The basic story and characters here are based somewhat in fact, and there's no reason why one shouldn't be able to play with the story to make for an enhanced entertainment experience. With GOEMON, however, he have a cgi-intensive adventure geared to be more interesting to a younger audience. Heroes leap across rooftops, perform the usual effortless swordplay, or live in an opulent Japan more fanciful than most science fictions.
That said, GOEMON is written with artful economy, compressing the action into a time-frame that's continually entertaining. Everything else about this film is considerably less than economical - the fabulous crowd scenes, the vignettes of old Japan with bustling streets packed with characters, the endless supply of snappy effects...Taken uncritically, this film has a "wow" factor that's not easy to shake off; but when you begin to ask the most basic questions, GOEMON begins to fall apart.
As a fantasy divorced of historical context, there's a lot to enjoy here. As a credible drama, there's too much that's wanting.
That said, GOEMON is written with artful economy, compressing the action into a time-frame that's continually entertaining. Everything else about this film is considerably less than economical - the fabulous crowd scenes, the vignettes of old Japan with bustling streets packed with characters, the endless supply of snappy effects...Taken uncritically, this film has a "wow" factor that's not easy to shake off; but when you begin to ask the most basic questions, GOEMON begins to fall apart.
As a fantasy divorced of historical context, there's a lot to enjoy here. As a credible drama, there's too much that's wanting.