mpm74
05-13-2011, 05:24 AM
Yang (Jang Dong-gun), a swordsman from the Saddest Flute gang, is at the tail-end of his mission to kill every last member of a rival clan. Just as he's about to complete his duties, he has a sudden change of heart when he learns the last standing member is a helpless baby.
Yang decides to let the baby live and take it under his protection. Knowing the rest of the Saddest Flute gang will be looking for him and the baby, Yang leaves Asia and retreats to a neglected Western town in America. During his stay, he befriends the town's people (Kate Bosworth, Tony Cox, Geoffrey Rush), who happen to have dreadful problems of their own.
Meanwhile, the Saddest Flute gang (headed by Ti Lung) is hot on Yang's trail; upon locating him, they plan to not only assassinate him for his incompetence to fulfill an important mission, but also to kill the baby to end their enemy's existence forever.
I usually try and stay away from movies loaded with cgi, green-screen, digitized blood and other special effects (I know I could have just said cgi effects, but I want to make sure I get my point across). There are a few exceptions, but at the moment, I can't even think of one, other than the title I'm writing about right now.
"The Warrior's Way" is 50% special effects and 50% live action, but somehow, the filmmakers managed to make me happy.
The action scenes - which consist mostly of swordplay and gunfights - are visually astonishing. Some of it is extremely quick and furious, some of it is stylish slow motion; but either way, they're done with total creativity. What's even more awesome is the violence isn't sugar-coated, it's brutal and bloody (we're talking flying heads and limbs, etc.) and an absolute riot to watch.
A lot of gritty detail was put into the costumes, art direction and settings. At times, it's hard to tell what's an actual set and what's computer generated; overall, it's a nice line between digital effects and dusty props.
As much as I enjoyed "The Warrior's Way," there's something missing from it that I can't put my finger on. I'm usually not surprised when a good movie like this fails financially or critically, but even as a film buff with decency and taste, I can see why it was practically ignored upon its release. So what's missing? I don't know. Let's just say that it's different (probably purposely and rightfully so).
The biggest misconception about "The Warrior's Way" is that it's a Hollywood film. It's actually a New Zealand production directed by South Korean filmmaker Sngmoo Lee. What makes it more impressive is "The Warrior's Way" is his first feature, both as a director and a writer. I don't know who the hell this guy is or where they found him, but somebody give him more movies to make.
"The Warrior's Way" features a great line-up of international talent: Jang Dong-gun ("Friend"), Kate Bosworth ("Superman Returns"), Ti Lung ("A Better Tomorrow"), Danny Huston ("Edge of Darkness"), Geoffrey Rush ("Shine") and Tony Cox ("Bad Santa"). As a fan of global cinema, you can't get much better than this.
To simply put it: "The Warrior's Way" is a fun-filled, hard-hitting fantasy/action/swordplay/western with a simple, linear plot. No bullshit surprises, no twists or turns. It truly entertained the hell out of me from start to finish and that's what a good movie is all about.
Yang decides to let the baby live and take it under his protection. Knowing the rest of the Saddest Flute gang will be looking for him and the baby, Yang leaves Asia and retreats to a neglected Western town in America. During his stay, he befriends the town's people (Kate Bosworth, Tony Cox, Geoffrey Rush), who happen to have dreadful problems of their own.
Meanwhile, the Saddest Flute gang (headed by Ti Lung) is hot on Yang's trail; upon locating him, they plan to not only assassinate him for his incompetence to fulfill an important mission, but also to kill the baby to end their enemy's existence forever.
I usually try and stay away from movies loaded with cgi, green-screen, digitized blood and other special effects (I know I could have just said cgi effects, but I want to make sure I get my point across). There are a few exceptions, but at the moment, I can't even think of one, other than the title I'm writing about right now.
"The Warrior's Way" is 50% special effects and 50% live action, but somehow, the filmmakers managed to make me happy.
The action scenes - which consist mostly of swordplay and gunfights - are visually astonishing. Some of it is extremely quick and furious, some of it is stylish slow motion; but either way, they're done with total creativity. What's even more awesome is the violence isn't sugar-coated, it's brutal and bloody (we're talking flying heads and limbs, etc.) and an absolute riot to watch.
A lot of gritty detail was put into the costumes, art direction and settings. At times, it's hard to tell what's an actual set and what's computer generated; overall, it's a nice line between digital effects and dusty props.
As much as I enjoyed "The Warrior's Way," there's something missing from it that I can't put my finger on. I'm usually not surprised when a good movie like this fails financially or critically, but even as a film buff with decency and taste, I can see why it was practically ignored upon its release. So what's missing? I don't know. Let's just say that it's different (probably purposely and rightfully so).
The biggest misconception about "The Warrior's Way" is that it's a Hollywood film. It's actually a New Zealand production directed by South Korean filmmaker Sngmoo Lee. What makes it more impressive is "The Warrior's Way" is his first feature, both as a director and a writer. I don't know who the hell this guy is or where they found him, but somebody give him more movies to make.
"The Warrior's Way" features a great line-up of international talent: Jang Dong-gun ("Friend"), Kate Bosworth ("Superman Returns"), Ti Lung ("A Better Tomorrow"), Danny Huston ("Edge of Darkness"), Geoffrey Rush ("Shine") and Tony Cox ("Bad Santa"). As a fan of global cinema, you can't get much better than this.
To simply put it: "The Warrior's Way" is a fun-filled, hard-hitting fantasy/action/swordplay/western with a simple, linear plot. No bullshit surprises, no twists or turns. It truly entertained the hell out of me from start to finish and that's what a good movie is all about.