I can't wait to see this. I love Miike's work - prolific and eclectic. And bonkers. Karakuri-ke no Kofuko is brilliantly mental.

went to see this today and it is fantastic. the whole final movement is just tremendous, i totally agree it does not lag at all.

Miike's production line aesthetic may be astonishing, but it's also the main reason why most of his films, however quirky and bizarre, are quite bad. 13 Assassins sounds like a positive exception.

I have watched 13 Assassins 4 times now and it has gotten better with every viewing. So far, it is my favorite film of the year and I can't wait for Miike's remake of Harakiri which is in competition at Cannes. It's too bad this film is only getting an extremely small release here in the US. I must give props to Magnet Films for picking it up and putting it out on Video-on-Demand back in April. Magnet is by far the best distributor in the US and I have them to thank for Monsters, Valhalla Rising, Bronson, Merantau, and The House of the Devil coming to my house via VOD a month before they ever got to the cinema. Does the UK have anything like pre-theatrical rentals on the Video-on-Demand format?

WRT Priest, I'm shocked and saddened by the approval for Legion.



What an utterly miserable film. Probably 2010s lowest point.



Still at least you've said that Priest is worse than that so I'll not waste another couple of hours on this one.

@Joseph Bridges - the UK doesn't really have pre-release cable formats for movies that are reserved for cinema (though that may change in the near future). The timeframe from cinema to home format is getting narrower though - sometimes just weeks after theatrical release. However, because the US largely gets movies before everyone else, they are 'cammed' and torrented to death by the time they get over here. I used to download and watch films I felt I *needed* to see, but it doesn't really satisfy the cinephile in me. I prefer to wait for the cinema, (which, obviously, I would say on Kermode's blog...)



As for 13 Assassins, I went to see it yesterday and I can see its merits, but I'm just not a fan of Miike. I can't see the point, or if he even has one, though several million fans will no doubt tell me I'm wrong.

I saw 13 Assassins last night based on Mark's recommendation and thought it was a brilliantly done action flick, gripping from start to finish, even though there was a lot of dialogue towards the start. However, the dialogue was scene setting, showing the reasons why the Lord whoever-it-was had to die.



One thing Mark hasn't noted is that this film is based on a true-life event. I'm not certain whether it was "inspired by", "based on" or simply "retold" the event but I'm assured that it really happened.



On a side note, Takashi Miike's next film, Zebraman 2, was shown at the Leeds International Film Festival back in November 2010 and it was top notch comedy. I truly hope it gets a release in the UK but if not, it's worth finding on DVD.

Brilliant movie.

Also: Brilliant review.

I liked the film a lot, and I'm not a fan of Miike Takashi (I believe the names can go both ways; this one is credited to Takashi Miike) by any means: I have no love for his more insane outings. I probably agree that it's the best of TM's films we've seen, with the possible exception of Audition.



Some minor spoilers:



https://streetrw.blogspot.com/2011/05/13-assassins.html

For those of you who dislike Miike's bizarre films, I'd recommend Rainy Dog (1997), which is a somber, poetic hit man meditation in the vein of John Woo or Wong Kar-Wai. He made it in Taiwan with a local crew, so there were language issues etc. Also his Young Thugs: Nostalgia (1998) is a good example of the more 'mature' side of his film-making.

His most out-there films, in my opinion, are Gozu (2003) and Visitor Q (2001). I'm sometimes bored by him too, but I still have to admit he is a brave and a really smart film-maker. My friend called him the missing link between Fassbinder and Ken Russell.

I'm a big Miike fan and adore Ichi the Killer. I've found some of his stuff to be a little too out there (oddly, not Gozu or Visitor Q, but the Happiness of the Katakuris). Luckily, my mother loves it, so she's got my copy (helps that she's Japanese!)



I was worried that his quality might have slipped, especially after his association with Hostel. Glad to here that he's back on top form and I will be very much looking forward to seeing this after your review.

Scarramba, Ley Lines and Dead Or Alive 2: Birds are another two that aren't too outrageous, both excellent as well, particularly the latter which is similar to Sonatine. However, the one film of his I think anyone could enjoy is the masterpiece The Bird People In China. It's funny, touching, imaginative and genuinely one of the most beautiful films I've seen. Unfortunately, it hasn't had a UK release but there is a Region free, English subtitled DVD available in the US which is decent and has an excellent commentary by Tom Mes.

My thoughts exactly Dr K, absolutely spot on. At the very beginning I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to follow the plot, there were so many characters popping up. However I didn't get lost and found it extremely easy to remember who was who and what side they were on!

I think the fighting takes up about the last half an hour and is absolutely amazing and exciting. especially the sword battle involving the Ronin and the young samurai with all the extra swords dotted around. :D

The rest of the film was setting up the story, collecting the 13 assassins and travelling to the town. These scenes were so good, Dr K is right about it not sagging, not a moment is wasted.

If you were wondering whether to see it or not, wonder no more, it's well worth the price of a cinema ticket.

Forgot to mention that I was disappointed that there wasn't a woman in the gang, but I guess it is truly reflective of the time it is set in.

I was a little uncomfortable with the portrayal of women in the movie, but was able to see past it and appreciate the rest of the story.