Tajomaru (2009)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Justin Y

  
  Hiroyuki Nakano's <i>Tajomaru</i> is a samurai film that never jumps off the screen.<p>With a plot stemming from the bandit in <i>Rashomon</i>, the 2+ hours never seem to move by fast enough. The first few minutes actually show some promise;… More
  Hiroyuki Nakano's <i>Tajomaru</i> is a samurai film that never jumps off the screen.<p>With a plot stemming from the bandit in <i>Rashomon</i>, the 2+ hours never seem to move by fast enough. The first few minutes actually show some promise; however, after the jump in years, the film begins to flatten. The story is not without plot holes, while the style of the film moves from serious to playful and back to serious again. When the picture gets playful, the soundtrack suffers, as the music sounds out of place.</p><p><i>Tajomaru</i> is fairly light on the action and there is nothing convincing or memorable about any of the swordplay or choreography. This is definitely not a movie to watch because of the action. It is more dramatic than anything else.</p><p>Shun Oguri and Yuki Shimaboto are monotonous, while Kei Tanaka is more of an evil laugh rather than a treacherous villain. There is no one worth noting.</p><p><i>Tajomaru</i> does succeed with the camera work, setting selection, and costuming, but none of that is enough to push this film past mediocrity.</p>