The film works best as an appetite stimulant for richer cinematic fare.

Nobody in cinema can rival the unique, electric combination of scowling power and exuberant physicality of Mifune.

This concise documentary focuses largely on his artistic partnership with Akira Kurosawa but includes enough about Japan's film industry and the star's charmed life to engross fans and casual viewers alike.

Cineastes just discovering the Mifune-Kurosawa collaborations are encouraged to seek out Mifune: The Last Samurai to better understand the actor's immeasurable impact on both Japanese and American cinema.