There are 20 minutes of action but the remaining 90-odd ones are lackluster with director Carl Eric Rinsch struggling with the legend.

Don’t bother with 47 Ronin if you’ve already seen the 2:31 minute trailer, the rest of the 116.69 minutes can be ignored.

You wait for something to happen throughout 47 Ronin. The stage is set. You get that creeping feeling of déjà vu. Parts of the film remind you of The Matrix, Constantine and Dungeons and Dragons. You almost think you saw a glimpse of Seven Samurai and The Last Samurai while the frames flash by.

The movie mixes many elements, but the overall tapestry looks good. An American-accented Kai amongst hardcore Japanese warriors is not jarring.

While the visuals and production design catches the eye, it’s the screenplay which hits a few bumps. You never really empathize with the characters because the focus is more on Kai rather than the 47 Ronins and within them, it’s mostly about Oishi. There are a few dull moments in the second half, when you want the director to really get on with it.

Unfortunately, this strong narrative lacks the charm to touch you emotionally. One can`t put a pulse on what is wrong with Carl Rinsch`s directorial venture. Probably it`s the blend of fantasy along with high-tech images and treatment of the story, that has robbed the viewer of an emotional quotient. Nevertheless, “47 Ronin” is a better than an average film that would appeal to lovers of period drama.

It’s a sad, stark display of everything that can go wrong while making a movie, and budding filmmakers can probably use the behind the scenes stories to know what not to do while making a film.

Maybe Keanu Reeves has so been loved as Neo that accepting him as Kai is a bit difficult. All in all, it is a one-time watch. But that’s all. Nothing to take home.