to some of the atrocities of the past. In fact, locals probably wouldn't see this as overacting at all.
Overall a really great film. I've already seen all 3 at the point of writing this, and can't wait for the 4th.
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