Forbidden Warrior (2004)

Very well executed

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

I am shocked to read how many other people dis-liked this movie, but perhaps that is only because all the people who enjoyed it weren't as driven to comment. This movie was great as a film for humor and action - as well as exactly the story telling you would expect. No this isn't a blockbuster film, and I wouldn't expect that out of a film I never heard of until I went to the rental store. Forbidden Warrior is a story about a strong woman and it includes the elements of fighting, magic, love, etc. If you aren't into fantasy story-telling, particularly styles like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (but remember Forbidden Warrior is written in English, not a 'foreign' film (if you happen to be American)). It is a bit campy or cheesy if you're looking at it seriously, but if you enjoy good-hearted characters, a strong woman story-line, fantasy and magic, and a movie made by people who seem to have had fun making it (having watched the behind-the-scenes). In conclusion, if you pick up the film to sit down and enjoy a bit of entertainment as a film is meant to be, you'll like it. If you are looking to critique and can't handle watching movies that haven't won an Oscar, then don't pick it up. This film is great for a certain category of audience, if you're not sure that's you, please take into consideration the other comments about this movie - as it is understandable if this isn't your 'cup-of-tea', but it is mine.

I'm all for Asian Actors getting some featured roles in TV and movies, so this is no criticism of the actor's work.I'm saying Hip Hop because of all the "sampling" that is going on in this movie...The theme music is the same as the one from the original Six Million Dollar Man...The guy that is with one of the brothers squats down and talks like that dude in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy...The white blind master guy has crazy eyes like Master Po from Kung Fu...Seki's father in the movie looks just like Sho Asahara from the Aum Shinri-kyo doomsday cult in Japan...The tall dude is a rerun of Andre The Giant's character in "Princess Bride"...Should I go on? I must say that Marie Matiko and Musetta Vander are very hot!!!The lameness is not the fault of the acting or even on the concept, it's on who ever thought that people wouldn't remember all these "rip offs" of other people's original ideas...

Awful is being nice. Whoever made this, really needs to either stop making movies altogether or go back to school and take the course on FILM again. They've must of been a sleep the day they taught acting. I think i actually got dumber watching this movie. I would have left and gone for a drive if it was for the fact, i was already on my bed and was too lazy to get up and turn the TV off. I did learn one valuable lesson. That you should always keep your remote control near you in situation like these. The acting was the worst. I have seen better acting from Keanu Reeves in one scene, then this entire movie has to offer. The special effects are pathetic. It's not about cost of doing CG, anyone could do better sitting at home, on their home pc. I can prove it if anyone wants to see. The dialog, OMG. Don't make me start. It's like a blind nun who speaks and writes Zimbabwe Sign wrote the English script. There this one guy, and every line, he keeps going "My Child". It so irritating, you want to do physical harm to this guy but he's already blind in the movie. Please don't watch it. I beg you whatever you do, don't watch it. This is the new standard in craptacular. I have seen many hundreds of movies. This is by far the worst. The kicker is the fact this movie ends with a sequel like ending. I hope it's never made. Even Chunk Norris could not save this one people.

While many people probably expected this movie to be some kind of great martial arts / sword fighting flick; it only delivers on a juvenile level. The fighting contains very little blood, and that which it does have isn't like what you would see even in a PG-13 movie today, but I can't say it was bad fighting, not can I say it was great fighting.This movie because of the way it was shot reminded me of watching a very long episode of a Hercules style television show. So I'm not sure if this was originally intended for the television or the big screen.I think the story makes a lot of assumptions about what the watcher knows. They don't explain much about the geography used. Characters have little to know background given. The characters in some respects I believe are so proto-typical that they probably didn't feel the need to tell much about them since their appearance could tell you quite a bit. While I like this about the movie, and it makes it very easy to tell the good guys from the bad guys, in many ways its what I don't like about the movie too. I like characters, well, to have some more character and depth to them! I don't think anyone who watches this will be left going, ugh what a terrible movie, if they have the right mindset. But if you're looking for a serious martial arts / Asian flavored movie then this isn't the film for you.