With the NYAFF kicking off today with War of the Arrows, here’s a review I wrote of the film back in February.
I have come to the conclusion that Asia loves historical epics as much as Hollywood loves superhero films…and that makes me very happy. They get churned out like butter and the latest one that I had the chance to view was Kim Han-Min’s Korean bow and arrow epic, War of the Arrows, which is releasing on February 21stfrom Well Go USA.
Set during the Manchurian invasion of Korea in 1636, a legendary archer and servant to the Korean King is framed for treason and, as such, is executed while protecting his kin. While sending them on the run, he tells his son, Nam-Yi (Hae-il Park), that he is now Ja-In’s father and to protect her at all costs. Taking refuge at their father’s friend’s home, Kim Mu-seon, they are raised as one of his own. 13 Years pass and Nam-Yi has given up on life, focusing only and his archery practice and drinking while his sister prepares to wed Kim’s son, Seo-Goon.
On the day of their wedding, the Manchurian army of the Qing dynasty invades the Joseon city and takes the villagers as prisoners, including Ja-in (Moon Chae-Won) and Seo-Goon (Mu-Yeol Kim). Nam Yi, having left the wedding early, rushes back to the city to find it covered with dead bodies and no living person in sight. Armed with his father’s trusty bow, Nam Yi goes on a mission to fulfill his father’s promise of protecting his sister and getting her back by any means necessary while Manchuria’s best warriors are hot on his tail.
I feel like all I can say is that Robin Hood ain’t got sh*t on Nam-Yi. In a way, War of the Arrows feels like Taken during the Qing era. Nam Yi might not be the baddest guy out there but he is a rebel and a very skilled one at that. What makes him so much cooler than other archers like Legolas (Lord of the rings) and Mr. Hood is his ability to manipulate an arrow’s path, or more simply, he can curve an arrow. Remember how in Wanted Angelina Jolie could curve a bullet? Well Nam Yi can slightly curve an arrow making impossible shots legitimately possible for him which gives him an advantage against his numerous adversaries. Overall, he is just one cool Korean character.
I found this movie to be a pretty fun Asian ride. There aren’t many movies that solely revolve around archery and Kim Han-Min has managed to create an epic where each successive action sequence ups the intensity ante and where you actually become invested in the main characters, something that doesn’t always happen with these epics. Also, many historical epics are typically politically slanted but that wasn’t the case with this film, politics was a very small part, serving only as a backdrop. While not every part of the film is enjoyable, it is a simple film that can easily take your mind off the world around you which, to me, is considered a cinematic success.
My chief complaint about the film is that it felt pretty realistic the entire time but when it came to showing the Qing warriors in pursuit of Nam Yi, it seemed like they never grew tired. These guys just kept running at full speed in heavy armor and even when they took some of it off they still kept running without tiring. I don’t know about all of you but even when I’m in shape to run five miles with relative ease there is no way I could do that on mountainous terrain without feeling winded. Nam Yi and his companions were continually tiring out but these Chinese guys just wouldn’t give up, it was as if they were killers in a horror movie, relentless and always on the move.
Overall, War of the Arrows is definitely worth a watch if you’re into historical epics as much as I am. It has a lot of cool archery battle scenes, some nifty camerawork during said battle scenes, and a badass lead character. It’s not one you have to own but one I’d suggest renting if and when you have some free time.
Movie Rating: A fun action adventure in the vein of Taken with an Asian Legolas as the star (7/10)
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