Director: Sngmoo Lee
Starring: Jang Dong Gun, Geoffrey Rush, Kate Bosworth, Danny Huston
***
Blame it on the iPod shuffle or moviegoers' shrinking attention spans, but genre-bending films are becoming a mainstay of modern filmmaking.
Hollywood has well and truly joined its music and literature counterparts in the "mash-up" movement, where various contrasting genres and conventions are blended together in the hope of creating something unique.
When it works, as in Shaolin Soccer and Shaun of the Dead, the results are thrilling; when it doesn't, you risk ending up with the likes of Shanghai Noon or The Last Airbender.
The former was strangled by its tangled plot-lines while the orientalism of the latter bordered on the offensive.
With his debut feature, The Warrior's Way, the South Korean filmmaker Sngmoo Lee doesn't throw away the rule book, but instead gathers them all and staples them together as one, in a film that hopscotches across various genres.
By the final credits, viewers could have spotted snippets of Japanese samurai films, the spaghetti Western, the family comedy, sports drama and graphics that could come straight from the latest PlayStation.
This is all well and good for playing spot-the-genre with friends, but does it translate into a watchable experience? Lets begin with the plot.
After slicing his way across Asia, the eponymous Warrior (Jang Dong Gun) achieves his ultimate goal of being hailed as the world's top swordsman. However, his decision to spare the life of an infant - the sole survivor of a rival clan - has him on the run from his own tribe.
With sword and baby in tow, the Warrior (we never learn his name) sails to America and comes to the dusty old circus town of Lode, which the drawling narrator describes as "a town full of broken people at the end of the desert".
When he learns that the Chinese friend he had meant to visit is dead, the "warrior with empty eyes" makes himself at home among the population of unemployed clowns and misfits.
Standing out from this dour lot is the fiery beauty Lynne (Kate Bosworth). Intrigued by the stranger, she decides to work with him to revive the town's (much needed) laundry business.
With the samurai and fish-out-of-water themes checked, the film resorts to Karate Kid mode when the Warrior learns of Lynne's quest to avenge the death of her family at the hands of a bandit known as the Colonel (Danny Huston), who, with his henchmen, routinely terrorises the town.
The Warrior teaches Lynne the fine art of sword combat, all the while dispensing self-help advice such as: "Focus! It is not your arm that shakes. It is your heart."
When the Colonel and his gang return to destroy the town, the movie veers towards spaghetti Western territory, only this turns out to be the prelude to the real showdown, which is when the Warrior's pursuing tribesmen catch up with him.
The final battle sequence, where it's east versus west, paddy hats versus cowboy boots, swords versus pistols, is unintentionally hilarious, though you wonder whether Lee is offering some kind of subtle cultural observation here, portraying the cowboys as clumsy yet resourceful while the silent Asian assassins are efficient but single-minded.
What saves The Warrior's Way from being a total mess is the sheer verve of the filmmaking. Lee approaches the film with an eye for the surreal. In his world, body parts fly gracefully across the screen, trajectories of bullets are tracked, and battles finely choreographed.
The decision to shoot the film mostly on green screen was inspired as it gives the stylised setting an almost mythical feel, but at times it comes awfully close to resembling a computer game. And given that most of the creative work happens behind the camera and in post-production, the cast do a good job of serving the director's vision.
In what has been pegged as his Hollywood breakout role, the South Korean actor Jang Dong Gun has charisma but ultimately has little to do beyond looking deadpan while disembowelling his enemies, while Geoffrey Rush, as the retired gunslinger Ron, and Bosworth simply have fun in unchallenging roles as the Warrior's sidekicks.
The best performance, however comes from Huston, whose maniacal Colonel recalls Anthony Hopkins's Hannibal Lecter.
On paper, The Warrior's Way may look as mismatched as sashimi on spaghetti, but it's a treat worth sampling.
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How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SPEC%20SHEET
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Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
