I don't know beans about the video game this is based on other than I'm old enough to remember it in the arcades but as I've never been a fan of that kind of game I never really played it. So my review is as a casual martial arts movie fan...
This is character driven, make no mistake. There is a plot and it's not bad but the bulk of the movie is us all getting to know these characters and their backstories. 90% of the scenes are in one dojo in the woods and if you are craving lots of spectacle you will be disappointed. This is cut more from the old Kung-fu TV series style of cloth, where there are lots of scenes of characters training and struggling with inner motivations on their way to becoming masters. In that sense it follows a grand tradition of martial arts cinema and that's a good thing. A little magic, a bit of action, and a lot of character development is what you get here.
Most of it is set in the 80's with flashes back to the 60's and they did a good job of portraying those time periods without hitting us over the head with "hey it's the 80's". It's believable within the logic of the movie.
It is not without flaws. Pacing is slow and while I get that's on purpose there are some areas where it is just too slow. There is also a bit of scenery sameness, it's pretty much all in the woods. What they did with the budget is amazing but it is still noticeable that there wasn't much of one. And a blond badger apparently climbed onto the head of one of the main leads and died there.
Speaking of the acting, this is what carries the movie through the flaws. You can tell the actors were having fun with their particular archetypes they played out. It is their interactions that make the movie as interesting as it is.
I think if you are a fan of traditional martial arts movies, perhaps not as filled with explosive action as modern fare, you will like this. I hope they make more and I look forward to seeing where they take the characters.
Recommended.
This is character driven, make no mistake. There is a plot and it's not bad but the bulk of the movie is us all getting to know these characters and their backstories. 90% of the scenes are in one dojo in the woods and if you are craving lots of spectacle you will be disappointed. This is cut more from the old Kung-fu TV series style of cloth, where there are lots of scenes of characters training and struggling with inner motivations on their way to becoming masters. In that sense it follows a grand tradition of martial arts cinema and that's a good thing. A little magic, a bit of action, and a lot of character development is what you get here.
Most of it is set in the 80's with flashes back to the 60's and they did a good job of portraying those time periods without hitting us over the head with "hey it's the 80's". It's believable within the logic of the movie.
It is not without flaws. Pacing is slow and while I get that's on purpose there are some areas where it is just too slow. There is also a bit of scenery sameness, it's pretty much all in the woods. What they did with the budget is amazing but it is still noticeable that there wasn't much of one. And a blond badger apparently climbed onto the head of one of the main leads and died there.
Speaking of the acting, this is what carries the movie through the flaws. You can tell the actors were having fun with their particular archetypes they played out. It is their interactions that make the movie as interesting as it is.
I think if you are a fan of traditional martial arts movies, perhaps not as filled with explosive action as modern fare, you will like this. I hope they make more and I look forward to seeing where they take the characters.
Recommended.