11 Rebels
review by Bobby Blakey
Nothing is better than a good samurai flick and Well Go USA continues to dominate the Asian film market with plenty of them among others. The latest 11 Rebels looks to put its mark on the genre and stars Yamada Takayuki, Nakano Taiga, Onoe Ukon, Sayashi Riho, Sakumoto Takara, and Chihara Seiji. Could this film bring all the sword wielding feudal Japan lore we love, or will it fail to win the battle?
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11 Rebels follows ten convicts are promised freedom in exchange for defending a small town in feudal Japan. Tasked with holding a fortress against encroaching government forces, they fight with the desperation of men with nothing to lose. But when the officials who recruited them renege on their promise, the warriors realize they’ve been used as pawns in a larger scheme. Betrayed and outnumbered, they must forge their own fate or die trying.
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As much as I love all things martial arts, I have learned to go in cautiously with some of these because they can get convoluted and lost in itself. Thankfully this one is straight forward and is well executed if not still mostly average. It has moments in the story that tend to limp along or feel like its being forced to stretch it out, but finds its way back on course more of then than not.
It wastes no time getting right to the action and keeping it going for a good chunk of the film without it just feeling like they are forcing it in for actions sake. There is depth to the characters as we build to their essential suicide mission. We have seen plenty of films like this focusing on these suicide missions in all forms, but when handled right they are powerful and emotional. This one hit all the right marks in the final act to really bring it all home.
The action sticks to the sword play which I loved and is less polished and more chaotic like real war but still with plenty of skill and style. I really liked that
some of these warriors are clearly skilled, and others are just fighting to survive. The final act of the film is action packed and filled with more sword slashing fun than you realize you wanted. The samurai give everything in the face of unwinnable odds and showcasing both resilience and fear.
This is far from a perfect film and not bringing anything all that new to the genre but still delivers everything you want from it. For all the moments of slow pacing or chaotic action it always finds its footing and ends up being worth checking out.
Decide for yourself and check out 11 Rebels when it hits digital, 4K & Blu-ray June 10th from Well Go USA.