Choi-jong-byeong-gi hwal

War of the Arrows is not your typical action film. Certainly, much about it is typical. The lone hero, avenging his nation which has been taken over by some other hostile nation, sets out on a journey to rescue his kidnapped sister. In the process, he becomes a hero of the people. Yes, we've seen this before. But where this film truly shines is in it's inspired choice of focus: that of the bow and arrow. This is particularly interesting because archery is something that takes great skill. So, seeing an action film that takes on this weapon as focus is interesting in and of itself. But the film actually succeeds where it might otherwise fail.

As stated before, the film is fairly typical. It takes place during the Second Invasion of Manchu, when China invaded Korea in the early 1600's. The focus is on Nam-Yi, a skilled archer who, along with his sister Ja-In, must flee to a friend of their father's when he is killed. We spend a good deal of time in the beginning of the film seeing these two characters as children and then when they are young adults, but it's mostly somewhat interesting drama that does a decent job of setting up the story. The real meat of the film kicks off in the second hour when Ja-In is kidnapped and Nam-Yi must go after her. Once this part of the story gets underway, the action gets underway with it, and it's pretty damn impressive.

The choreography and cinematography following the battles between arrow slinging warriors is fantastic. There were moments when I had to rewind and play the scene again just to get a second look. This isn't out of poor filmmaking, but because some of the scenes are so damn cool, you want to see them again. And luckily, these scenes are rapid fire and a plenty. From the chases through the woods to a ravine shoot out to the final stand off, you barely have a moment to catch your breath. Although you realize that these men aren't actually as skilled as they come off, there are moments when you're none the less amazed at what's being shown.

Of course, this action would mean nothing if it weren't surrounded by at least competent filmmaking, but there is great skill displayed here. Our actors never feel unnatural, even if the acting isn't to rave about, and the cinematography is fantastic. This film would not work at all if the camera work was shotty, and thankfully it's not. You can savor each moment of fantastic action in calculated, collected shots that take the time to slow down when necessary and catch you by surprise when necessary. Suffice to say, all of this creates one fantastic action film, one of the best I have seen from Asia in quite some time.

If you're a fan of Asian action films, you owe it to yourself to give War of the Arrows a try. It's completely worth the time, even running over two hours. You won't be disappointed.

This is a stylish and sleek movie that is unduly criticized by many, especially those from other Asian countries as can be seen among other reviews here.

Most do not seem to understand the main point of this movie because they do not know the historical background this movie was set against and consequently they just think this is a ripoff of Hollywood.

The time ... the 17th century. Korea just repelled the Japanese invasion with Ming China's aid which alternated between being an ally and being racist tormentors of the Korean populace.

Manchu(Jurchens) were a nation of fierce warriors from the north, or they thought of themselves that way at least. They had been under the Chinese yoke and just threw it off. They are eventually to invade China proper and to rule over Chinese for the next 300 years. If you saw Last Emperor you will understand this historical setting.

An important thing to remember here is that they were NOT Chinese. Their hatred of Chinese was immense, almost pathological.(and the reason that they invaded Korea was precisely that the Korean court acted like a vassal of Ming China.) This contrasts very sharply with today's Manchu who think of themselves as Chinese.

Just 40 years prior to this event there was the infamous Japanese invasion of Korea and Ming China sent a force to aid Koreans. But this force came from Liatung base, the primary function of which was to suppress Jurchens and Mongols.

Even though that war ended in the victory for Korea and China this created a power vacuum in Manchuria as Ming China no longer controlled the region effectively. This is how the Jurchens(Manchu) rose to power. They were burning with hatred of Chinese for their condescending and racist treatments of their people.

The Korean King who was the crown prince at the time of the Japanese invasion ascended to the throne in the early 17th century. And because of his war time experience he was a practical man and saw the newly arising Manchu as a force to reckon with. He tried to be neutral between Ming China and Manchu.

However he was deposed by a group of Korean nobility and they tried to justify their coup with a more pro china stance. This is how Manchu invaded Korea twice and the second one was more catastrophic as shown in this movie.

So this movie is about the anger of the Korean masses felt toward the effete and effeminate Korean nobility class who were incredibly more loyal to Chinese than to their own people. It is about a war that could have been avoided if the Korean King at the time(generally regarded as the weakest and the most effeminate king in the history of Korea) and the nobility could back their word with action or had a more practical sense.

The Korean government did not help their people, actually did not even want to as long as they could hold onto their power, so the people had to help themselves against all odds. This is the basic premise of this film.

Anyway for those who are not interested in Korean or East Asian history... Manchu are not Chinese and the language they spoke in the movie was not Chinese.(In fact it was the Manchu language which is now dead. It was recreated from the Korean records of the Manchu language. The movie creator deserves some credit for this.)

If you can free yourself from this common misconception that Manchu were just a type of Chinese people you are already half-way there. Manchu were no more Chinese than Mongols are.

Back before the Big Bang that changed warfare (i.e.; the invention of the firearm- also know as "the coward's weapon of choice"), the bow and arrow were the weapons of choice- and one of the deadliest bows ever devised was the type of bow used by the Mongolians (which is bent ONE way, then bent BACK, doubling its power). In WAR OF THE ARROWS, we get a sense of what it might've been like to have used (or been shot by) just such a weapon. This is one of the best examples of how slow motion cgi can actually ENHANCE something as INTIMATE as killing with a bow and arrow- and the fx are utilized to their finest, here. The performances are all solid, and the storyline serves its purpose admirably. All around, a bullseye.

This movie had the potential to be amazing. Historical dramas always do. A person learns a little history and the thematic messages can be so relevant to the culture you live in today. However, war of the arrows failed to do that because it forgot to talk about it. Visually its obvious it takes place in a certain time way back when in history. But thats about it. Sure, there are enough references here and there to add to the plot but it begins to tear at the seams abit. I loved this movie because it had great pacing, it had great acting and overall it used every movie cliché and trope to its advantage. But it needed a little bit more substance in story. So if you are happy with excellent visuals, great acting ( THe guy who plays the villain, oh my word he is in my top ten list of villains) and killer archery scenes then definitely watch this movie. However, if you are going to scratch your head at the thin plot... don't. While I wished there was a bit more, it was entertaining and moving enough for me to give it a 8/10.

I'll make it short and sweet. This is an excellent movie. Beautifully shot, acted, directed and scored.

Make no mistake, it is violent and has a certain amount of gore. The action is obviously heavily stylized, but done so to appear more real as opposed to the likes of 300 or even Gladiator. It never glorifies violence, and the movie makes sure that the audience sees this through its commentary. That said, if you like action movies with a historical flair, then this one is definitely for you. And when I say action, I mean relentless, ongoing and very much in your face action. Once it starts, it just keeps on going and keeps you on edge for the ride. And what's surprising is that the movie still allows for character exposition; something South-Korean cinema is revered for and should be proud of (in case they aren't). There are some nods to Hollywood stylizing here, and of course, influences are inevitable, but make no mistake, this is not a Hollywood rip-off or carbon copy of any kind. While there are similarities in certain scenes and aspect of this movie to Mel Gibson's Apocalypto, it is only on the surface level. The intent is completely different.

Get your popcorn, you pop and your M&M's and enjoy the ride.