47 Ronin

At least Keanu Reeves can share the blame with other folks for 47 Ronin, his latest martial-arts misfire.

This samurai epic continues an apparent recent fascination with Asian fighting styles for Reeves, who made his directorial debut with the equally unsuccessful Man of Tai Chi several months ago.

His latest vehicle is a much bigger-budget enterprise that has been fraught with reported tinkering from the script process to the editing room, and the result lends credibility to those suspicions.

It takes place in the early 18th century, during the feudal age of shogun and bushido, and follows the titular group of samurai warriors seeking vengeance against the ruthless warlord who killed their master.

Among the characters on the fringes of the tale are Kai (Reeves), a mixed-race warrior who struggles for acceptance after he secretly falls for a rival’s daughter, and a demonic sorceress (Rinko Kikuchi) who tempts Kai and the other samurai with a host of supernatural powers.

As explained prior to the credits, the film was inspired by the Japanese legend of the same name, a story of courage and honor that has been passed down through the generations and is still celebrated today.

However, their solemn and operatic story is done a disservice by the script, which is reverent at times but smacks of demographic pandering with its efforts to be not only a historical war epic, but also a supernatural thriller and a fantasy adventure. In other words, by trying to be something for everyone, it winds up pleasing no one.

Meanwhile, the wooden dialogue might have sounded better in Japanese, considering the cast of native actors. At least it would have felt more authentic. Despite that, Reeves seems out of place, much like the plight of his character.

The film isn’t totally without merit, as rookie director Carl Rinsch assembles some visually striking effects-driven 3D action scenes. It features competent stunt work and swordplay, and genre aficionados might appreciate some of the well-choreographed fight sequences and samurai showdowns, even if they don’t make much narrative sense.

Yet the whole enterprise is a case of style over substance, with a hopelessly muddled story dealing with familiar themes of betrayal, revenge and forbidden love. At any rate, 47 Ronin winds up more tedious than exciting, and takes itself far more seriously than viewers might.

Rated PG-13, 118 minutes.