- Director : Huo Sui Qiang
- Actors : Andy On, ZiXiong Li, Xing Yang, Hanyang Wang
- Subtitles: : English, French Canadian
- Language : Mandarin Chinese (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), Mandarin Chinese (Stereo)
- Studio : Well Go USA Entertainment
- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Country of Origin : China
- Number of discs : 1
- Media Format : Blu-ray
- Run time : 1 hour and 48 minutes
- Release date : June 11, 2024
There has been a
longstanding tradition of blind heroes in action films, long before Donnie Yen
made it his signature in sequels and spin-offs for popular franchises like Star
Wars and John Wick. Even before Daredevil was created on both page and
screen, there have been iconic action films featuring sight-impaired heroes.
The Zatoichi samurai franchise lasted 25 films, and that doesn’t even
include the multiple remakes and rip-offs. Blind War carries on this tradition
within an action movie nearly able to pass itself off as a Hong Kong bullet-ballet
action film from the 1990s if it weren’t for the occasional cheap CGI.
Blind War
also suffers from a slightly underwhelming screenplay, though the twisted
premise shows moments of promise. When SWAT captain Dong Gu (Andy On) breaks
protocol during a courtroom siege, he is permanently blinded and forced into
retirement. The only surviving perpetrator is Xi Na (Yang Xing), one half of a psychotic couple
seeking revenge for sexual assault. When she escapes from prison, Xi Na also
wants revenge against Dong Gu for killing her lover, but instead partners up
with him after a ridiculous coincidence leads them to have a common enemy.
As though the
film did not have enough of a ridiculous premise, Dong Gu turns into Liam
Neeson when his daughter is taken by the same human trafficking crime ring Xi
Na is seeking revenge against. The fact that he is blind doesn’t stop him from
destroying anyone dumb enough to take him on in a fight, which is the real
reason to watch this film. Every fight scene is well choreographed and
perfectly over-the-top, and twice as good as the entirety of the new Bad
Boys film. What Blind War struggles to get right is the comedic relief,
especially with the forced humor Inspector Clouseau-type character of Detective
Rama (Dao Dao).
The Blu-ray release
for Blind War contains no real special features, although there is something
of a making-of featurette playing over the credits. The only problem is that
none of what the filmmakers and cast say is subtitled for anyone who doesn’t
speak Mandarin.
Entertainment Value:
8/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 3/10
Special Features: 0/10
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