Pluskylang Great Film overall

Freaktana A Major Disappointment

Matrixiole Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

Brennan Camacho Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

connorveenstra Sword of the Stranger has all the ingredients of a Japanese epic on par with Seven Samurai. Strong, realistic characters with fantastic back stories, incredible fight choreography and a sweeping scope. However, I feel it could've done some things better. The dialogue, like with a lot of English dubs, can be really awkward. Sometimes I struggled to tell what was going on in the fight scenes and the editing can be funky sometimes. The biggest change that would make the greatest impact, though, would be to put more focus on the character's different motivation. they all do get mentioned in some capacity, but not enough emphasis is put on them so I don't feel anything when their arcs are completed.None of this makes the movie not worth your time, however, just slightly disappointing. It's still one that you should definitely see.

siderite Chinese agents come to Japan hunting a boy. They are well prepared, have a lot of money and seem to be indomitable in battle, especially one of them, who is a blue eyed blonde. The boy is clueless, rude and his only companion and friend is a dog. When they meet a mysterious samurai, he reluctantly agrees to help them escape pursuit.Well drawn, cool action scenes reminiscent of Ninja Scroll, credible characters, doing things for reasons that one can believe, rather than the classic "I will protect something, hear me roar!", and an interesting story with roots in a real event.It lasts for one hour forty minutes and I warmly recommend it. It has some issues at the end when some of the characters are just ridiculously overpowered, but overall it was really cool.

brandon_lee420 Sword of the Stranger is highly unnoticed film here on IMDb and only has around 4 thousand people who have voted for it. This Anime deserves to be recognized for its beautiful animation, its characters, for its music and soundtrack, and for the good film that is. It is just the perfect length, around 1 hr and 40 mins, and it is fun the whole way throughout. The director Masahiro Ando has previously worked on Animes such as Cowboy Bepop and Ghost in the Shell and this time he has crafted an impressive and stylish anime with lots of dedication.A young boy and his dog find themselves the target of the Ming: a foreign dynasty that will stop at nothing. One day, a quiet and solemn warrior crosses their path, and becomes irrevocably connected with the two. A deal is struck and the warrior agrees to take the boy to a remote, Buddhist temple, where a kind monk is waiting to care for him and the dog. Unfortunately, the Ming have sent their elite, and they will test their strength, courage, and quality every step of the way.First off I want to say is that one of the things that really struck me about this anime was the amazing soundtrack. The music really comes to life during the battle scenes and the incorporation of drums, like in the beginning sequence, just alleviates the action even more and gives it that awesome feeling. Whoever composed the music should be proud of themselves. The story isn't really original and is kind-of stereotypical but its numerous characters really make this a different kind of anime to watch. The characters are really well done and they also look great as well. One of the main faults is that the story could've been a bit more original but it didn't really affect the viewing experience for me.To all those who call themselves Anime freaks, they should be ashamed if they haven't already watched this. It doesn't matter if you like anime or not because this film breaks those boundaries and offers a marvelous anime with lots of heart. A really good film! 8/10 'Over and out.' 16 April 2012

leantom-2 This is, without doubt, one of the greatest animated movies I have ever seen. The animation is superb, the fights are choreographed perfectly and the story is second-to-none. However, to fully appreciate the story's meaning, you need to understand the philosophical context of the film. The following review is a brief summary of the philosophical content and persuasions that went into this movie.First, this story is - as the title of this review suggests - a praise of Western Civilization. Throughout the story, we, the viewers, are bombarded with cultural comparisons between two main ethnic groups: Westerners (i.e., represented by the two Western characters, Lord Rarou and Nanashi) and Easterners (represented collectively by the Chinese and Japanese lords/warriors). The two main characters - Lord Rarou and Nanashi - represent two aspects of Western Civilization: Individualism and Traditional (Western) Morality. On the other hand, the Japanese and Chinese represent two aspects of Eastern Civilization (which are antithetical to the two aforementioned Western precepts): Collectivism and Immorality.The first Westerner - Lord Rarou - represents the first aspect of Western Civilization: Individualism. Lord Rarou is a Westerner (presumably raised in China) who is a member of the Chinese warrior class and, as such, owes his complete allegiance to the (Chinese) Ming Dynasty. All the Chinese in this movie are shown as subservient to the singular will of the Ming Emperor. Furthermore, all the Chinese are vassals of the Emperor, unable to disobey his will and moral authority. However, Lord Rarou is unlike his Chinese counterparts in that he is only concerned with finding someone who can match his skill is swordsmanship. He repeatedly shows his disdain for Chinese practices (e.g., taking opium to ease pain) and for the emperor in general. Whereas the rest of the Chinese warriors are dependent upon the will and whims of the nobility, Rarou chooses to follow his own beliefs and proclivities. As you watch this film, compare Lord Rarou's character to that of his Chinese counterparts.The second Westerner (and the main protagonist) - Nanashi - represents the second Western philosophical precept: Traditional Morality. Whereas Nanashi's Japanese counterparts are only concerned with baser pleasures (e.g., power, lust, wealth, etc.), Nanashi willingly risks his life for the sake of a boy named Kotaro, whom he befriended on his journey through the Akaike province. Compare Nanashi's noble character with that of the rest of the Japanese. Whereas the latter group seeks only petty, ephemeral conquests, the former strives to do what is right and just.Again, this movie should be viewed in the context of comparing the two aforementioned cultural groups. Only then will one enjoy (and understand) the story's meanings.