The Warrior's Way (2010) User Reviews

atmospheric action

[mad_fighter77-86-984114 · 7/10 · 27 June 2011]

I regret watching this movie at home and not at the movie theater. these kind of movies are much more enjoyable specially on the big screen. The movie has a magic to it and atmosphere that is very well portrayed.

I loved the hero character being the " silent and deadly " type, it saved the script and boosted up the acting.

If you are into samurai and warrior's from the east and such I definitely recommend this movie, it successfully managed to combine swordsman skills with cowboy gun fights, which I never seen before. the movie is very stylish and they did a great job with the atmospheric effects.

Way better than it should be

[bowmanblue · 7/10 · 31 January 2020]

Sometimes a film has everything going for it on paper and yet somehow manages to mess itself up. 'The Warrior's Way' is actually the opposite. Nothing really should work here and yet it all falls together to make a highly-watchable film.

Dong-Gun Jang is the titular 'warrior,' but don't feel too bad if you haven't heard of him as - apparently - this was his first Hollywood film. He plays an oriental fighter who leaves his native land in disgrace when he finds he's unable to kill the infant heir of a rival clan. It goes without saying that the story takes place in the past - this sort of thing doesn't happen that much these days (hopefully!). So he heads to the 'Wild West' of America where he settles down in a tiny desert town and looks after his (adopted) daughter. Unfortunately, the clan who he fell foul of has other ideas and follow him over.

However, don't expect wall-to-wall martial arts action from the off. I hope it's not too much of a 'spoiler' to say that all these evil ninjas don't follow him straight away, leaving plenty of time for our hero to get to know his new townsfolk. And, if you see any of the marketing surrounding this movie you'll notice that the cast who have obviously been classed as 'more familiar' to our Western audiences take prominent positions, namely Kate Bosworth, Geoffrey Rush and Danny Huston. They're all good, but only get top billing due to most people not knowing who Dong-Gun Jang is and that's a shame for him as he's more than capable of headlining a film like this.

Don't worry, there's plenty of great action thrown in there, but also a suprising amount of character development thrown in. A lot of people have mentioned how 'CGI' it looks. Oddly enough, I'm one of those people who hates computer-generated special effects and finds that - sometimes - too much of them can completely ruin a film for me. However, here they just seem to work. And they don't come much more excessive that in 'The Warrior's Way.' I doubt there were more than a couple of sets built for the entire production, as almost all the backgrounds are done (or looked like it to me!) on a green screen.

So, despite looking much like a hour and a half long Playstation 2 cut-scene, the film actually jogs along nicely. There's humour, fun, characters you'll care about and obviously a couple of evil baddies who you'll want to see get what's coming to them. If you like your martial arts films on the light-hearted side and have a strong tolerance to CGI effects then this is definitely worth a watch.

Stylized action flick that doesn't take itself too seriously.

[LloydBayer · 6/10 · 13 January 2013]

Debutant director and screen writer Sngmoo Lee took a big gamble with this one, as you will see why. In an almost Quintin Tarantino styled narration, the prologue introduces us to Yang (Jang Dong-Gun) and his mission to become 'The World's Greatest Swordsman…Ever'. He does so, within the first five minutes of the movie, by vanquishing an entire enemy clan; all but one…an infant princess. Rather than thrusting his Samurai sword through the toddler, Yang has a change of heart and decides to head West, because sooner or later, his own clan will hunt him down for not finishing the job. Arriving at a desolate town rife with down and out circus freaks, Yang finds work in an old Laundromat. Before long, he befriends 8-Ball, a wise cracking midget (Tony Cox), Ron, a hopeless drunk (Geoffrey Rush) and the sassy knife throwing Lynne (Kate Bosworth). With the infant in safe custody, Yang learns of Ron and Lynne's tragic past. An ex-bank robber, Ron laid down his guns at the wish of his dying wife. Lynne on the other hand, watched her family brutally murdered by an outlaw called 'Colonel'. Even as Yang blends in with the town folk, he realizes that a storm is approaching; a storm dark enough to wipe out the entire town.

Produced by Barrie M Osborne, you would expect this film to have the same grandeur as his previous productions, most notably, THE MATRIX and THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy. In fact, the opening sequence is interesting enough to grab your attention. What follows in the middle is a dialogue based drama that has a very theatre production feel to it. However, it's the last 20 minutes that has all the action that we are promised in the beginning. But is it worth the wait? In high definition, close-ups of flying bullets and blood rinsed blades look cool. Ninjas floating in and out of the action add an extra oomph, complemented by an equally engrossing soundtrack. Director Lee was also prudent enough to not leak out the best moments in pre-release trailers. But at the end of it all, if you enjoyed Zack Snyder's carnage in 300, don't go expecting anything better in this film. Sure, one particular scene even has the protagonist slicing and dicing a hoard of endless enemies in a fashion similar to those six-packed Greek warriors, but that's about all the comparison you can make to 300. Lee is generous with scenes of blood splatter towards the end, but manages to keep guts and gore to a minimum. Special effects vary in depth as well as quantity, and so you never get too much or too little of it. Perhaps that has all to do with the pacing of the plot. This is precisely where Lee could have done better. In terms of the pace, what I got was an interesting opening sequence, followed by a slow mid-section, only to be concluded by an intense yet rushed ending. While other critics might support Lee's pacing with "character building", this reviewer is opinionated by the fact that action movies do not deliver a knockout punch if action itself is inconsistently paced.

Playing the titled character, Dong-gun is no Jet Li, nor Jackie Chan; maybe because this is not a kung-fu movie. But what level of acting can you expect from Dong-gun, when he does a lot of the talking with just his facial expressions while relying on some fancy moves to do the rest? Having said that, whoever says Jet Li or Jackie Chan can act must be a really big fan of either or both. Opposite Dong-gun is Kate Bosworth in a role that easily outdoes her Lois Lane from SUPERMAN RETURNS (2006). Vibrant, cheeky, and energetic, this has to be one of Bosworth's best performances to date. Then there is Geoffrey Rush of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN fame. Although given little screen time, Rush does steal some of Dong-gun's miserly thunder and plays a key role towards the end. Also worth mentioning is Danny Huston as (one) of the bad guys, while ironically also offering some of the film's lighter moments.

So there you have it. THE WARRIOR'S WAY has its moments, good and bad, watchable or otherwise. If you overlook the slow pace in-between (during what seems like forever) and the lead actor's lack of emotion or enthusiasm (he is an assassin anyway), then Sngmoo Lee could be given the benefit of the doubt for an otherwise decent action flick, inclusive of some exceptional cinematography.

The Warrior's Way - What Works

[paperback_wizard · 7/10 · 4 December 2010]

Jang Dong Gun, the South Korean movie star who's known for far more than martial arts, has made his American blockbuster debut in "The Warrior's Way", a film about the greatest swordsman in the world who is forced to flee his home. While not precisely a science fiction movie, there are just enough fantastical elements in this Old Western-style action flick to make it into the genre without crossing over into the highly volatile "Sci-fi Western" category. And that definitely works for this movie. Here are some other things that work, and that don't work.

First, the plot. Yang, trained since childhood to be the greatest warrior ever, is sent by his tribe to destroy their rivals; every last one of them. However, when he meets the last one, a baby girl whom eventually is named April, he makes the decision not to kill her. This may seem like a cliché, but Yang's goal was never to become a murderer. As a boy, he saw his own father murdered. He was adopted, essentially, and trained by the leader of his tribe to become an assassin; but his only ambition is to become the greatest swordsman in the world, and that ambition is not served by killing an innocent child. Knowing that his tribe will target him next for his failure, Yang takes the little girl with him and sets course for America.

The circus town (very nearly a ghost town) which is his destination works for this movie. He goes there because an old friend of his lives there; well, lived there. Finding that his friend has passed away, he is persuaded by the townsfolk to stay and take over the laundry shop that has been idle ever since. He even takes over the flower garden that no one had yet been able to properly cultivate. The colorful characters, including the ringleader Eight-ball (Tony Cox), the drunken Ron (Geoffrey Rush), and the knife-throwing Lynne (Kate Bosworth), quickly befriend the wanderer from the Orient and his delightful little charge. Soon, Yang sees the advantages of, in the words of the narrator, "making things grow instead of cutting them down". Again, it's a cliché that could easily have been mishandled, but that director Sngmoo Lee deftly utilizes.

The fight scenes in this movie are spectacular. Yang's former compatriots eventually find him, as you'd expect; and, as you'd expect, an incredible battle ensues. Jang Dong Gun is neither over-the-top nor completely wooden as he plays the ruthless assassin cutting down his foes. The transition between the simple laundry man raising a little girl and the cool, calculating warrior is more seamless than you'd expect.

The ninjas aren't the only villains in this movie, either. Danny Huston plays the Colonel, a man who drops in and out of the town periodically, taking whatever he wants each time. Commanding a force of what seems like no fewer than a hundred Hell Riders, the various clowns and tricksters have little in the way of defense. However, Yang isn't the only resident of this thriving circus town who hides a warrior side. When the final battle ensues, expect to see plenty of blood shed on all sides.

Lynne's storyline doesn't quite work, though not for the reasons you might think. There must always be balance between the main plot and the subplots; specifically, the main plot must outweigh the others. Yang's story certainly outweighs that of the circus town itself. The performers want to make a complete transition from "traveling" to "stationary"; part of that effort is in the creation of the gigantic Ferris Wheel. However, both Yang's battle with his tribe and Lynne's with the Colonel eventually come first, and no alternative is left to the other residents but to fight when the time comes.

Between Yang and Lynne, there is an undeniable attraction, and an unmistakable chemistry as well. By the time the final fight has begun, it's clear they've become equals, in their own way. That's fine, for a romance movie; but for a romantic subplot to this particular movie, it's not the best formula. Even Lynne's confrontation with her adversary ends up seeming more central to the movie than Yang's own.

The "end" of the movie definitely works. I won't give too much away, except to say this: when you train your entire life as a killer, how can you expect to simply walk away, even if all your enemies are dead? The movie is more bloody than I normally enjoy, and I don't think every storyline worked as well as they could have. However, it was highly thrilling, and literally kept me on the edge of my seat during some scenes. Jang Dong Gun is my favorite part of the movie, quietly charming and deadly, some times at the same time. Even if "The Warrior's Way" itself doesn't take off, you can expect his future in cinema to, on both sides of the Pacific. He certainly works for me.

(Originally appeared at http://fourthdayuniverse.com/reports/ )

The type of film that most people will either love or hate, unless you're like me.

[Hellmant · 7/10 · 7 December 2010]

'THE WARRIOR'S WAY': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

First time filmmaker Sngmoo Lee writes and directs this martial arts East meets West western fantasy ninja comedy epic. It stars Asian superstar Dong-gun Jang and co-stars Kate Bosworth, Geoffrey Rush, Danny Huston, Lung Ti and Tony Cox. The film is very odd and kind of a mess but it's also very beautiful and packed with stylized battle scenes. I have mixed feelings about the film going experience as a whole but there's definitely a lot to like here!

The film is set in the 19th century and tells the story of a ninja assassin named Yang (Jang), who's recently taken over the title of greatest swordsman ever, who's on the run from his clan after refusing to kill a baby, the last member of their enemy. He hides out, with the baby, in a run down town in the American West where a new circus group is starting up. There he befriends an assortment of odd characters including a drunk gunman (Rush) and a beautiful young knives thrower (Bosworth), who he of course develops feelings for. He learns to love his new life until his past tracks him down.

Dong-gun Jang is a fantastic leading man action hero and Lee's directing style is interesting. The supporting cast is all adequate, with Huston and Rush chewing up the scenery (Bosworth, one of my favorites, is a little oddly cast). The film is breathtakingly beautiful at times with a classic epic old film style look to it and there's some great homage played to Sergio Leone of course. The film is a little too all over the place for me though and a tad too goofy. It reminds me in a lot of ways to the type of films Stephen Chow has put out but not quite as good. It is entertaining in a lot of ways though and has at least something pleasing to offer almost any viewer. It's the type of film that most people will either love or hate, unless you're like me. This is the type of movie I can appreciate and enjoy in parts.

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Entertaining, Stylish, not much Substance

[cafesmitty · 6/10 · 3 December 2010]

I am one that love stylish movies, especially action movies and I was hoping for a little more out of this. To be honest, the story is a bit lacking, but the action is very cool. There are some scenes which play more than others. The main character hardly ever talks and its really noticeable. I love Kate Bosworth in this movie, she is a saving grace to this film. I can't put my finger on it, but it is missing something. Its missing that "awe" moment that I was hoping it would deliver. You know, that scene that would make your mouth drop and I was expecting it from this movie. It was just too slow. And the writing is off. It is just not quite there. The pace of the film is off also. Still, entertaining as hell, but don't waste your money on seeing in that XD format (which stands for eXtreme Digital). That just a waste of some extra bucks. There is nothing more you are going to gain watching it in even, supposedly, higher def than what theaters normally do. But the movie is very stylish. Its the latest movie of mixing two genres,ninjas and westerns. And I give it a 7 out of 10, it did its job of entertaining. Btw, not a family movie and definitely not for small kids. I think guys will like it more than women. It is worth going to the theater to see. It is not worth a blind buy on blu-ray when it comes out. It is worth buying on blu-ray if you are into it and have seen the movie. But I would go out with your buddies, don't expect much and you will get more.

Meh....Pretty disappointing in light of what could have been an awesome movie.

[vipher20 · 5/10 · 4 December 2010]

The concepts are great. A ninja movie with the smooth cool effects you'd hope for, some cinematography reminiscent of 300, and the old west verses ninjas. How cool is that? Well....unfortunately, not as cool as you'd think. There was a clip on Xbox Live that shows the first 2 minutes of the movie. The crummy thing is, after that first two minutes of setting up the stylish ninja effects and sword play...you don't see anymore of it till about the last 20 minutes of the movie. And that's exaggerating. Quick fight scene at the start. Long action scene at the end. And all the stuff in between is mush. I'm not saying I don't enjoy a movie with a good plot, but c'mon...there was only reason why any guy went to see this movie---ninjas...and cowboys VERSES ninjas. They didn't go to watch a lengthy story about a ninja falling in love and getting soft. Me and my buddies were really stoked about this movie going in, but I just really can't say it was that great. I actually liked the cinematography and the sets, but it just didn't use it enough to it's advantage. And to be honest, I really wasn't that impressed by the sword play. It was like the main character was never touched and he only had one move--slice. There wasn't any fancy flipping around and doing crazy stunts. It was just: ninja comes at him, he slices, they die. Rinse and repeat. No special way of doing it, just the same move every time. It didn't even look like any training was necessary. They just handed him the fake sword and told him whenever a guy gets near him, swing at 'em, and we'll add the blood in later.

The only other thing I can say is that Kate Bosworth's accent was TERRIBLE and annoying. I know it was supposed to be a little thick, but that was just a little much. And the funny thing was, as the movie progressed, it got less thick.

Anyways, wait for this to come out on DVD at best. Believe me, this is not nearly as cool as it could, or SHOULD, have been.

Bravo!

[Woonerism · 10/10 · 11 April 2014]

Never ceases to amaze me how a movie can move an audience in polar opposite ways. It's probably the expectations - so if you go in to have some escapist fun, action and swordplay, you won't be disappointed.

So, why will I be happy to rewatch this grossly underrated movie that's avoided me for the first four years of its life tsk tsk: a simple story combining the Seven Samurai and Silas Marner (kinda), intoxicating mix of humor, gorgeous grotesqueness and visual splendour . . . and a love story that did not force itself on the surreal action thread.

One of the hallmarks of a good film has to be how much love a writer director puts into the details and in this, it is clear Lee Sngmoo has nurtured this baby for a while: superb production, lovely setups and payoffs.

Oh, make my decade and give us a sequel already!

Amazing for a first time director. Bravo! Bravo!

Stylish and Arty but Elegant.

[Cruise2061 · 7/10 · 17 October 2020]

Imagine a Sergio Leone western with swords. The setting is as sparse as the dialogue but you don't sit through one of his works for the acting or the plot. Warrior's Way is like that. What it lacks is made up in other ways. The choreography is above average, the CGI seamless and the set pieces pure art. And it's all cleverly portrayed, captured and presented. An enjoyable little gem from the genre.

One Big Exaggeration

[view_and_review · 3/10 · 10 December 2021]

Exaggerated is about the only word I can use to describe this movie. Exaggerated story, exaggerated violence, and exaggerated characters. That can work sometimes, such as with comedies, but it didn't work here.

An Asian assassin (Jang Dong-Gun) was part of a clan called the Sad Flutes. After he achieved the status of greatest swordsman in the history of mankind he needed only to eliminate the last member of the rival clan, except he couldn't. The last member was a mere baby, so he abandoned fighting, spared the last member of the rival clan, and moved to the American West (sometime in the 19th century). That put him at the top of his clan's most wanted list. He made a violence-free life for himself in America, opened a laundry service, and fell in love with the annoying, grossly overacting, pretty red-head named Lynn (Kate Bosworth), though you knew it was only a matter of time before he was going to have to have that final showdown.

I expected a bit of a cartoonish video-game-like movie, though I thought there was a chance it could be like the movie "Ninja Assassin," which was pretty good. It didn't even approach "Ninja Assassin." This movie was one big exaggeration; albeit, a stylized exaggeration with some bad CGI, but an exaggeration nonetheless.

Grossly under-appreciated film.

[bevinchu-1 · 8/10 · 28 March 2013]

Unfairly maligned, grossly under-appreciated "Wu Xia meets Gunslinger" film.

The "martial artist with a baby" angle was probably inspired by the "Samurai Assassin" series of films.

The fish out of water "Eastern martial artist in the Old West" angle was probably inspired by Bruce Lee's "Kung Fu."

Sad to see so many movie fans slam this film so harshly. It really wasn't the awful mess they made it out to be. It was quite good in many respects. The plot/theme was clear and well-defined. The cinematography was expert. The fight sequences were skillfully choreographed, as good as those in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" or "Hero."

Movie fans who have yet to see this film may want to ignore the naysayers and give it a chance. They may be pleasantly surprised.

Or not.

A Fair Entertainer!

[namashi_1 · 6/10 · 18 December 2012]

'The Warrior's Way' is A Fair Entertainer, that works best as a lazy Sunday afternoon watch.

'The Warrior's Way' Synopsis: A warrior-assassin is forced to hide in a small town in the American Badlands after refusing a mission.

'The Warrior's Way' is a time-pass entertainer, that doesn't even attempt to be legendary. Its a watchable action fare, that offers some very good action & crisp editing. The Screenplays is written ably. Sngmoo Lee's Direction is efficient. Cinematography & Art Design are passable. Graphics leave a lot to be desired.

Performance-Wise: Geoffrey Rush does well, as usual. Jang Dong Gun plays the protagonist nicely. Kate Bosworth is fabulous, while Danny Huston has a blast playing the notorious villain.

On the whole, 'The Warrior's Way' works till it lasts.

Rude Awakening

[AsianTalentHollywood · 4/10 · 1 December 2010]

This film is such a mixed bag it is difficult to know where to begin. The filmmakers decided that everything would be on set and filmed with a green screen which lends itself to a dark and visually exciting look, however, the downside of so much emphasis on visual effects is that it transforms the film into a quasi unbelievable fantasy land. In essence it sucks the life out of all the characters and makes it look like some animated video game. The town is a bizarre circus, literally not figuratively, that makes no sense especially since they just hang around in circus outfits all the time. To make matters worse, you have all these characters plopped in a town that is a small street of run-down, mostly uninhabited buildings with no homes for any of the townspeople, huh? What a mess. That said, if you are looking for beautiful cinematography (visual effects of course) as the backdrop for a martial arts film with some great fight scenes, then not all is lost...well sorta.

That's because you must endure (and yes it's sleep inducing) the love story for the first hour of the film that basically has as much spark as a wet match...thanks in large part to Jang Dong-Gun's emotionless, monotone acting, he is nothing more than a robotic person delivering bad one-liners. Paired with Kate Bosworth, who for some reason decided a southern accent went with the old west, the on screen chemistry is nonexistent and their love scene shows nothing to either titillate or make us believe they have the hots for each other.

If that were not bad enough, Dong-Gun's English is so bad that delivering his extremely sparse dialog of Arnauld talk makes him sound like a bad Mr. Miyagi. Hence this also showcases one of the big problems in Hollywood; overlooking hundreds of talented Asian-American actors for a superstar actor from Asia who just cannot handle an English language Hollywood film. WHY?? Dong-Gun has so few lines in the entire film (were they cut?) it is reasonable to expect a superstar actor to devote the time necessary to perfecting his craft, in this case his few English lines, which of course wasn't done. If there is any acting saving grace, it is Danny Huston's stellar performance as the colonel.

If you can bare an hour of "love story" as the producers have promoted the film as, and some bad acting that goes with it, you can get to some really fun action scenes. In particular, when the colonel decides to hide in the hotel and Dong-Gun walks up the dark staircase to fight the bandits in the hallway guarding the door...some awesome effects and fighting will jolt you from much of the boredom experienced prior.

And just when you think the film might redeem itself, it degrades into a bad typical ending with horrendous narration by Geoffrey Rush. If Jang Dong-Gun thought this was gonna be his ticket to Hollywood stardom ala Jackie Chan, Chow Yun Fat or Jet Li, he is in for a rude awakening because he does nothing to make himself memorable on screen for American audiences.

East and West Collide

[dianefhlbsch · 7/10 · 11 March 2012]

When the greatest Samurai assassin will not kill the last enemy, a baby, he becomes the number one target of his clan. So he travels to the American old west to stay with his friend. But can he truly change his life? This is a fascinating intermixing of the oriental fighting movies and the old western shoot-'em-ups. It makes one realize that they really are not that different after all. Add in a simple story, a simple subplot and lots of personal choices that must be made and you have a very solid action film. Of course part of the fun is seeing bits and pieces of some classic American westerns incorporated into the script, as well as seeing them through another culture's eyes.

This is a must see for action fans.

Great accomplishment for first-time director

[Naughtia_Nah · 7/10 · 16 June 2012]

I haven't heard anything about this movie prior to watching it. I saw Mr. Rush on the casting list and decided that I wanted to see it. I found this movie to be very interesting and different.

I am a sucker for beautiful visual effects, therefore I found this movie to be worthy of a high rating. Everything seemed very different because of the combination of various genres (western, action, martial arts, comedy & romance). I have also got a new found respect for Kate Bosworth because she pulled the part of so beautifully. This is a major accomplishment for director Sngmoo Lee, as this is his first movie ever.

But my all time favorite thing about this movie was the adorable little baby. I loved her cute facial expressions.

A hell of a lot of fun!

[paulclaassen · 6/10 · 7 February 2020]

This English-language Korean film certainly is pleasing to the eye. It is visually stunning with great photography. Unconventional and a bit weird also comes to mind, but oh-so enjoyable and a lot of fun (despite some slapstick humor).

The film combines so many different elements and genres: action, adventure, humor, fantasy, brutality, gore, and even sensuality. It's hard to put my finger on what exactly attracts me to the film. Maybe the unusual combination of everything. Definitely the film's look! And it has a great score.

I didn't find the hero, Yang, a strong enough character. Lynne (Kate Bosworth) was a far more interesting character with a much better back story - and story altogether. At times Danny Huston didn't seem believable - or terrifying - enough as Colonel, the antagonist, but the showdown between Lynne and Colonel was a great moment.

In general, this is an awesome production and a great watch - just don't take it too seriously.

Would I watch it again? Yes.

Ninjas vs Cowboys - Mindless Entertainment

[princebansal1982 · 5/10 · 18 May 2011]

I liked this movie, maybe because I didn't expect much from this movie. I was expecting an action movie and wanted to watch the lovely Kate Bosforth. So I liked it.

When I say this is a mindless movie I mean it, and I don't mean all action movies are mindless, no I mean this movie is mindless. While everybody has done good acting, the plot is just ridiculous.

The action sequences are very over the top, it is Kill Bill meets Crouching Tiger meets 300. I referred to 300 because this movie has distinct visual theme. Almost all the backgrounds, sun , sky etc are computer generated and done in other worldly colors with sort of sepia tones which matches this over the top movie.

Not a great movie by any means, but a good movie if you are an action fan and are not expecting much.

One word to describe this movie is WOW

[djkoombaya · 10/10 · 24 March 2015]

I am so late in watching this movie - had never heard of it before - but I came across the trailer of it in you-tube last night and had to watch it. This movie has a great balance between cowboy/samurai - great character development, great story telling, very good actors (some were over the top but in a good way), and some of the best choreography that I have seen in a very long time. And the music score was very well played in the background bringing just the right tone to every scene.

A must see for people that want to see something different - I enjoyed it very much and look forward to watching it again. And the ending leaves us with the opportunity for a sequel...I truly hope that comes to life because I would be the first in line!

Edges

[tedg · 25 January 2011]

I rushed to see this on the big screen because I expect it to go away quickly. This is another movie where the watching is itself not rewarding; the reward is in the awareness of sharing the experience of a risky, somewhat twisted experience.

What we have here are cowboys and ninjas or more precisely the fully overloaded genres because the genre itself is not the target but the genres which twist the base.

On that score it is mildly amusing, along the lines of "The Quick and the Dead." But when you play this game, the only tools you have are peculiar juxtaposition and exaggeration.

What makes this more interesting are the three catalytic devices that are used. Their selection and use is intriguing.

On the character end, the girl here is not from the western genre at all, but a specific franchise that currently has more power. She plays Jessie from Toy Story, a cartoon of a cartoon of a cartoon. Because she has to also juxtapose and exaggerate, she is made into a scruffy redhead and her tomboy strengths are pulled first toward comic inadequacy and then revenge-fueled power. Jessie the Cowgirl meets Deborah Kerr meets Zoe Lund.

On the situation side we have the very creative insertion of clowns. They are there for no essential story reason and indeed the plot hardly even explains them. But they are essential for the fusion, giving us an established background foundation. The two genres are not merely combined: they are both imposed on a constipated circus.

The final device is purely cinematic. Since the environments are purely greenscreen fabrications they can be anything you can imagine. What was imagined here was crisp buildings in a gauzy, dreamlike landscape.

I cannot say that all this added up to a Ruiz or Greenaway. But the choices were fascinating and intelligent. As a first film, it is remarkable.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.

Exciting overlap of Wild west and Ninja genre

[sajj_malik · 6/10 · 3 December 2010]

After a long time an excellent experiment in action genre happened, One can just judge it only after watching this movie's trailer. How cool is it that cowboys are fighting ninja. The Plot of movie is fairly simple. A cold blooded ninja assassin turns into a soft-hearted person when he couldn't kill the last baby of his enemy clan. This act make him an outcast and he is hunted by other ninjas. During his run he ends up into a strange circus town. The town is tormented by an evil cowboy.Other ninjas also find out about his location. After that the real action starts. Old wild west music was used to create the environment but the iconic Ninja movie music was not used at all, which is a bit shame because it could have made the movie more intriguing. Cinematography of the movie was great and so was lighting effects. Lots of slow motion action scenes add to excitement and fun. So I think the movie is worth-watching

Painful...

[gdallen173 · 4/10 · 3 December 2010]

To keep this short and sweet, this movie was not very good....in fact, most aspects of it were painful to watch. The acting, the dialogue, the soundtrack, the delivery, and most of the first hour or so are just rubbish. Like many people, I was excited to see a visually stunning, kick-ass CGI ninja vs. cowboy romp that didn't take itself too seriously, which is kind of what I got, but not in a good way. This film drags along and to be frank, could have been reduced to an hour long run time. Honestly, the only saving grace of this movie were the action scenes, which were few and far between and did not deliver on the level of awesome promised by the trailer. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the action while it was on screen, especially a certain dark hallway scene towards the end, but for an R rated ninja flick i expected a lot more bang and blood for my buck than I got. The whole thing just seemed rushed and slapped together trying too hard to be one of a kind. The writers should seriously learn from their mistakes on this one. Also, on a side note I expected so much more from Bosworth and was extremely disappointed in her level of acting, which just seemed very dumbed down, especially with the bad southern accent. All in all, if your an action junkie and thats all that matters for you, then enjoy, everyone else, wait for redbox.

It was good! Don't put too much credit on the negative comments

[monic-balt · 9/10 · 8 April 2012]

Seen this a long time ago and just watched it again today. I thought I would give my comment for those who haven't seen it. Definitely NOT the worst movie ever. A story about an assassin learning how to love and care for others.

I like this movie a lot. It is what you would expect of a fantasy action film. The cinematography was great! Although there were some scenes were it was a bit too much, it's not that big a deal. The style of the film was meant to be fantasy-like.

I don't get why people are hating the main character saying "he doesn't talk much" and that if he does "he can't say it straight with his accent". Well what do you expect? He's an assassin from the east. He lived a life of solitude and was taught not to care for anything or anyone. It will be unnatural for him to be all smiles and chatter and speak fluent English with American accent.

The action scenes were great. Very fluid and dance-like. Yes, the fight between the main character and his teacher could have been more. Don't expect a heavy dose of action because, again, the main point of the film is the assassin's journey into finding his humanity. Still, the action provided are more than enough.

I really recommend this film. Anyone who hates it most likely just didn't understand the message.

Weird but engaging

[neil-476 · 7/10 · 12 December 2010]

This is the weirdest movie I've seen for some time. Think choreographed martial arts ninja movie, crossed with spaghetti western, telling a story from the old Kung-Fu TV series, set in that semi-derelict town built in the middle of a pile of sand from Jonah Hex (assuming you were the other person who saw Jonah Hex), filmed in the style of 300. With Geoffrey Rush playing the Lee Marvin character from Cat Ballou. Kate Bosworth channeling Doris Day as Calamity Jane (Ya dang varmint!"), and Danny Huston playing (another) bizarre villain. Oh, and for reasons which completely escaped me, there is a circus in town, which is building a fairground (very slowly) in the expectation that this will bring the crowds and rejuvenate the town. Well, they get the crowds alright - the first crowd is murderous outlaws and the second crowd is murderous ninjas. And neither of them appears to be there to have fun on the carousel.

This felt very much as if it was an adaptation of a comic, but I'm not sure it was. It is beautifully photographed - very striking visually - fairly violent, often quite amusing, and always engaging. The warrior - Yang - is played emotionlessly by Dong-gun Jang, a name which may mean something to you if you follow martial arts movies, but which means nothing to me.

And it's left open for a sequel. I'd happily go to a sequel, I quite enjoyed this strange film.

Inexplicably overrated movie

[PMM1235 · 2/10 · 12 December 2010]

I don't understand why this is such an overrated movie. Let's go step by step:

1) Claim of visually stunning is overrated 2) Absolutely everybody's acting is overrated 3) Storyline is predictable and uninspired 4) sword action is absolutely terrible. Mostly you hear swoosh sounds and see blood flow 5) Dialogues are flat, and drawn out 6) The so called action is overrated. Not very clear about who's fighting who and why. No matter how many bad guys die, they always reappear in same number in the next scene. 7) Movie ends on an unexplainable note. 8) If possible don't watch it. If impossible watch is for free and try to sleep through it.

A fantastic poem written in blood

[MovieIQTest · 10 November 2020]

This film has achieved the ultimate goal of montage with all the appropriate ingredients that a motion picture should have done long time ago. The only drawback is Ti Lung's distorted out-of-portion ugly old face. A once so handsome actor who you would never understand how Life could treat him so harshly. The Korean actor, Dong-Gun Jang, is the best choice and cast for this film as he was in the similar Wu Ji (2005) or modern day thriller, U-neun nam-ja (2014), Taegukgi hwinalrimyeo (2004), or Mai wei (2011), an absolutely talented and most serious cool dude from Korea.