In the time-warp tradition of Iceman comes Ghost Warrior, an inventive fantasy-adventure from cult-movie king Charles Band (Parasite). Suddenly awake after 400 years of frozen sleep, a valiant samurai warrior struggles to survive the harsh challenges of modern-day Los Angeles. This action-packed tale is the thrilling saga of Yoshi (Hiroshi Fujioka, High Seas Hijack, In the Line of Duty III), a master of Japan’s 16th-century fighting arts who is accidentally frozen in time and miraculously revived in the 1980s. On the run from the institute that ended his sleep of centuries, Yoshi must pit his ancient skills and power against the forces of a violent and confusing world. He has vanquished enemies from a distant time—but can he prevail on the streets of the future? Also known as Swordkill, Ghost Warrior co-stars the wonderful Janet Julian (King of New York).
For thoughts on Ghost Warrior, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Ghost Warrior debuts on Blu-Ray with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 and is not advertised as being from a new scan. The presentation is a bit inconsistent with soft long shots and weak delineation throughout. The release does not appear to be plagued by digital tinkering, as this transfer maintains the natural film grain of the presentation, even if it can be a bit loose. Overall clarity and detail is passable, and skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup.
As mentioned, the picture occasionally runs slightly on the soft side, most likely due to limitations of the original source material. Colors could be a bit more well saturated compared to what we get, and instances of print damage do occasionally pop up with specks and marks visible. Black levels could be stronger with crush becoming an issue in some of the darker moments. This presentation from Kino Classics does the trick, but there is room for improvement if it is ever given a new scan.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that suits the film as needed. The score from Richard Band sounds pleasant throughout the duration of the film, as it creates an adventurous tone for the film. There is never a moment where it threatens to overwhelm competing sounds, and it maintains a good balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. Environmental sounds such as the swiping of swords and revving of engines are rendered well alongside the bustling urban locales. There does not seem to be any majorly noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear. Kino Classics has given this film the well preserved, faithful audio presentation it deserves.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Action Film Historians Brandon Bentley and Mike Leeder provide a pretty decent commentary track in which they discuss the background of the project, the location shooting of the picture, the work of Charles Band, the cast and characters, the release and audience reception to the film, the ways in which the film fails to be the best version of itself and much more that is very enlightening. One half of this audio experience is not of the best quality, but the information itself makes up for this deficiency.
- Die By The Sword – Interview with Special Makeup Effects Artist Robert Short: A new six-minute interview with Short in which he discusses working with Charles Band, how he got involved with the project, what type of severed limbs and the like he had to craft, the changing of the title, his relationship with the actors, the film’s legacy and more.
- Trailers: The three-minute trailer for Ghost Warrior is provided here under the title Swordkill. There are also trailers provided for Golden Needles, Enter The Ninja, The Octagon, Programmed To Kill, Revenge of the Ninja, Avenging Force and Blind Fury.
Final Thoughts
Ghost Warrior is intentionally cheesy from the very beginning, and you may somewhat enjoy it if you approach it with the right attitude. Having an old-school samurai bucking against the conventions of a modern society is a fine premise, and it plays out about how you would expect. The lack of anything truly creative or even a bit surprising dampens the enthusiasm somewhat, but it does deliver what it says it is going to – just nothing more. Kino Classics has brought this one to Blu-Ray with a serviceable A/V presentation and a couple of good special features. If you are a fan of silly, high concept action films from this period, be sure to grab a group of friends and throw this one on.
Ghost Warrior will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on January 17, 2023
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.