I suppose it’s not right to let the cat out of the bag that this film is mostly shot on green screen. Then again there is almost no way you don’t notice it from the first moments of the film till the last. Does it make it bad? No, but it does make it different looking than most, actually in a good way.
THE WARRIROR’S WAY takes place in the 1900s and tells the story of Yang (Dong-gun Jang), an Asian warrior who has achieved the rank of the best swordsman in I assume is China. Trained since birth for this goal, his job is to eliminate the members of another clan until they are all dead. His goal changes when the last member turns out to be a baby, a child he cannot bring himself to kill. This puts him on the wrong side of the clan and he heads east towards America to start a new life for himself.
He settles in a small town out west, a dirt covered little spot that’s deteriorating and offers home to a traveling circus that stopped and stayed. An old friend of Yang’s had set up shop here but passed away before Yang could arrive. Yang is given the laundry business that his friend owned and trained by a young woman named Lynne (Kate Bosworth).
Lynne had been receiving training from Yang’s friend in the hope that she could fulfill her desire for revenge on the man that killed her family. Known as the Colonel (Danny Huston), he killed her parents before her eyes and was set to rape her was well until she tossed a pan of hot oil in his face. Shot in the back and left for dead, Lynne survived with the hope of killing the Colonel one day.
Stand outs in the town include the town’s “mayor”, a black midget named Eight Ball (Tony Cox) and the town drunk Ron (Geoffrey Rush), a man with a secret all his own. Together they’ve been trying to erect a giant ferris wheel with the hope of making this town a place people will seek out.
But the only people who come seem to be the Colonel and his men who show up one day not long after Yang arrives. Determined not to use his sword since it would magically send a signal to those who seek to destroy him, he finds himself with little or no choice in the matter.
As the film moves forward, the townsfolk realize that they must take a stand if they are to survive. Even Ron must confront the ghosts of his past to help. Before long the town isn’t just taking on the Colonel but the martial arts warriors who seek to destroy Yang as well. And as with all good western’s a showdown is just around the horizon.
The film attempts to mix together the western and martial arts genres and for the most part does and admirable job. Revenge has always been something that’s played big in both genres and here it combines with two different stories that cross paths.
As stated earlier, nearly the entire film was shot on green screen with backgrounds and visuals added later. This gives each scene an eerie sort of feel and look to it, but doesn’t harm it in any way. The film SUCKER PUNCH was done almost the same way but where it was distracting in that film it feels more natural here.
Fans of the fantasy, western and martial arts genres will find this one entertaining. They’ll enjoy the action. Add in a touch of romance here (and it’s a small touch at that) and you have a nice rental for the night.
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