The Movie
Another of the recent Chinese historical action epics to reach our shores, Battle of the Warriors (translated from Mo gong, which actually means "Battle of Wits") is once again set during the long, bloody period when the different nations of China were at war with one another. One such army on the warpath is rapidly approaching a peaceful village which unfortunately lies in the way of their next great conquest.
Not content with the ultimatum to either surrender or be destroyed, the king and his blindly subservient followers enlist another army to protect them. But they receive just one lone warrior instead, whose strangely pacifist, rational philosophies seem ill-suited to mounting a successful defense.
And yet despite the odds, the outmanned, out-weaponed village manages to defeat the would-be invaders in battle after battle, owing to the cunning, honor and bravery of their new leader. But is he a little too inspiring according to the current ruling body? Treachery ensues.
East meets West in Battle of the Warriors, with one scene right out of Butch Cassidy, which of course was "borrowed" from Gunga Din. And it is reminiscent of 300, which was also adapted from a history-based graphic novel about courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable numbers.
The Picture
This lavish, widescreen extravaganza is frequently smoky and/or dusty, and therefore noisy with an unwelcome video buzz. Shot on film, it is also prone to its share of grain. The sharpness of the image varies, often soft with occasionally crisp shots too, although I noted some flicker and strobing and loss of detail in instances of motion. Scene transitions are smooth, without ringing.
The Sound
As all foreign-language films should, in my opinion, Battle of the Warriors defaults to the film's original-language soundtrack, in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Mandarin Chinese, although I wouldn't be surprised to learn that all of the dialogue had been looped. Arrows whiz dynamically between speakers, hoofbeats bring requisite thunder, and the music is as big and powerful and clean as in any big-budget Hollywood fare. There's also deep bass and surround when a big gate swings open, in addition to discrete touches like a "retreat" drum in the distance as well as gentle environmental sounds.
The Extras
The audio commentary here comes from Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan, who has carved out quite the little niche for himself, providing such tracks for a multitude of DVD and Blu-ray releases, particularly on Vivendi's Dragon Dynasty label. Also here is the 50-minute "Making of Battle of the Warriors" program, in Chinese (lots of creator interviews) and standard definition.
Final Thoughts
Posing a lot of The Big Questions about the brutality of war and our arguable need for it, Battle of the Warriors is an exciting, intelligent film. The Blu-ray is not four stars in any way, but with its low retail price (even lower on Amazon), genre enthusiasts would do well to pick it up.
Product Details
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