- Actors: Vincent Zhao, Sammo Hung, Regina Wan
- Director: Gordon Chan
- Disc Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen
- Language: Mandarin Chinese (Dolby Digital 5.1), Mandarin Chinese (DTS 5.1)
- Subtitles: English
- Region: Region A/1
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Number of discs: 2
- Rated: Not Rated
- Studio: Well Go USA
- Release Date: October 17, 2017
- Run Time: 129 minutes
Characteristically
biased in its depiction of Chinese heroism when faced by outsider invaders and
heavy use of martial arts action, God of
War still manages to provide enough originality in its narrative to stand
apart from the dozens of other historical Chinese epics that are released each
year. Although the latest addition to this popular national genre is
inconsistent throughout the 129-minute run time, there are enough successful
elements in God of War to make it one
of the better releases in recent years.
Set during the
16th century during a time when the Chinese coastline was constantly
threatened by pirate attacks, God of War
focuses on one general’s personal fight against the invaders. Unsurprisingly,
the pirates focused on within the narrative are all Japanese, headed up by an
experienced general named Kumasawa (the legendary Yasuaki Kurata). At the
beginning of the film, many of the other Japanese commanders are laughing at
the incompetence of the Chinese army attacking their fort, but Kumasawa has
heard word of a new Chinese commander whose unorthodox methods may soon
threaten them.
After years of
failed attempts at banishing the pirates from Chinese land, General Yu Dayou
(Sammo Hung) enlists the help of a young general named Qi Jiguang (Vincent
Zhao), who is able to accomplish incredible feats by breaking from the usual
patterns and because of the way that he trains his men. Despite his success on
the battlefield, however, the powers in charge in the Chinese army are
unwilling to listen to Qi and his ideas for ending the pirate invasion.
Instead, the army arrests General Yu for being the commander that allowed the
changes to ordinary military protocol.
The middle half
of the film begins to drag as Qi fights against his own people in order to be
given the opportunity to expel the pirates. When he is finally given the
opportunity, the film picks up again. This is a movie that is less successful
in the weary scenes of dramatic dialogue, but comes alive in the battle scenes.
Much of this is due to the intelligence of the fighting methods, using tactical
approaches rather than simple brute strength. This paired with the mere scope
and precision of the choreography makes the battles exciting without needing to
be explicitly violent or to feature over-the-top fighting abilities. There is
nothing but pure skill on display, especially in the final one-on-one fight
between Qi and Kumasawa. If only Zhao were able to be as compelling in the
drama as he is in the action, God of War may have been a great film rather than
just a good one.
The Blu-ray
release comes with a DVD copy as well, though high definition is certainly the
best way to see the film. This is partially due to the explosive action in many
scenes, but also because of the high level of detail that can be found in the
production design of nearly every shot. There are also more than a few computer
effects added in, and CGI always tends to look better in high definition. The
bonus features on each disc includes a making-of featurette and the film’s
trailer.
Entertainment Value:
7.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7.5/10
Historical
Significance: 6/10
Special Features: 4/10
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