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.

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at http://jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.

Dynamite Warrior/Exiled Duo-pack DVD from Magnolia Home Entertainment

Dynamite Warrior – DVD REVIEW
Review by JAM

Jone Bong Fai (Dan Chupong), also known as Zieng, is looking for revenge against the tattooed man who killed his parents. Becoming a Robin Hood type hero, he fights rustlers of water buffalo, stealing them back for the poor villagers while searching the chests of men for the tattoo from his nightmares. Finally finding Nai Hoi Singh (Samart Payakarun), the man he believes to be the killer of his parents, he falls into a group of unscrupulous thieves and an evil Black Wizard (Panna Rittakrai) who want the “killer” destroyed for their own reasons.

The wizard’s daughter Sao (Kanyapak Suworakood) becomes his port in the storm even as the insanity of his life continues. Falling under the spell of Lord Waeng (Leo Putt) and the Black Wizard, Jone Bong Fai steals the powers of the wrong man as he discovers the truth behind the Black Wizard’s evil. Allying himself with his savior from long ago, he uses the powers of his rockets and skills to bring the fight back to the Wizard, Lord Waeng, and the buffalo rustlers.

JAMS Ink on Dynamite Warrior

WOW! My thought on the action of this movie is WOW! The movie itself is truly a B movie type, perfect for guys’ night or for someone who truly enjoys martial arts, especially Muay Thai. This movie prides itself on being slightly tongue-in-cheek as it goes through a variety of plotlines, whether revenge for the past, protection of the poor villagers, unscrupulous business men using underhanded tactics, and mystical powers shared by former brothers-in-arms. It is a fun movie to watch, one in which your attention can stray for a second not miss much story, but at the same time you may be entranced by the amazing martial art choreography that takes place, and find that your eyes can not leave the screen. I recommend this for those who enjoy suspension of disbelief martial arts movies, who enjoy excellent choreography, who enjoy a little mysticism thrown into a fun B-movie type foreign film, who enjoy plying and exploding rockets, and who want to be entertained. Besides, with this pack, you get two for one on the movies when Exiled is included. Dynamite Warrior is worth it by itself, so check it out if it seems to be your type of movie.

Exiled – DVD REVIEW
Review by JAM

Johnnie To’s Exiled is a thrill ride of choices between loyalty between job and family, from a number of characters as the movie runs through the life of a former hitman Wo (Nick Cheung) who was exiled from the business and so has decided raise his family apart from his former life. His professional life catches up to him as a team of two assassins (Anthony Wong and Suet Lam) are sent to take him out. Another team of two (Francis Ng and Roy Cheung) come to save his life. Seems all five grew up together, and after the gun battle ends, they all work on cleaning up afterwards.

Thus starts a spiraling ride through betrayal, loyalty, and gunfights galore as all the assassins decide to join forces for one more job to make cash for the wife and son that Wo will be leaving behind. Crazy action, gunfights galore, and friends loyal to the end fill this movie until it climaxes at the end. Friends may live and die, but loyalty is forever.

JAMS Ink on Exiled

This is an interesting dichotomy in filmmaking as the twist and turns that loyalty produces make this an interesting watch from start to finish. It is a Tarantino type of movie with gunfights galore, lots of dramatic poses, and a number of true anti-heroes making their ways through life. As much as the characters are undesirables, the viewer does feel sympathy and an empathy as the story continues.


Dynamite Warrior/Exiled combo pack from Magnolia Home Entertainment hits shelves on May 4, 2010. Add a little action to your lives and pick up a copy today!

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at http://www.hollywoodteenzine.com/ for teens and tweens, and at http:\\jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.