Based on the legendary Chinese myth of King Gesar, Warrior King undertakes the difficult task of adapting a 1000-year-old story. Modernizing the tale for a new age, the film’s creative team uses animation to establish a distinct visual style that sets this adaptation apart through its use of unique character and environmental designs. However, the atypical structure of the source material makes it difficult for audience members to connect with the characters beyond the surface level.
The most vital point of the film is its creative art design. It is refreshing to see how much thought was put into each individual character’s design. Each character has a distinct look and costume, visually setting them apart from one another. This is particularly noteworthy in the intricacies of the mythical demon figures which serve as some of the many examples of the art team’s commitment to accurately representing the designs of Chinese culture.
This unique visual aesthetic is further enhanced through its diverse color palette, mainly when featuring divine powers. The film uses the juxtaposition of bright colors against the darker aspect of human civilizations to establish a “larger than life” aesthetic whenever the power of the Gods is called upon. It is visually unique and sets the tone for the mythological nature of the source material.
Warrior King also features many action sequences, with the superpowered protagonist, Chori, facing off against formidable monsters of different abilities. The scenes often move too quickly, though, and characters fight faster than the viewer can react to, making the overall scenes feel artificial. The pacing of the action at times can be reminiscent of video game cut scenes where the action is well thought out, but it moves too quickly to be absorbed. This increased frame rate does allow for some great utilization of the slow motion.
The instrumental score enhances the sweeping landscape shots, and fight scenes elevate the sequences to epic heights. The incorporation of singing into the plot leads to some emotional scenes as well as some beautiful vocals. One character’s sacrifice is made particularly impactful due to this incorporation of musical elements. The visual and audio components work hand in hand to give this story the gravitas an ancient myth deserves.
While Warrior King‘s visual presentation is excellent, the basic story elements leave much to be desired. These elements do not attempt to humanize the characters, leaving many of them feeling like caricatures defined by a singular trait. For example, Chori’s love interest is vain, his mother is loving, and his uncle is jealous. All of this characterization feels very surface-level, making the plot feel one-dimensional.
The best example of these issues in characterization comes from its protagonist, Chori, being portrayed as otherworldly. The film presents the him with no flaws and without any real experience of loss. This lack of obstacles makes Chori feel unrelatable as he faces none of the basic human struggles that audiences can relate to. It almost feels as if the audience only roots for him because the film tells us to.
These flaws are brought to the surface by the untraditional plot structure and pacing, which makes everything feel overly long and puzzling at times. Rather than allowing the character to evolve past his younger self, he spends the majority of the film as a child. This creative choice makes our protagonist feel stagnant, slowing the pacing of the story down. When time finally does pass, it’s as if nothing has changed beyond the character’s appearances. The narrative moves from plot point to plot point without consequence, creating a hero’s journey that feels longer than it needs to be.
While Warrior King presents its story with much care and effort, the source material drags down the filmmakers’ efforts in adapting the classic myth. The creative team’s dedication to the original myth is admirable, but from a storytelling perspective, it would have benefited from modernizing the characters, helping audiences connect with the overall film beyond a visual level.
Warrior King is currently playing in theaters courtesy of Cineverse.
While Warrior King presents its story with much care and effort, the source material drags down the filmmakers' efforts in adapting the classic myth. The creative team's dedication to the original myth is admirable, but from a storytelling perspective, it would have benefited from modernizing the characters, helping audiences connect with the overall film beyond a visual level.
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GVN Rating 5
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I’m Andrew! I love discussing movies and tv shows. My favorite genres include animation, musicals, and especially Superheroes.