Seven Samurai / Shichinin No Samurai

Rating: Not Rated

Movie Release Date: April 26, 1954 (Japan) / November 19, 1956 (USA)

DVD Release Date: April 1, 1999 (but you should check out the different versions in case you want commentary or a documentary feature)

Plot 411: Peasants must seek the help of samurai in order to save their village.

Review: This Akira Kurosawa classic does not let you down. All the hype about it is spot on. When bandits threaten a small mountain village, the villagers venture into town to seek protection from samurai. This task is not an easy one as samurai (even ronin) are way out of their league, and it's an insult that they should even approach one. However, with the fate of their village on the line, a group of men press on. A motley crew of seven samurai are enlisted for the meager reward of food and honor alone. The movie is lengthy, but despite this I was thoroughly caught up in it. The most prominent theme that sticks out in my mind is one that is still highly valued in today's Japanese society - sacrificing the self for the good of the group. Yes, this tenet is practically what the country is built upon and is reinforced in this movie. Other huge ideas are also addressed, such as the division of social classes, gender roles, urban vs. rural society and the historical period when many samurai were without masters, but the overriding focus is on what the group can accomplish together. Even though the plot is about two warring groups, the movie isn't all action. There are comedic scenes scattered throughout the movie that keep you going. Some of the characters are outright hilarious, especially when set within this film. My favorite character is Yohei (Bokuzen Hidari) with his constantly gaping mouth. You have got to see this actor's face. It is comedy at its finest. The leader of the samurai group is Kanbe (Takashi Shimura) and he takes young Katsushiro (Isao Kimura) under his wing. There's a nutcase of a guy named Kikuchiyo, who is played fantastically by Toshiro Mifune. The rest of the fighters fade into the background despite their contributions.

Watch It: Because everyone says it's good . . . and it is.

Skip It: Or take it in smaller doses if you can't sit through a 3-1/2 hour movie.

Seven Swords (Chat Gim)

Rating: Not Rated

Movie Release Date: July 29, 2005 (China)

DVD Release Date: January 16, 2007

Plot 411: Seven master swordsmen join forces to protect a village from a merciless general.

Review: With a recent ban on the practice of martial arts offering ample bounty, Fire-Wind (Sun Honglei) and his men ravage villages in the name of the new ruling. He kills men, women and children even if they aren't trained to fight. Opposing him is Fu Qingzhu (Liu Jialiang), a former executioner who is trying to make up for his sins. He gathers several other great fighters and together they attempt to protect a village of innocents. This movie echoed Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven. It combined the creativity of Chinese martial arts with the mastery of swordplay. As with most period Chinese action films, this one contained a lot of great stunts, acrobatics and wire work. There were also a decent amount of CGI - some looked more realistic than others. The English subtitles were done with a British accent, so I assume they might've been done in Hong Kong. The dub didn't match the subtitles so that was a little distracting. Other than that, this was an enjoyable action-filled movie.

Watch It: For high-flying action and sword fights.

Skip It: If you usually enjoy a good love story thrown into the mix. This one was pretty weak.