As I become more familiar with Kurosawa's work, I have come to recognize and appreciate his style more and more. This film is a prime example of this, a film that doesn't really have the most exciting or memorable story on the surface, but is a great watch thanks to the excellent directoral style. There are several incredible shots in this film that made me lean forward in my seat, accompanied by some fun characters to follow on the adventure. The one problem with this film for me is the story, which takes too long to get going and seems to end too quickly. This doesn't mean that it's not enjoyable, especially once the viewer is clued into what's really going on. This is probably a film that is even more fun to watch the second time, and I wholly recommend it to fans of Kurosawa's work or otherwise.