Entertainment Story - canada.com network: "The samurai, who have protected the Emperor for centuries, are obsolete in this new scheme, and Algren finds himself suppressing 'another tribal uprising,' as he puts it in his journal (he journals to relax, and also to provide more Moses voice-over). Yet, when finally face to face with the great Samurai leader, Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe), Algren discovers not a savage, but a holy man. Watanabe is a star in Japan, and with his trash-pail-sized skull, he is charismatic as hell, looming over Cruise, The Littlest Samurai. In more ways than one, Algren comes to look up to his Buddhist friend who can appreciate pink flower blossoms as well as he can slice a man's head off with a wrist-flick."