DVD Corner

The Warrior’s Way Blu-ray Review

“The Warrior’s Way” is one weird movie.

The plot: After a sword wielding warrior (Yang) fails to wipe out an enemy clan (and a baby), Yang becomes the enemy of his own clan. Looking to start a new life he hides out in a circus town in the old west. Of course, Yang’s past eventually comes back to haunt him and the town he now inhabits. There’s also a key subplot involving a young woman (Lynne) with a tragic past and a crazed Colonel and his followers who wreak havoc on the western town.

What do you get when you mix “Carnivale,” the works of Takashi Miike, “The Room,” and western and samurai films together? You get the strange “The Warrior’s Way.” At first glance, this movie looks like an unmitigated disaster. The CGI and green screen work resembles that of an awful SyFy channel movie and the central story was less than original (to say the least). However, as the film progressed, it actually starts to grow on you. After all, it’s not everyday you see a movie with clowns, violent action, an exploding ferris wheel, a weeping sword, a murderous scarred villain (played by Danny Huston), a dwarf, and yes, a drunken Geoffrey Rush thrown in for good measure. It’s this kind of out-there storytelling that earns my admiration. In an age filled with remakes and sequels, it is refreshing to see a film as bizarre being made.

Summary: “The Warrior’s Way” is not for everyone, but if this kind of cult film is up your alley, I would recommend giving it a watch.

Video/Audio:

The 2.40:1 1080p picture quality is undoubtedly good, but the hi-def transfer really shows how poor the CGI is.

The 5.1 DTS-HD is satisfying. The action and dialogue sounded sharp to this reviewer.

Extras:
* Digital copy.
* 13 deleted scenes.
* “Behind The Scenes Montage” includes interviews with the cast and gives viewers a look at the sets, green screen work, and fight rehearsals.

August 6, 2011 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Geoffrey Rush, Kate Bosworth, The Warrior's Way Blu-ray Review