Tom Cruise’s fighting in The Last Samurai earns a positive review from a real-life martial arts and katana instructor. Released in 2003, historical epic The Last Samurai is directed by Edward Zwick, with Cruise starring as Nathan Algren, a U.S. Army Captain who finds himself torn between two sides after being taken hostage by samurai warriors in 19th century Japan. The film, which also stars Ken Watanabe and Billy Connolly, features a number of intense action sequences, with Nathan engaging in various battles after learning to fight like a samurai.

In a recent video for Insider, martial arts and katana instructor Seki Nobuhide Sensei analyzes a ninja ambush scene from The Last Samurai, grading it for its accuracy. While he admits that the scene is “not very realistic” overall, he does praise Cruise’s fighting and his use of jujutsu while in a confined space. One thing the film gets wrong, however, is its depiction of ninjas, with the martial arts expert revealing that the entire goal of a ninja is to not be detected. Check out Seki’s comments or watch the video below (relevant section begins at 11:20):

“As for whether ninja and samurai fought frequently, that is basically not the case. A ninja who ends up engaging in combat is basically a low-skilled ninja because he is caught. If a ninja exposes himself, a ninja would try to escape without fighting.

“A good and rational way to fight is to gradually take away the opponent’s body functions and their movability. It is important to use a katana close to your body when fighting in closed areas. They would avoid ceilings or walls. When the area around you gets crowded, they would maneuver around, such as using the other hand to thrust at the opponent. If the area around you gets more and more crowded, they use jujutsu and other techniques.

“That is a judo-like technique known as ippon seoi nage. This technique is effective in buying time. So I think that in this situation, the method of using jujutsu to buy time works well.

“As a rating, I give it a 7 [out of 10]. It was interesting, although not very realistic.”

What The Last Samurai’s Fight Accuracy Means For Tom Cruise’s Action Career

Cruise Has Always Had Intense Dedication To His Roles

If there’s one thing that Cruise has become known for, it’s his extreme dedication to the films he works on and to entertaining audiences. Cruise’s commitment in The Last Samurai means that, even though the film’s depiction of ninjas may not be correct, his fighting scenes are hard-hitting and his abilities as a warrior are never really in question. Cruise’s dedication is part of why The Last Samurai reviews were generally positive from critics and audiences, with the film currently sporting a 66% critics’ score and 83% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Though Cruise’s commitment to his roles is most apparent in the dangerous stunts that he does, particularly for the Mission: Impossible franchise, his fighting in The Last Samurai speaks to how this attitude manifested itself before he became interested in impossible stunts. Only a year later, for example, with Michael Mann’s Collateral (2004), Cruise’s preparation to play hitman Vincent involved going undercover as a delivery driver and stalking members of the crew. This same attitude is present outside of his action roles, too, with the actor learning to become a bartender for Cocktail (1988).

Made on an estimated budget of $140 million, The Last Samurai was a box office success, grossing $456 million worldwide.

Our Take On The Last Samurai’s Accuracy

Cruise Excels In This Historical Epic

The Last Samurai remains a standout entry in Cruise’s filmography. While it features the intense moments of action that he is now known for, it also features a moving story and plenty of quiet, thoughtful moments that allow Cruise to show off his dramatic chops as well.

It can be difficult for films to walk the line between historical accuracy and entertainment, and The Last Samurai arguably walks this line very well. Clearly, however, those looking for a more accurate depiction of 19th century Japan should instead turn to documentaries. Nevertheless, The Last Samurai features a powerful Cruise performance and remains one of his more memorable roles.