Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Get Your Keanu Reeves Fix with His New Release to DVD and Blu-ray -- 47 Ronin (Review)

Disclosure:  I was sent a review copy from the vendor in order to write up an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.


KEANU REEVES STARS IN THE 3D EPIC ACTION-ADVENTURE

47 Ronin Blu-ray

BE THE FIRST TO OWN IT ON DIGITAL HD MARCH 18, 2014
AND BRING HOME THE BLU-RAY™ COMBO PACK INCLUDING
BLU-RAY, DVD & DIGITAL HD WITH ULTRAVIOLET™ ON APRIL 1, 2014

NOW MOVIE FANS CAN WATCH 47 RONIN ANYWHERE ON THEIR FAVORITE DEVICES

"Keanu Reeves (The Matrix trilogy, The Day The Earth Stood Still) stars in a reimagining of one of Japan’s timeless tales, 47 Ronin, available on Blu-ray™ 3D and Blu-ray™ Combo Packs, DVD, DIGITAL HD including UltraViolet™ and On Demand on April 1, 2014, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.­­­
Based on an epic story, this extraordinary tale of inspiring courage has its origins in the early 18th century. After a treacherous warlord kills their master and banishes their kind, 47 leaderless samurai vow to seek vengeance and reclaim their honor. Transformed into a thrilling, visually stunning 3D film by director Carl Rinsch, 47 Ronin tells the story of a small group of warriors, or ronin, on a quest to avenge the death of their master. Battling across a savage world of mythical beasts, shape-shifting witches and wondrous terrors, the ronin must seek help from kai (Reeves), an enslaved half-breed they once rejected – in their ultimate fight for redemption.
Keanu Reeves leads an international cast that includes Hiroyuki Sanada (SunshineThe Last Samurai) as Oishi, the leader of the ronin; Tadanobu Asano (The Wolverine, Thor: The Dark World) as Lord Kira, the treacherous villain who will stop at nothing to destroy his enemies; Academy Award®-nominated actress Rinko Kikuchi (BabelPacific Rim) as the Witch, a siren who executes Kira’s deadly plans; and Ko Shibasaki (The Lady Shogun and Her MenOne Missed Call) as Mika, the forbidden love of Kai’s life."



The Blu-ray™ Combo Pack includes a Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital HD with UltraViolet
·           BLU-RAY™ disc unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring 6x the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound.  
·           DVD offers the flexibility and convenience of playing movies in more places, both at home and away.
·           DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet lets watch movies anywhere, on any device. Users can instantly stream or download movies to watch on iPad®, iPhone®, Android, smart TVs, connected Blu-ray players, game consoles and more.

EXCLUSIVE 3D BLU-RAY™ COMBO PACK AND BLU-RAY™ COMBO PACK BONUS FEATURES:

·           KEANU & KAI — Keanu Reeves embodies one of cinema’s most richly imagined heroes as Kai, the outcast who leads a small band of rebels against an army and supernatural enemies. Along with Reeves, director Carl Rinsch and other key voices from the filmmaking team reveal how this adventure would not be possible without Reeves’ mastery of martial arts and total immersion in the role.
·           STEEL FURY: THE FIGHTS OF 47 RONIN — This featurette explores the intense research, choreography and rehearsals that went into creating the film’s unique action sequences, including Kai’s epic battle against the silver Samurai and the heart-stopping Kirin hunt sequence. 
·           MYTHS, MAGIC & MONSTERS:  THE FX OF 47 RONIN — 47 Ronin’s world-class creative team reveals the technological magic it used to bring to life the creatures of ancient Japanese folklore, including The Kirin (a giant hybrid beast with the head of a dragon and the body of a deer), the Kitsune witch, the Oni troll and the demonic Tengu Monks.
 3D BLU-RAY, BLU-RAY and DVD BONUS FEATURES:
·           RE-FORGING THE LEGEND — The story of 47 Ronin is one of Japan’s most time-honored legends. The filmmakers talk about how they brought this “dream world” to the big screen, from script to costumes, visual design, and culture.

·           DELETED SCENES

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My Thoughts:

Even though many of my friends said they were disappointed with 47 Ronin when they saw it in theatres this past Christmas, I had to watch it for myself.  Being a huge Keanu Reeves fan, I am not one to forego one of his movies because others think it is boring or his acting was poor.  Come on, it is Keanu Reeves! :-)

While my husband knows that I LOVE Keanu Reeves, it helped that this movie was about a group of outcast samurai, as he was eager to watch it for this reason, for our weekly in-house movie date night.

We learn that a "ronin" is a samurai who doesn't have a master.  And, with a title like 47 Ronin, there are a lot of these samurai that make up this movie that are on their own.  But, the reason why many of these samurai don't have a master is because their master, Lord Asano, was falsely accused of striking Kiri, a fellow Lord.  As a result, he had to give his own life due to his dishonor.  

But, with any story line where someone is falsely accused, faithful follers band together to make things right -- in this case the ronins band together and plot a revenge.

47 Ronin Movie Review

Keanu Reeves plays Kai, who was an orphan at the time Lord Asano found him, took him under his wing and raised to be a servant and whipping boy. With special powers and masterful fighting skills, he is a force to be reckoned with -- if only the others knew of his special powers. 

Called upon by Lord Asano's assistant, Oishi, Kai, who had been banished after Asano's death, returns to help plot the revenge on Kiri.

While the movie at times felt like it was dragging along, the fight scenes made up for it, as did the drama between all the characters.  By the end of the movie, while I could see why moviegoers were not thrilled with it at the box office, I found it to be entertaining.  Maybe it is because I love all things Keanu Reeves.  But, my husband had to agree that even though the story line and acting by all was sub par, the battle scenes are what fans of samurai movies like to see.  I can see this becoming a cult classic among Japanese samurai movie fans. 


So, don't count out 47 Ronin when you are looking for a movie to rent this upcoming weekend.  My husband and I enjoyed it, and would watch again.



Disclosure:  I was sent a review copy from the vendor in order to write up an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.

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