Back home

13 Assassins

1221 votes

Producing House

A bravado period action film set at the end of Japan's feudal era in which a group of unemployed samurai are enlisted to bring down a sadistic lord and prevent him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country into a war-torn future.

movie

Status: Released

Released Date: 2010-09-25

Runtime: 141 mins

Director: Takashi Miike

Spoken language: 日本語

Genres: Adventure, Drama, Action

Original title: 13 Assassins

Production Companies: TOHO, Sedic International, Toei Studios Kyoto, OLM, TV Asahi Music, IMAGICA, TV Asahi, dentsu, Shogakukan, The Asahi Shimbun, Asahi Broadcasting Corporation, Nagoya Broadcasting Network, Kyushu Asahi Broadcasting, Yahoo! Japan, TSUTAYA Group, Hiroshima Home Television, Sedic Deux, Raku Film, Recorded Picture Company, HanWay Films, Japan Action Enterprise, Higashi Nippon Broadcasting, Shizuoka Asahi Television, Hokkaido Television Broadcasting

Production Countries: Japan, United Kingdom

Reviews

G

Geronimo1967
Very much in the spirit of Kurosawa, Takashi Miike has assembled a strong cast to depict some fairly epic struggles for power in the 19th century Japanese shogunate. It's the brother of the Shogun who seems to be the source of the trouble. Having mercilessly murdered a family - against the instructions of his sibling - he has earned the enmity of veteran Samurai "Shinzaemon" (Kôji Yakusho) but with a significant political appointment in Edo looming, it would appear he is untouchable. It's the journey "Naritsugu" (Gorô Inagaki) must make through the densely forested countryside that might offer an opportunity for revenge, but he has the equally lethal Samurai "Hanbei" (Masachika Ichimura) orgainisng his large escort. With but a dozen men and the intrepid under "Koyata" (Yûsuke Iseya) to guide them along less trodden paths, this disparate baker's dozen must try to anticipate the path their nemesis will take and then strive to reduce the odds against them. These men are too honourable to resort to underhand guerrilla tactics so each battle must be fought openly and with the pride of their code. The last hour or so of this offers us as compelling a series of combat scenes, mixed with plenty of lithe action and even a little black humour, as you're ever lively to see. The energy and gymnastics on display is compelling to watch, the filth, mud and grime that coats their bodies add authenticity and the low-key soundtrack all build to an action-packed and by no means predictable conclusion. If you can watch on a big screen then this, like most films of this genre, really does come alive and Miike manages to avoid the repetition trap so easy to fall into with films like this. If you've seen and enjoyed the 1963 Kudô version, then this remake won't disappoint you.
2025-01-27

s

sakmode
Takashi Miike excels at creating true horror from the internal darkness of humanity and this is clearly evident in his brutal depiction of the villain of this movie, Lord Naritsugu. Through this characterization he establishes a strong motivation for us to stick around and witness the epic 45 minute battle at the film's climax in our hope to see Naritsugu brought to justice. Period Japan is depicted in a fashion that appears competent and authentic and the climactic battle is satisfyingly crunchy and visceral. The story is simple and direct and Miike's deft hand spends the first half setting up a truly despicable, hate-able villain and the titular assassins and their heroic leader, Shinzaemon, then the second half delivering a very satisfying come-uppance in a relentless fury of action, blood and mud. Well worth watching if you like this sort of thing!
2021-04-04

t

tanty
Much predictable and brutal. Just some action movie in which 13 guys kill by hundreds ...
2015-01-26

Recommendations

Not in Textbooks 5
0

Not in Textbooks 5

2019-07-27

A school romantic comedy about the cohabitation life of a popular high school girl in a class and a

Mr. & Mrs. Smith
3.3

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

2005-06-07

A husband and wife struggle to keep their marriage alive until they realize they are both secretly w

Platoon
3.9

Platoon

1986-12-19

As a young and naive recruit in Vietnam, Chris Taylor faces a moral crisis when confronted with the

City of Angels
3.4

City of Angels

1998-04-10

When a guardian angel – who invisibly watches over the citizens of Los Angeles – becomes captivated

Persona
4.1

Persona

1966-10-18

A young nurse, Alma, is put in charge of Elisabeth Vogler: an actress who is seemingly healthy in al

The Music Room
3.8

The Music Room

1958-10-10

An aging, decadent landlord’s passion for music becomes the undoing of his legacy as he sacrifices h

Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
3.7

Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade

1999-11-17

A member of an elite paramilitary counter-terrorism unit becomes traumatized after witnessing the su

Moulin Rouge!
3.8

Moulin Rouge!

2001-05-18

A celebration of love and creative inspiration takes place in the infamous, gaudy and glamorous Pari

The Bridge on the River Kwai
3.9

The Bridge on the River Kwai

1957-10-11

The classic story of English POWs in Burma forced to build a bridge to aid the war effort of their J

Willow
3.5

Willow

1988-05-20

The evil Queen Bavmorda hunts the newborn princess Elora Danan, a child prophesied to bring about he

Krull
3

Krull

1983-07-29

A prince and a fellowship of companions set out to rescue his bride from a fortress of alien invader

Enemy at the Gates
3.7

Enemy at the Gates

2001-02-28

A Russian and a German sniper play a game of cat-and-mouse during the Battle of Stalingrad in WWII.

Toy Story
4

Toy Story

1995-11-22

Led by Woody, Andy's toys live happily in his room until Andy's birthday brings Buzz Lightyear onto

Tsotsi
3.5

Tsotsi

2005-12-23

A young South African boy from the Johannesburg ghetto named Tsotsi, meaning Gangster, leaves home a

Dolls
3.8

Dolls

2002-10-12

Dolls takes puppeteering as its overriding motif, which relates thematically to the action provided

Wind Over the City
3

Wind Over the City

1996-11-16

In a small, poor town, a young worker falls in love with an actress from a traveling theater troupe

Mumon: The Land of Stealth
3.3

Mumon: The Land of Stealth

2017-07-01

Raised suckling poison arrows among the sparring Iga ninja factions, Mumon is a carefree 16th-centur

Für den unbekannten Hund
1.7

Für den unbekannten Hund

2007-11-08

Almost casually, the young concrete worker Bastian kills a tramp. The police believe it was an accid

Black Rain
3.3

Black Rain

1989-09-22

Two New York cops get involved in a gang war between members of the Yakuza, the Japanese Mafia. They

Bloody Sunday
3.6

Bloody Sunday

2002-01-25

The dramatised story of the Irish civil rights protest march on January 30 1972 which ended in a mas