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Released by: Showbox Entertainment/Cine-Asia
Released on: 7/12/2010
Director: Oxide Pang, Danny Pang
Cast: Aaron Kwok, Ekin Cheng, Kenny Ho, Nicholas Tse, Charlene Choi, Simon Yam
Year: 2009
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The Movie:
A follow up to the 1998 manga inspired The Storm Riders, Oxide and Danny Pang's The Storm Warriors once again teams up Ekin Cheng and Aaron Kwok as Wind and Cloud, a deadly duo of honorable martial arts masters who are far more powerful than their pretty boy good looks would have you believe. As their names imply, they have the uncanny ability to exert control over different elements, which obviously makes them pretty tough opponents. When the film begins, things are more or less peaceful in the land they call home, that is until a sinister warlord named Lord Godless (Simon Yam) lays waste to a swordsman and by defeating him takes on all of his powers and abilities. This makes him pretty formidable in his own right, and he figures he's in a pretty good spot to take over China.
That's where Wind and Cloud come in - they're not cool with this idea at all and so Wind decides to up the ante by letting his dark side take over but by letting his powers grow stronger, he winds up losing control and becoming just as bad as the one he would defeat. This leaves Cloud in a tricky spot, having to take on a supernatural sword master and his closest ally in the entire world!
Basically done in the same style as the original film but with more updated effects work and with Simon Yam playing the heavy in place of Sonny Chiba, The Storm Warriors won't bring you around if you didn't enjoy that earlier picture. If you were a fan, however, you ought to appreciate what the Pang Brothers have done here as it is very much in keeping with what came before, from the melodramatic dialogue to the sweeping camera work to the multitude of completely unrealistic digital effects work to the teen idol posturing of the film's two leads. This might sound like ragging on the film, but it's not - the film is plenty entertaining and completely enjoyable as disposable entertainment - but it's not deep and it's all rather silly.
The film is essentially a super hero story, so the laws of physics barely matter here. Characters are beaten to a pulp and tossed or thrown as fast as a bullet only to get back up and basically ask for me. The violence is all rather tame and while it has an impact from time to time, it's obviously been toned down for a mass market audience (at least in its homeland). This isn't a flaw, per se, but those expecting hard hitting punches and fast flying kicks will probably be taken aback by the whispy haired warriors in long flowing and ornate outfits that the Pang's are dealing with.
Entertainment value is the order of the day, however, and if you're okay with shutting your brain off and just enjoying the ridiculous ride, The Storm Warriors can be good fun. The Pang's typically impressive cinematography ensures that , CGI or no CGI, the movie always looks good and Simon Yam is great as the bad guy even if the two heroes aren't all that memorable. Is it a great film, not by any stretch but it's inoffensive and enjoyable in a 'big dumb spectacle' sort of way.
Video/Audio/Extras:
The Storm Warriors looks very good in this AVC encoded 2.35.1 anamorphic widescreen high definition transfer. There's a bit of noise reduction obvious in some scenes as well as some minor edge enhancement to note, but these aren't overpowering even if they are easy to spot at times. Colors look good, with a lot of bright hues dominating the pallet and keeping in tone with the film's otherworldly feel. Skin tones generally look nice and natural. Outside of the periodic DVNR already mentioned, detail is also pretty strong as is texture. It's not quite a perfect transfer, but it's certainly a very good one.
Showbox offers up audio options in Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Cantonese Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional subtitles provided in English only. The DTS-HD track is hands down the way to go if you can decode it, as it has way more punch and really does a great job of placing you smack dab in the middle of the film's insane combat sequences. There's loads of rear channel activity and a very healthy low end rumble that will really ensure your surround sound system works its hardest. The track is well balanced, clean and free of any hiss or distortion and the subtitles are easy to read and free of any typographical errors.
Bey Logan offers up a strong commentary that kicks the extras off with gusto. Here he provides all the requisite details on the film, including background information on the directing pair as well as the cast and other pertinent crew members. He also discusses the themes and ideas in the film and covers the locations and effects work and most importantly provides some cultural context for parts where it's required. Bey's commentaries are often good, and this one is no exception.
From there check out the eight making of featurettes and the three special effects featurettes. Here you're going to find pretty much everything you'd want to know about what it was like on set including how some of the more impressive fight sequences were staged and coordinated, where and why digital effects were used in certain parts, and what went into getting this rather elaborate production finished. A collection of cast and crew interviews are also included, where the stars of the feature discuss their characters and what they liked about the project. Rounding out the extras are a trailer for the feature, trailers for a few other Cine Asia properties, menus and chapter selection.
The Final Word:
The Pang Brothers have been primarily regarded as horror film directors since they found success with The Eye but Storm Warriors proves they can successfully blend the fantastical elements found in many of their darker pictures with martial arts and still come out on top. Cine Asia's Blu-ray is a keeper, with a strong presentation and a load of extra features. Overall, a very nice release!