Movie Review: The Lost Bladesman (2011)

Although the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history is a popular subject in East Asian media,  most epic dramas suffer from being overly melodramatic or underwhelming as actioners.  Starring Donnie Yen, arguably the finest martial artist in films today, I wanted to give a shout out to an under appreciated historical action flick that deftly avoids both problems, The Lost Bladesman:

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, few heroes loom as large as the legendary warrior Guan Yu.  Not only is he a peerless fighter, armed with an imposing signature weapon (The Green Dragon Crescent Blade (青龍偃月刀), though this may be anachronistic since there's no proof of that the guandao was invented prior to the 11th century), he's also seen as a paragon of loyalty and righteousness.  In fact, the dude is actually worshipped in many parts of East Asia (e.g., there's a shrine to him in every police station in Hong Kong)!

Thus, it it unsurprising that he has been celebrated in numerous books, films, video games and other media for two millennia.

Although Guan Yu is a historical figure, since he was popularized in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which is a mix of fact and fiction, many of his most famous tales of derring-do are myths.  Such is the case with The Lost Bladesman: Based on the fictional story of Guan Yu crossing five passes and slaying six generals, the film actually begins with the great warrior's funeral in 220 and is told by his frenemy Cao Cao, the prime minister of the Han Dynasty.

Quickly, the action reverts back 20 years to the Battle of Baima (白馬之戰), where Guan Yu temporarily allies with Cao Cao and defeats a common enemy.  The prime minister showers the warrior with title and treasure to try to win the latter's loyalty.  However Guan Yu stays true to his sworn brother, the rebel warlord Liu Bei.

Thereafter, Guan Yu battles his way back to rejoin Liu Bei's army, facing both deadly foes and cunning treachery.  However, it is treachery that ultimately defeats the undefeatable warrior, as Cao Cao muses at the end of the film that such a hero is ultimately a tool to be sacrificed by his sworn brother in such chaotic times.

As a period piece, The Lost Bladesman is a finely crafted reimaging of the source material, with lush cinematography, and avoids being ponderous or overly serious.  Donnie Yen proves his dramatic chops and carries the show admirably.  The feel of the movie is realistic and lived in.  Also, like a good Greek tragedy, the characters are driven by their strengths (duty and honor) into conflict, and Guan Yu's opponents are more than just 2D cutouts.

As an action film, this movie kicks ass, a lot of it:

As action director, Messr Yen is equally strong.  Each combat features different fighting styles and signature weapons.   Guan Yu is clearly a badass, but his feats never break the viewer's verisimilitude or cross the line into cartoonishness.

If you like Iron Age action films, The Lost Bladesman is at the top of the heap.  Plus, it's worth it just to see someone able to wield a guandao with such aplomb!

SC's Parting Shot: 9 of 10

Movie Review: Legend of Lemnear (1987)

A somewhat forgotten gem, Legend of Lemnear is one of the earliest anime entries in the Sword & Sorcery genre and it holds up as breezy fun despite the decades.

Legend of Lemnear is a ripping Sword & Sorcery yarn wherein the titular protagonist seeks vengeance against the evil wizard who slaughtered her family and city.  There are strong parallels to Taarna the Taarakian warrior from the Heavy Metal film, except that Lemnear starts off as a stone cold badass and stays that way for the entire film.

As you might expect from an original animated video (OAV) with a runtime of only 45 minutes, the plot is thin and there are some noticeable holes.  However, this failing is not uncommon for anime from the 80s.  Much better are the animation and the character designs, which are also a product of the time (mullets ahoy!), but have aged reasonably well.  Most importantly, like any good S&S story, the pacing is quick, the action is fast and furious and there's noticeable appreciation of the female form.  

As a Hard "R", obviously Legend of Lemnear isn't for little kids or prudes.

However, as female protagonists go, Lemnear is pretty damn awesome: she doesn't take crap from anyone, she's the best fighter in the story and she saves the day.

That puts her in pretty rare company and she precedes Lina Inverse by two years.

This movie is also pure metal!  From the hard rock soundtrack to the copious amounts of violence to the big hair, Legend of Lemnear cranks the amps up to 11 and doesn't stop until the movie ends with a giant explosion.  The visuals are fantastic (pun intended) and, unsurprisingly, the villain has a giant floating castle shaped like a skull!  How cool is that?

If you're the sort of person who is offended by chainmail bikinis, this is not the movie for you.   If you're the sort of person who can't tell the difference between High Fantasy and Sword & Sorcery, this movie may not be for you.   However, if you're the sort of person who wants to see what a Frank Frazetta painting would look like as a fun, roaring anime adventure, Legend of Lemnear is well worth your time!

SC's Parting Shot: 7 of 10

Movie Review: The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982)

Sometimes, when I revisit a fondly remembered film from my youth, said film holds up despite the passage of time.  Sometimes, it doesn't.  The Sword and the Sorcerer falls into the latter category.

Not having seen The Sword and the Sorcerer in decades, I was hoping that this would be a masterwork, ala Conan the Barbarian (1982), even thought all I really remembered was Talon's *THREE* bladed sword, whose parallel blades shoot off!  Woo-hoo!  Seriously, at the time, I thought this sword was one of the coolest things ever.

However, on the re-watch, I found that the poor fight choreography, the preponderance of clichés, the special effects that haven't aged well and the easily correctable script problems were off-putting: For example, it's not spelled out, but Talon banging Princess Alana was probably incest.

Still, to be fair, The Sword and the Sorcerer is certainly not a poor Sword & Sorcery yarn.  I mean, there's a sword (with *THREE* blades!?!) and a sorcerer, can't be much more Sword & Sorcery than that, right?  Plus, it's got a hot princess (the super lovely Kathleen Beller), the requisite gore, violence and nudity for a Hard "R" and a story that zips along and that remains interesting, if sometimes goofy, throughout.

In The Sword and the Sorcerer, evil King Cromwell seeks to conquer the known world by resurrecting Xusia of Delos, an evil archmagus.  Team Evil's path to global domination begins by knocking over the peaceful Kingdom of Ehdan and murdering all of the Ehdanian royal family except for the youngest son, Talon, who gets away with the *THREE* bladed sword.  Then, Cromwell makes the smart play of trying to assassinate Xusia before the sorcerer inevitably turns on him.

Unfortunately, Cromwell mucks up the assassination and Xusia escapes.  Years later, both the surviving wizard and the surviving prince, now a famous mercenary leader, return to Ehdan to seek their vengeance.  The movie ends pretty much as you would expect.

Where The Sword and the Sorcerer is more impressive is how it differs from the host of other post-Conan fantasy action films: drawing much from Errol Flynn swashbucklers, the film laced with humor and Talon is as likely to fire off a quip as swing his sword.  Also, the double villain structure allows for some clever treachery and backstabbing.  And, the princess shows more spunk than the typical helpless damsel, using the patented knee to the balls technique.

Plus, Lee Horsely is a much, much, much better actor than Arnold Schwarzenegger.  For example, Messr Horsely plays Talon with easy wit and good comedic timing.  And director Albert Pyun isn't afraid to go after the laughs either: after the rousing "let's go save our leader" speech in the brothel, the movie immediately jump cuts to the would-be rescuers in the dungeon.  Hi*LAR*ious!

If you're looking for a fun, campy pulp action film and are willing to relax your brain, The Sword and the Sorcerer isn't a bad choice.  Alternately, if you want to see a sword with *THREE* blades, this is the movie for you!

SC's Parting Shot: 6 of 10

Movie Review: Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010)

春節快樂！

In honor of Chinese New Year (aka Spring Festival), I wanted to give some props to my favorite Chinese action mystery film, Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame:

Set in Tang Dynasty China, at the beginning of the reign of Wu Zetian (武則天), the first and only Chinese empress to rule in her own name, the country is rife with plots and intrigue against the throne.  After a couple of officials spontaneously combust (the titular flame), the Empress releases her old foe, former imperial magistrate and rebel Di Renjie (狄仁傑, the titular character), from prison and orders him to get to the bottom of this baffling mystery.  This, of course, is easier said than done, not only because of the tangled schemes of the Empress and other political factions, but also because Di's own assistants, Officer Shangguan Jing'er and Officer Pei Donglai, have interests that are not entirely aligned with the good detective's.  The result is an excellent series of twists and turns where you're not sure who's playing whom.

Like Guy Ritchie's excellent Sherlock Holmes films, to which it is often favorably compared, Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame is a multi-genre reimagining of a classic character, who in turn is based on the actual Di Renjie, a celebrated Chinese official.

Directed by the acclaimed Tsui Hark and with a large (by Hong Kong standards) budget, Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame is a lavish historical thriller that works as both a detective movie and a martial arts flick.  The set and costume design are gorgeous, while the story is breezy fun with just the right amounts of suspense, spookiness and mysticism.  And with the legendary Sammo Hung as action director, you know the fight choreography will be top notch.

Leading a stellar cast, the great Andy Lau plays the titular detective with intelligence, wit, and aplomb.  Furthermore, to prepare for his role in the film, Lau studied criminal psychology, which adds to the verisimilitude as Detective Dee conducts his investigation.  In addition, giving the detective a strong cast of characters to play against elevates the work: Detective Dee's verbal jousts with the Empress, played by Carina Lau, Andy's wife, in her first film role in four years, are some of the best scenes in the movie.

All in all, Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame is an excellent film.  If you would like to watch a Chinese martial arts film or historical drama with unexpected depth and superb execution, you could do a lot worse than this gem.

恭喜發財！

SC's Parting Shot: 9 of 10

Movie Review: The Last Unicorn (1982)

I wanted to give some love to a wonderful but somewhat forgotten classic animated film, The Last Unicorn:

Adapted from the novel with a screenplay by the original author, The Last Unicorn follows the title character as she leaves the safety of her forest to discover what happened to her people.  Through various twists and turns, the Unicorn learns more about herself and the wider world than she thought possible or that she bargained for, and the ending is both bittersweet and something of a surprise.

Although ostensibly a children's film, The Last Unicorn is, in fact, a far more mature and richly layered narrative that is, by turns, a coming of age story, a mystery, a romance and a stirring tale of heroism.  This movie is a fairy tale, but it's more in the mold of the Brothers Grimm.  For example, there are moments filled with sorrow and bitterness that you'll never see in a Disney film, such as Molly Grue's lament upon meeting the Unicorn:

Molly: No, it can't be! Can it be? Where have you been? Where have you been? Damn you! Where have you been? 

Schmendrick: Don't you talk to her that way! 

Unicorn: I'm here now. 

Molly: And where were you twenty years ago? Ten years ago? Where were you when I was new? When I was one of those innocent young maidens you always come to? How dare you! How dare you come to me now, when I am THIS?! [Weeps]

Moving stuff.

The film also isn't afraid to bring the dark, such as when the Harpy kills Mommy Fortuna by ripping off the latter's face:

You'll never see THAT in a Disney film, either.

From top to bottom, this is a fantastic film.  Produced by Rankin/Bass, the guys that made the iconic animated versions of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Return of the King, the animation in The Last Unicorn is stylistically similar but qualitatively superior to those other films, which is unsurprising since it was done by Topcraft, a company that was bought out of bankruptcy by its top flight talent and turned into Studio Ghibli.

The movie also boasts an all-star vocal cast, including Mia Farrow, Jeff Bridges, Alan Arkin and, Saruman himself, Christopher Lee, who are all excellent, bringing depth and distinct personalities to their roles.  Furthermore, the mellow but melancholy soundtrack, performed by America, fits perfectly.

Like all the best "Young Adult" fiction, The Last Unicorn always treats its audience with intelligence and respect.  It is unafraid to ask tough questions and demand tough answers.  For example, the Unicorn learns that the world can be hard and unfair, even if or, indeed, because you've done the right thing.

I recommend this movie not only to speculative fiction fans but anyone who likes challenging, engaging and though provoking media.

SC's Parting Shot: 10 of 10

Movie Review: Ninja Scroll (1993)

I wanted to give a shout out to my favorite animated film of all time, Ninja Scroll:

Better known in its native Japan as "獣兵衛忍風帖," Ninja Scroll is a stunning accomplishment.  Visually breathtaking, with a dark, twisted mystery and a tough-as-nails protagonist that would make Raymond Chandler proud and filled with explosive action, rich details, a wry sense of humor and interesting characters, this is a great story.  Full stop.

The plot follows wandering adventurer Kimagabei Jubei (牙神 獣兵衛), as he inadvertently becomes embroiled in a plot by an old enemy that will determine the fate of Japan.  Ninja Scroll has ninjas, samurai, super spies, demons, dark sorcery, and even pirates (sort of).  The only thing it doesn't have is a scroll.

As far as I can tell, that's the ONLY problem with Ninja Scroll.  Blending fiction and historical fact, the film is set in a well realized Fantasy Japan that's logical and internally consistent.  This logical bent extends to the superb character design, where the characters' skills and abilities make internal sense, are consistent, and sometimes take the story in unexpected directions.  Furthermore, the characters' flaws and foibles make them three-dimensional and relatable and also take the story in unexpected directions as well.

Writer/Director Kawajiri Yoshiaki's (川尻 善昭) attention to detail is outstanding and pays off in really inventive ways, such as the wire connected to Jubei's sword.

Also, the various plots within plots would make Frank Herbert proud.

Even if characters and the story were dumb (which, thankfully, is not the case), the fight scenes themselves are worth the price of admission.  As Jubei and his unexpected companions, Kagero and Dakuan, battle the Eight Devils of Kimon (鬼門八人衆), combat features gory splatterfests, chess-like strategy, clever misdirection and just about everything in between.  Jubei may be  a master swordsman and ninja, but the Devils of Kimon have him clearly outgunned and our reluctant hero only manages to triumph through various combinations of trickery, teamwork and luck.  Fight choreography is uniformly excellent.

As fair warning, Ninja Scroll does feature more than a little graphic sexual content, but such is part of the story and never simply for the cheesecake factor.  Personally, I think it adds to the sense of this bold, no-holds barred style of storytelling.

I've loved this movie to bits ever since it was released on VHS.  And the quality of the art and the story is such that it still holds up well after more than two decades.  Truly a masterwork.

SC's Parting Shot: 10 of 10

Movie Review: The Eagle (2011)

Another excellent but underrated Sword & Sandal film is director Kevin Macdonald's The Eagle:

Based on Rosemary Sutcliff's beloved historical adventure novel The Eagle of the Ninth (1954), which in turn is loosely based on the disappearance of the Legio IX Hispana (purportedly during a punitive expedition to Caledonia (modern day Scotland)), The Eagle takes place in 2nd century AD and follows Marcus Flavius Aquila, a young Roman officer who has come to Roman Britain to discover his father's fate (a senior officer with the Ninth Legion) and to restore his family's honor. Receiving an honorable discharge after successfully defending his fort, the appropriately named Aquila heads north with his slave Esca, son of the slain chief of the Brigantes, past Hadrian's Wall to search for the Aquila (the eagle-shaped military standard) of the Ninth Legion.

The story is part Heart of Darkness, journeying into the unknown to the edge of the Roman world, and part Mismatched Partners, with two very different people having to work together.  It works for the most part- I felt the ending was a bit contrived.  The film looks great, with beautiful shots of mountains, rivers, and the grime and grit of Iron Age living.  Also, combat is appropriately desperate and deadly:

Director MacDonald's commitment to realism pays off in ways that working with green screen and computer graphics never could, painting a reasonably authentic picture of 140 AD Roman Britain: Roman values are different from modern values and The Eagle doesn't shy away from the uglier side of the empire.  The film commitment to details also shines when it uses real Roman lingo and tactics like Testudo formation:

By comparison, the contemporary Centurion (2010) is very much a Hollywood action blockbuster.

A few things are still a bit off, though.  For example, Marcus Aquila's father was Primus Pilus Centurion, so it's odd that he'd shoulder the blame for the loss of the Ninth Legion, as opposed to, say, the Legate.

Still, I quite enjoyed this under appreciated gem.  If you like historical, thoughtful tales of honor and adventure into the unknown set in the Iron Age, The Eagle is well worth your time.

SC's Parting Shot: 8 of 10

Movie Review: Hercules (2014)

While it did reasonably well at the box office and it does have flaws, Hercules, in my humble opinion, still hasn't gotten quite the love I think it deserves.  

I'm not trying to suggest that Hercules belongs in the same category as a Gladiator (2000) or a Conan the Barbarian (1982), but as a popcorn action flick, it is more than serviceable.  Based on the graphic novel Hercules: The Thracian Wars, our story finds Hercules after he has completed his twelve legendary labors: Banished from Athens, he sells his sword (well, club actually, which is pretty neat since that's an underrepresented heroic weapon) for coin.  Lord Cotys of Thrace offers Hercules his weight in gold and hijinks ensue.

As you might expect, director Brett Ratner is workmanlike, and the work behind the camera is competent but not particularly noteworthy.  Set and costume design are better, and I particularly like that the film's use of CGI is more limited and subtle than it might otherwise be.  The action is solid and worth the price of admission, as is the writing, which never has any eye rolling or groan worthy moments.

Even better is the cast: Of note is Ian McShane chewing scenery with relish, but I particularly liked Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock), who apparently spent 6 months training for the movie and is absolutely jacked (selling the physicality of the titular role).  Additionally, Messr Johnson's acting has come light years from The Scorpion King, to the point where Hercules' pathos is reasonably believable.


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I know that some people were disappointed by the "twist" that Hercules is a mere mortal (though, some of his onscreen feats belie that point) and his "legendary labors" were actually military missions undertaken by he and his team and then embellished by his PR guy.  However, that didn't bother me: conversely, I thought it was an interesting and refreshing take on the character.

Plus, the movie, at its core, is a classic D&D adventure: a group of adventurers meet in a tavern, face trials and tribulations, and eventually defeat the evil king.

So, if you're looking for a ripping Sword & Sandal yarn, you could do worse than this movie.  In fact, you need go no further than the other Hercules film released this summer.

SC's Parting Shot: 7 of 10