The Warrior

I don't normally enthuse about movies, as I feel by and large the whole media is a bit over-valued. Books are and have always been my one true love, and I feel most comfortable when writing about them.

However, I make an exception here. The Warrior is an excellent movie. I like Asian cinema in general, and the star of the Korean film-making has been on the rise lately. This epic historical action-adventure is easily a match to most Hollywood productions in my eyes, and it is a perfect example of how far the Far East has come in their film-making.

The story of the movie tells a tale of Korean diplomatic expedition trapped in China during the fading years of the Mongol rule. After being captured and subsequently escaping, the Koreans become entangled in civil when they rescue Ming princess Bo-Yong (Zhang Zi-Yi) from Yuan Mongols. The Koreans have to flee through deserts and forests, with the ever-present threat of the pursuing Mongol horsemen hanging in the air.

The backdrop is relatively unimportant (though well-executed) when compared to the sterling performances by the great Korean actors. I especially enjoyed the relationship between young General Choi (Joo Jin-Mo) and the grizzled sergeant Jin-Lib (the quietly charismatic Ah Sung-Ki). The contrast between old sergeant's superior leadership skills and young generals insistance on leading the Koreans based on his rank is brilliantly portrayed. It is also worth to point Mongol General Rambulhua (Yu Rong-Kwon), who manages to be both tragic and honourable while being cruel in the extreme.

While acting is what captivated me, it is not to say that the action of the movie is weak when it comes to the combat sequences. Quite on contrary, the tremendous battles the rag-tag Koreans fight against the Mongol horde are visually stunning (and numerous). They are simply far more bloody, gritty, realistic (to a point) and tragic than the often ballet-like fight sequences of the Hong Kong cinema.

There are weaker moments as well, such as the end sequence that drags on a bit, and some of the actions of the quiet master spearman Yeo Sol (Jung Woo-Sung) as he strives to protect the Ming princess seem utterly illogical, but these are minor gripes when compared to the epic feel of this film.

If you can, get your hands on the special edition with all the deleted scenes of the movie, which are well worth your while.