Spectacular visual effects in ‘The Warrior’s Way’

In the movie ‘The Warrior’s Way’ a man once called “a man with empty eyes” (Jang Dong Gun) has trained his mind and body for a long time and finally defeats all his enemies, and becomes the top swordsman in the world. But he feels doubts about killing people and decides to hide himself in a remote place in a western village located across the sea with a baby whose parents had been killed by his own sword. He has lived a quiet life by running a laundry and gradually opens his mind to a tomboy named Lynne (Catherine Bosworth), who has been trying to come closer to him.

But the happiness does not last for long. A villainous captain (Danny Huston), who had murdered the whole family of Lynne, is threatening the whole village, and Jang’s previous colleagues who have discovered his betrayal are chasing him, and this situation forces Jang to unsheathe his sword and wield it again.

The movie “The Warrior’s Way’,” which is actor Jang Dong Gun’s debut movie in Hollywood, has been likened to the Korean mixed dish “Bibimbap” because it includes all the features of a western movie, oriental martial arts movie, and Japanese ninja movie. The director has mixed those two genres of western movie and martial arts movie and added additional fantasy effects. So the special effects of the movie are outstanding. There are not many scenes filmed under natural sunlight; instead, the movie has mostly been filmed on set and the director relies highly on computer graphics for those special effects.

Similar scenes to the movie “300” (2006), in which Gerard Butler appears as the protagonist, are rampant in the movie. Jang Dong Gun, who has shown various facial expressions in many different movies, reveals only one dull frowned facial expression. Jang already said, “Expressing various emotions with only one facial expression was very difficult.” He shows only one facial expression constantly not because he cannot act very well but because his character in the movie called for it.

Director Lee Seung Moo, who debuted as a feature film director with this movie, seemed to try to focus on visual effects by controlling other elements. In particular, the fighting scene where Jang Dong Gun defeats villains in a hallway was filmed delicately and the scene looks very creative with special visual effects. Scenes such as a hermit and an expert rifleman Ron (Geoffrey Rush) blasting dynamite buried underground by shooting a gun and Jang Dong Gun killing ten people with only one slice look very familiar, but those action scenes still arouse excitement.

But the storyline is superficial. Masters who have been living as recluses defeat every villain who persecute the weak, and this is the main storyline in this movie. There is no romance and the conflicts among characters are too plain and have not been established in detail. For audiences who tend to put importance on a dramatic development of the storyline, this movie cannot be tempting at all. Actor Geoffrey Rush does not appear in many scenes, but he makes a strong impression and actress Catherine Bosworth sparkles in the movie.

The movie will be released in the USA on December 3, and in Korea on December 2.

src : KBS Global