Inspired by a race still held annually in Japan, “Samurai Marathon” is a lively action flick with a samurai twist. In late feudal Japan, a young ninja (Satoh) operates undercover in the court of an aging lord and his rebellious daughter. When the lord challenges his lazy samurai to a punishing marathon—joined covertly by Princess Yuki — the ninja finds his loyalties put to the test. Facing impossible odds, this unusual band of characters is running a race to either win or die.
As American imperialists arrive in Japan and meet with Lord Itakura (Hiroki Hasegawa) from the Annaka clan, he decides they are a threat with their advanced technology and weaponry. Wanting to strengthen his clan, Lord Itakura hosts a grueling 30-mile marathon where every man under the age of 50 must compete.
Samurai films are another sub-genre that I am not very well versed in, but all the essential elements are in this film. There’s blood and violence, obstacles, betrayal, resilience, and some shade thrown at Western culture. However, the film focuses more on the politics behind the marathon, rather than the action.
The biggest detriment to this film was the pacing. The marathon does not start until the second act of the film and that itself does not feel as epic as I would have liked it to be. There are some nice kills and I did find the film to be entertaining enough overall, but most of the gore and action is saved for the third act of the film. This leaves a lot of dwindling time that focuses on supporting characters, but there are so many that none of them feel fully fleshed out.
I enjoyed the dynamic between the old man and a young boy named Isuke (Ruka Wakabayahi) the most in the film. He teaches the young boy how to run like a samurai and they enter the race together to prove themselves that they too can be samurai. Princess Yuki (Nana Komatsu) also disguises herself so she too can participate in the marathon. She is upset with her father who has stopped her from traveling to Edo and has arranged for her to marry a suitor, who also participates in the marathon. These underdogs were the only characters that stood out to me and who you rooted for in the race. The rest of the characters though were entirely forgettable.
There are also some funny moments in “Samurai Marathon” that I appreciated. Most have to do with ways of trying to cheat in the marathon. Princess Yuki’s suitor has his servants carry him the whole way, someone hides a horse in the woods so they can finish faster, and other instances of sabotage added some nice humor to the film.
As said before, “Samurai Marathon” has all the necessary elements of a samurai film, but it is not a movie that I will likely remember. A few characters stand out and the story is interesting enough, the film just didn’t stick the landing for me, mainly due to the pacing. I would say check out Bernard Rose’s “Samurai Marathon” if you want a film that has action but isn’t action-packed.
Available on Digital May 12th and on Blu-ray and DVD July 21st
“Samurai films are another sub-genre that I am not very well versed in”…
Your review is proof of this statement. Stick with what you know.
Your comment is proof that you don’t know a film critic’s job, so stay away from what you don’t obviously know.