In an unnamed empire, a lord is being killed for political reasons and the greed of a competitor, his private army disbanded, his lands divided among the other nobles. A year later, his retainers, all loyal followers of the code of the warrior, take revenge.

This is actually a real and very famous and influential event that happened in Japan in the 18th century, also known as the Ako incident. I found it funny that the ending of the movie was changed to suit Western sensibilities, but the gist of the film is the same nonetheless.

The acting was good, with a real nice cast, the directing was good and the entire feel of the movie, from cinematography to costumes, helped get me in the atmosphere of the story. I felt the music was a bit too bombastic for the scenes, but it was also nice.

Bottom line: a UK and South Korea coproduction, it feels different than an American movie, and in a very good way, but it is not an exceptional film. Perhaps its greatest merit is the acting and the rather faithful depiction of the incident. The ending ruins that a bit, but not by much.

LAST KNIGHTS is an unusual and only semi-successful historical adventure with fantasy touches and a B-movie atmosphere. It's one of those films which slipped under the radar but provides some elements of interest for the genre fan. It certainly looks nice, with every penny of the budget having gone into the costumes and locations, and the otherworldly setting brings to mind the likes of INTO THE BADLANDS and GAME OF THRONES, although it's not quite as authentic or well-realised. Sadly, the plot has some big problems, far too simplistic to sustain the running time, which means that for a big chunk of the middle part of the film the actors have little to do other than sit around and twiddle their thumbs. It's a pity, as Clive Owen and Morgan Freeman give solid performances, and Aksel Hennie is remarkable, as always.

Commander Raiden (Clive Owen) and his knights serve honorably and loyally to their lord Bartok (Morgan Freeman). With his son dead, Bartok assigns Raiden as his heir. Bartok refuses to pay a bribe to corrupt minister Geza Mott of the empire and is executed for it. With Bartok's estate and men scattered, Geza Mott fears revenge from Raiden. Raiden falls into a state of drunken depression despite Lt. Cortez (Cliff Curtis) and others' best efforts. Eventually, Raiden's slide convinces Geza Mott of his lost of will.

At first, the oddly international cast and the non-specific history led to me to wonder where and when this takes place. Eventually, I accepted its non-specific alternate-history world but it's still bothersome. The story is terribly slow and lacks intensity. It does have an interesting turn which is clearly telegraphed. The film is simply tired. There are lots of CGI and action in the third act but they are mostly lower level. By then, it doesn't matter anyways. This is a weak sword adventure film.