JAM Reviews Kingdom of War Parts 1 & 2 from Magnolia Home Entertainment

Kingdom of War Part 1 & 2: Blu-Ray: Magnolia Home Entertainment
Review by JAM

A sprawling epic of stunning visuals and historic event, Kingdom of War tells the story of Thailand’s independence from the yoke of Burmese rule through the life of Prince Naresuan.

Taken from his conquered home as a hostage of war, Naresuan finds himself tutored and trained in the manners of war and the values of a true man while under this captivity. Even though a captive, Naresuan finds himself in favor of the king, looked upon as a foster son and trusted in many ways while he also makes other lifelong relationships in the company of the orphan Bunting and the temple girl Manechan. The first film focuses on the gradual aging of Naresuan through his teen years along with the political meandering behind the scenes and slight segues into battle.

The second part of this Kingdom of War actually has more war in it. Naresuan has become a commander in the army of his “foster” father king, and proves himself to be a supreme strategist. Upon the passing of his king, politics ensue as “brothers” find themselves on opposing sides in a battle for freedom and respect. War takes center stage in much of this film as swords, rifles, and cannons take their place alongside the armies of the land in an epic dance of destruction. Naresuan’s goal is the independence of Thailand from Burma’s control and he is willing to fight for it.

JAMS Ink on Kingdom of War

I was expecting a martial arts epic in which fists flew, knees knocked, leg sweeps landed, and the blood flowed from a thousand wounds. But instead I was treated to a historic epic. The war scenes within the film are epic, showcasing a low budget version of violence and mayhem without the use of overrun CGI, and that I can respect. The moments of battle are riveting and truly the most enjoyable of these films. The politics and maneuvering behind the scenes are drier and harder to watch along with the coming of age scenes in the first portion of the movie. The film set is a truly beautiful look at this historical record and worthy of watching if history and long winded drama are your thing.

BLU-RAY ASPECTS

The pageantry and beauty of the region is enhanced by the clarity of the Blu-ray as brightly colored denizens of the land are on display throughout the film. The war scenes as well are clear and controlled even as cannons blast and rifles fire, giving the viewer a sense of being there. If you are into historical epics of this sort, then BLURAY YES is all I can say.

EXTRAS

There are few extras included when you compare them to the 6 hours of film that you have, but they have a few good ones. On Disc one, you may want to take a look at the Royal Lineage and Characters before even starting. In such an epic film, having an idea of who is who and how they relate to each other would be a great help. Also on Disc One is the Behind the Scenes of Kingdom of War, a look at the historical research done for this film. Disc Two has a Making of featurette, another small behind the scenes look, and a Music Video that is intriguing in a bad way.

Historical canon and blasting cannons, such is the story of the Kingdom of War. Check it out on June 14, 2011.

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