Yang (Jang Dong-gun) is the greatest swordsman in history, ever. While attempting to finish off his ninja clan’s adversaries he grows a heart. Backing down, Yang becomes a marked man and as such he flees Asia for America. He arrives in the Wild West where he is befriended by a traveling circus, which includes the drunkard Ron (Geoffrey Rush) and dagger thrower Lynne (Kate Bosworth).
Meanwhile Yang’s master (Ti Lung) has gathered the clan together to hunt down their champion. But with Yang having fled to the USA, how are they do find him? Turns out the souls of his victims will cry out, literally, if his sword is in use. Who knew? Despite his efforts to live in peace, Yang of course has to defend his new friends against troublemakers, and thus the ninja v. cowboy confrontation is brought to fruition.
The selling point for The Warrior’s Way is to make a Hollywood original of the popular stylized Asian sword epics. The trouble is that there is very little epic about this tacky, violent, clueless film. As is becoming the custom, our stoic hero is one of the few genuine Asians and he of course speaks little English. The special effects have little special about them. There are no exterior shots in the film; everything is done in a studio surrounded by green walls. Since this isn’t Avatar the absurd computer created backgrounds are particularly distracting and unbecoming of a major motion picture. Even the fighting is disappointing as director Sngmoo Lee skirts the physical for editing effects.
Surprisingly, The Warrior’s Way is best when it slows down. The relationships Yang establishes with his new friends contain many lighthearted themes and at times more romantic that the latest chick flick offerings. Feels like it has been ages since I last saw Bosworth on screen, but her interpretation of a feisty young lady serves as a highlight. I’m confused over Rush’s involvement, but maybe he thought he would try playing as Jack Sparrow for a change.
Sadly, The Warrior’s Way loses its way. Just as we settle in with the toned down Americans and their simple way of life, all has to be interrupted. It’s a given that Yang would have to duke it out with his former clan, but the way it’s handled just goes off the deep end. The interjection of sudden extreme violence is in pour taste, and I’m not solely blaming the ninjatō; several kind circus folk are gunned down with headshots. The Warrior’s Way makes a halfhearted attempt at humor, then ratchets up the violence to not only unnecessary extremes but also the ridiculous, unattractive, and ultimately unentertaining This tonal shift combined with the overdone, obvious composite backdrops makes for a disjointed film that feels like both a family friendly adventure (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) and the hardedge Sin City. **
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