Even at 3 hours long,this celebrated adventure,in which the eponymous warriors defend a village from bandits,is probably the perfect introduction to foreign language films;the characters superbly drawn and acted(Mifune and Shimura outstanding),the pacing masterly,the story itself never less than fully involving,the editing and choreography in the extended final battle scenes superlative.There's even a touch of romantic lyricism thrown in for good measure.For once critics and public are united in their admiration- for Kurosawa's all-time top 10 masterpiece.