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Quotes About Ken Watanabe and The Last Samurai |
| Quotes about Ken as "Katsumoto" |
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"There are performances, which are so memorable, and touching that you forget you're in the theater. Ken Wantanabe does just that in The Last Samurai; he's the perfect blend of strength, courage and tenderness. Imagine the surprise when he enters a pressroom and says, 'I'm sorry my English is not good yet, but I'll be -- try my best, please present slowly.' It can't be, he's so awesome in the film, his English is wonderful, and yes I know they are lines but this can't be right. My respect level tripled instantly, anyone who can suck you in on a limited English vocabulary, like he does in The Last Samurai, has incredible acting skill." -- the Latino Review "It's also to note that if actor Ken Watanabe, playing the all-powerful Katsumoto, doesn't recieve an Oscar nomination for his part in this film, consider me to be the uncle of a monkey." -- JoBlo.com "With a rare blend of fire and control, he all but jumps off the screen every time he appears. This is a man I cannot wait to see on film again." -- Margaret McGurk, The Cincinnati Equirer "Whenever you find the right actor it's miraculous, but when you find several right actors, it's even more so. Ken Watanabe is incredibly captivating; you see in his face power, compassion, humor and sadness...We felt some trepidation over casting the role initially and did a fair amount of searching before we came upon Ken Watanabe. When we met him we knew instantly that he was the one. It wasn't just his look, but his manner, his bearing and charisma." -- Marshall Herskovitz (Producer, The Last Samurai) "Zwick finds a calm, soft pace for the story, and the expressive faces of most of the actors (particularly Watanabe, whose eyes are almost a movie in themselves) help fill in the blanks." -- Moira Macdonald, The Seattle Times TV series veteran Ken Watanabe is forceful and charismatic, all while going, as Zwick points out, "toe-to-toe with the biggest movie star in the world". The director of The Last Samurai recalls, "I had met a large number of extraordinarily talented actors, none of whom seemed to inhabit the qualities I was looking for. It was a certain size, a certain power, a certain humor and emotional depth. I'd done several trips to Japan and I was ready to leave. I was despairing, and Yoko Narahashi (Casting Assistant, The Last Samruai) said if I could just wait until the morning, there's one actor you met but didn't get to spend time with. See him again. And within two minutes of his walking into the room, I knew." "...In his English-language debut, he steals attention by unsheathing a pointed stare that beckons while it threatens." -- Entertainment Weekly "Ken Watanabe, as the principled warrior Katsumoto, who has many scenes opposite Cruise, is excellent. In a virtually flawless performance he gives the film its centre of gravity." -- BBCworld.com "It is not Cruise who is the star of this film, though; instead, the powerful Watanabe as the Samurai head, Katsumoto, steals the spotlight...The Last Samurai an unbelievable film that should net both supporting actor and best picture nominations. If you've been patiently waiting for that award-deserving December film, it's finally arrived." -- Bullz-Eye.com "Now, the 40-something Watanabe is an international sex symbol who is the subject of numerous fan sites." -- New York Post "He is the moral center of the piece," says The Last Samurai director Edward Zwick, who cast Watanabe over more than 20 of the performer's countrymen. "Watanabe is magnetic and majestic-looking, capable of simultaneously projecting a fierce courage and a poetry-loving heart." -- Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly "The standout of this film is Ken Watanabe. As the proud samurai leader Katsumoto, Watanabe creates a believable leader that is ferocious without seeming a monster, is witty without becoming a caricature and is philosophical without sounding like a motivational speaker with a penchant for Buddhism." -- Jive Magazine "Ken Watanabe is superb as Katsumoto, however...The man's presence, both physical and spiritual, is palpable. I wouldn't be surprised if Watanabe is nominated for a Best Supporting Actor award." -- Sidekick Magazine |
| Quotes about the movie "The Last Samurai" |
"...the mastery that is this film... connecting on virtually every level from the acting to the action to the story, the pacing, the music, the emotional resonance, the character development, the cinematography, the beginning, the ending...the friggin' everything! -- JoBlo.com "...beautiful film that combines terrifying battle sequences with a deeply moving love story...The battle scenes are not only spectacular, they are also emotional." -- Paul Clinton, CNN "Think whatever you like of Tom Cruise, but through his efforts and substantial influence in Hollywood, a blockbuster film centering on Japan's fascinating and long-enduring Bushido code has finally been made and made well." -- Mark Pollard, KungFuCinema.com "This isn't going to be a happy movie. But it's not a maudlin one either. Critics will roll their eyes and call it 'Braveheart goes East.' Ignore these fools and enjoy one of the best films of the year!..the film transcends the standard Hollywood fare and really becomes a work of art." -- John Wateman, the Daily Misssissippian "Wow. That was the first word that came out of my mouth as I aimlessly stumbled out of this motion picture, followed closely by, "Now, that's a movie!" -- JoBlo.com "I couldn't help but roll my eyes and utter 'what you say? Tom Cruise in a samurai movie?' The movie is a simple story, but extremely engrossing. It has the appeal that comes from watching strangers get to know each other, and come to respect each other's ways. The movie is long, at 144 minutes, but none of it is wasted time. Expertly paced, and always watchable, 'The Last Samurai' has the kind of spectacle and character development that I seek at the movies." -- Sidekick Magazine "The film is gorgeous to behold and even to listen to, from the rolling green hills to the galloping horses to the "Lohengrin"-like theme music on the sound track." -- Mick LaSalle, San Fransisco Chronicle "Postmodern society has equipped us with a refined ability to preemptively dismiss everything as a contemptible sham...once you realize that there are only 36 possible movie plots, it's easy to snicker at any movie and call it hack or formulaic. Tom Cruise as the hero in a samurai movie? Line up on the left to pick up your tomatoes, on the right for sarcastic insults. Or if, perchance, for just a moment you can let down your fortified walls of ironic self-awareness, GO SEE THIS FREAKIN' MOVIE!" -- Alive in Kyoto (Japanese Blog) "some will say this blockbuster's title should be 'Dances With Samurai', but the performances of the Japanese cast, and in particular Watanabe, pull more at the emotions than most." -- Henry Guerin, Entertainment "Hiroyuki Sanada attests that he and his colleagues were equally impressed by Zwick's work and look forward to his interpretation of their country's history. 'He really knows this subject, we are truly amazed,' says the actor, who plays consummate warrior and Algren's potential nemesis Ujio. 'He appears captivated by the spirit of Bushido and this era, which is rarely depicted even in Japanese movies. He has a respectful but fresh perspective and I hope that this will be a new discovery for Japanese films.'" "The Last Samurai is a remarkably faithful imitation of a Japanese samurai movie...The only thing setting it apart from a samurai drama that might run in Japan as a New Years' Eve television special is the fact that it stars Cruise." -- Jacob Adelman, San Fransisco Chronicle "But, at the end of the day, TLS is about...and succeeds entirely on the strength of...two qualities: Truth and simplicity. What distinguishes The Last Samurai from many films of its ilk is...director Edward Zwick, who has constructed a political/war epic that manages to be both sweeping in size, yet intensely intimate in heart and substance...by refusing to convolute its narrative with unnecessary detail or baggage. The Last Samurai is almost sexy in its ease and grace...It does so with a smooth self-confidence that utterly immerses the viewer in the world so strikingly captured by John Toll's emmersive cinematography." -- FilmForce.com "(Tom) Cruise becomes Nathan Algren more than he has ever inhabited a character before. The awakening of Algren's heart and soul, and his renewed belief in honor and courage, is beautifully realized by Cruise's performance." -- Paul Clinton, CNN "In one of the more vivid scenes, the Samurai emerge out of mist...They're like monsters appearing out of the air...They're terrifying." -- Mick Lasalle, San Fransisco Chronicle "An epic adventure of vast proportions, a spectacle marvelous to behold. Flawlessly directed...it is a transfixing, majestic experience." -- Gene Shalit, The Today Show "On the surface, The Last Samurai is your typical, formulaic period piece set in an exotic land and told from a Westerner's perspective. Yet sandwiched among the layers of melodrama and heroics lies the rudiments of Zen thought as application to swordplay and life. Add to this strong performances from leading Japanese stars Ken Watanabe and Hiroyuki Sanada, premiere historical combat choreography from Nick Powell, and exquisitely detailed production standards and you have a rousing and enjoyable adventure film that overcomes minor flaws." -- KungFuCinema.com "One real interesting performance is Hiroyuki Sanada, who plays 'Ujio'. Sanada would probably be thought of as the Tom Cruise of Japan right now. He's a huge star, and he agreed to play that part in support of Ken. He's a very knowledgeable, loving, generous man..." -- Ed Zwick (Director, the Last Samurai) "The Last Samurai is an emotional sweeping saga with epic storytelling, grand themes and characters, and powerfully choreographed action scenes that leave audiences cheering." -- Joyce Kulhawik, Hot Ticket "It would be easy to tag this film as Tom Cruise's own Dances With Wolves -- but to do that would be a disservice to The Last Samurai. Where Dances With Wolves had it's strength in the ... oh, who am I kidding here? I know that everyone and their brother's cousin adored Dances With Wolves, but I've always seen it as overlong, boring and way too self-aware. While comparisions might be made situationally between Cruise's Algren and Kevin Costner's Dunbar, the ideas in The Last Samurai stretch beyond the self-discovery of one displaced officer to encompass notions of honor and respect without coming off as a sermon delivered from Mount Hollywood. Will this film make you want to be a samurai? Most likely." -- Jive Magazine "...adrenaline-charged, blood-pumping spectacular action scenes which leave you punching the air with excitement (the ninja assassination set-piece, to use a technical term, absolutely rocks)." -- Nev Pierce, BBCi Films "The Last Samurai is definitely buoyed by its sub-themes, which include old culture threatened by the new and progressive men versus old-fashioned Imperialists. This is a solid entertainment with great fight sequences that's emotionally engaging. You definitely get involved in rooting for Captain Algren in his journey to gain nobility and find his soul." -- BBCworld.com "The Last Samurai is definitely worth seeing. It's highly entertaining with great acting, effective storyline, and emotionally captivating. Not to mention some nice comedies that break the atmosphere. Go enjoy it yourself." -- Donny Truong, VisualGUI.com |
| Read what Ken has said! |
"I was just lying down, staring into space, when the envelope was delivered" -- Ken Watanabe (talking about his Academy Award nomination for "Best Supporting Actor" while attending an L.A. news conference for the Golden Globe awards) "We have to practice, many times practice...One mistake, and end of this movie!" -- Ken Watanbe on the danger of using actual choreographed sword-fights and the difficulty of re-learning how to fight with two swords. (And yes, Tom Cruise did his own stunts, including ALL his own sword-fighting, with TWO swords!) "I don't necessarily think I'm representing Japan, but this film is representing the Japanese culture and spirit. I feel more proud of that than the nomination." -- Ken Watanabe on his Oscar nomination "The Last Samurai may fall short of its great model, Seven Samurai (almost all action movies do), but it's miles ahead of most of the gadget-ridden adventure epics around now. Watching it, you can see why Zwick and Cruise want to return to the past." -- Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune "Those scenes we had to do many times, charging on the horses. In between, I'd go sing 'Close to You' by the Carpenters, and Tom would join with me. Then we go back to the set and get on horses and yell, 'Arrrggghh!'" -- Ken Watanabe "My character is very mysterious. Sometimes scary, sometimes kindly, sometimes very smart, sometimes funny." -- Ken Watanabe "I'm so excited to finally come here," he said, glancing back at the screaming bleacher fans and gridlocked carpet. "I see all these cameras and I cannot see all the other stars. This is like the Olympic Games. This is huge." -- Ken Watanabe about his first experience at the Academy Awards on news.yahoo.com "Out of hundreds of Hollywood movies, and hundreds of actors, to be among the six chosen is truly an honor. I'm even more happy that Tom was also nominated. He called me last night on my mobile to congratulate me." -- Ken Watanabe in an interview following his Oscar nomination. |
| Other Quotes About Ken |
"You know your friend is obsessed with Ken Watanabe when... "...excellent call on the casting. I thought Irons would be the best Ra's possible, but oh man. You guys saw The Last Samurai, right? That guy is amazing. Just...oh, man. Freakin' spot on, Ra's Al Ghul right there." -- a user on Bat Figs: The Legions of Gotham forum. "The new chapter, which will hit theaters in June 2005, is called Batman Begins—presumably because Batman Sucked the Last Time So We're Starting Over was too clunky." -- Movies: Bat out of Hell (Devin Gordon, June 21, 2004, Newsweek) "Perhaps I'm a bit premature saying this. But this is going to be the best **** batman film ever!" -- a user on Bat Figs: The Legions of Gotham forum. "Ken Watanabe, nominated for best supporting actor for his role in The Last Samurai and Robin Williams tried to carry off the same look with not so similar results. Watanabe looked cool and collected in his Issey Miyake knee-length jacket, while Williams, long known for his Oscar night don'ts, should have kept it brief." -- NOla.com "I DONT REALLY CARE ABOUT IT..EVEN IF HE PLAY IN GODZILLA MOVIE AND CAST AS GODZILLA.,, I STILL GONNA WATCH IT" -- "dita_hai" on Ken Watanabe Message Board at IMDb.com "The Last Samarai's Ken Watanabe was the surprise glamour boy of the night in a Cary Grant tuxedo by Issey Miyake." -- canada.com |