Dragon Wars Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Dragon Wars Blu-ray Movie Review

Dragon Wars is a few edits away from being mindless fun.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 1, 2008

Why do you speak this nonsense?

This is going to be a tough review to write. Dragon Wars may very well prove to be Mystery Science Theater 3000 worthy schlock to many viewers, and I can certainly see the elements that would lead the fate of this film down that particular type of road. However, I don't think I can berate it quite that badly. Dragon Wars (or D-War) seems to me the little movie that tried really hard to be "good," but it just couldn't pull it off. By "good" I don't mean Gone With the Wind "good" or 2001 "good" or Superman "good" or even Resident Evil "good," but rather a solid, energetic, and fun film that could hold its head high, saying "I did it. I entertained you." Well, Dragon Wars proves to be a good start to achieving that goal, anyway. It seems as if the talent behind the film took a rough cut, said, "go with this," added the effects, and released it. This film isn't that far away from being "passable." Ultimately, it's impossible to place the blame squarely on anyone's shoulders for this shortcoming, but most will be looking in the direction of little known South Korean director Hyung-rae Shim whose last film was 1999s 2001 Yonggary (Reptilian in the United States). He's made a film that is rather convoluted on plot and short on spit and polish, but darn it, I couldn't help but think that that spit and polish just could have pushed this movie over the edge and into the realm of "good." Alas, what we have is a movie that will forever be a punch line rather than an entertaining 90 minutes of dragon fighting and bullet flying fun.

We're going to need bigger guns.

Perhaps the most annoying aspect of Dragon Wars is the convoluted plot. The film begins with Jack (Robert Forster, Firewall) recounting a tale of dragons, maidens, heroes, and villains to young Ethan (Cody Arens, The Land Before Time) who, it seems, destiny has chosen to be the reincarnation of a Korean warrior named Haram, who lived 500 years ago. This would be a rather long synopsis if I were to draw out the back story in its entirety, so here it is in as brief a manner as I can make it: The Imoogi are heavenly serpents. Every 500 years, one is rewarded for its good deeds by becoming a dragon. To become the dragon, the serpent must possess the Yuh Yi Joo. However, an evil serpent named Buraki wants to possess the Yuh Yi Joo for himself, so it was hidden on Earth inside a girl. It will mature when she turns twenty years of age. Heaven also sent a protector for this girl. The girl and the protector commit suicide before either Imoogi can obtain the Yuh Yi Joo. In the year 2007, the girl has become Sarah, and her protector is now a journalist named Ethan, both reincarnated spirits of their ancient counterparts. They must battle Buraki and prevent him from finally obtaining the Yuh Yi Joo as he destroys Los Angeles in the process.

I think the biggest problem this movie has is the way in which the background story was told. It throws a lot of information at the viewer in a short amount of time, all the while there is a special effects extravaganza battle going on on-screen. The movie throws a lot of Korean mythological terminology at the viewer in a short amount of time and it's difficult to keep track of it if you go in completely unfamiliar the first time. A lot of it sounded like Pokemon nomenclature to me. In fairness, it was much easier to comprehend the second time I viewed it after having seen the movie in its entirety. In the end, this is a B-movie that really tries harder than anything I have ever seen at being good. Most of the earmarks of a fun popcorn movie are here. There's plenty of action throughout, and it was enough to satisfy me. It reminded me quite a bit of Godzilla with the Apache helicopters and numerous pieces of heavy weaponry firing on an oversized lizard in the middle of a big city. Although I haven't seen Godzilla in several years, I think Dragon Wars is the better movie of the two. As I said, the movie ultimately fell apart due to the shoddy and overly complex script. It's not even cheesy; it's just poorly written. The movie does offer great special effects and CGI. The monsters and the destruction they cause is pretty believable. Dragon Wars gets an A for effort and a D for execution, and I cannot fault it too much for giving it the old college try.

Dragon Wars Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Dragon Wars, as presented here in 1080p inside its original 2.40:1 frame, looks pretty good on the whole. The image displays some grain at times, especially in darker scenes, but as it is inherent to the film stock, it's a non-issue. Skin tones appeared to be spot-on with no awkward pink, red, or orange shades to them that plagues some transfers. Black levels were slightly disappointing. They look fairly good for most of the picture but, unfortunately, there is some wavering as they turn a shade of dark gray at times rather than staying "true" black. The print, as expected, is in tip-top condition with no visible flaws. Colors are bright, vivid, and lifelike. Fine detail is present throughout. Even dirt, scratches, and other blemishes on some of the cars the heroes escape in throughout the movie are surprisingly rich in clarity and offer lifelike subtleties that really enhances the feel of the movie. Perhaps my biggest complaint was an odd sheen present over several scenes. I noted it mostly when Ethan's character was on-screen. The result was an orange tint about him, and his hair appeared more of a shiny purple than the natural black we see through most of the film. Otherwise, this is a really nice transfer from Sony that should please the movie's fan(s) a great deal.

Dragon Wars Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack accompanying Dragon Wars is an all out, punch you in the gut and never let up, rocking soundtrack. This is a true sonic barrage of mayhem and destruction whose only fault, perhaps, is being too aggressive. Nah. No such thing! I was as pleased as can be with this track. The only thing missing is the fine nuances present in mixes like that found on the Resident Evil: Extinction disc. Surrounds are present and accounted for during all the action sequences as the all-out reptilian attacks lay waste to men, material, and city landmarks. During these barrages, bass is deep and powerful, shaking appropriately with the crumbling of buildings and smashing of military equipment. The battle taking place in 1507 near the beginning that features what appear to be rocket launchers(?) mounted on large unearthly animals sounds especially wonderful. Think of all the different accolades you've heard tossed around in regards to the top-notch soundtracks, and they will all apply here. The only other issue I had with the track, besides the lack of fine nuances, was that dialogue sounded a little unnatural in a few instances, this time, primarily, when Jack's character is speaking. This was not a lip synch issue, but he sounded a little "off" or out of place at times. Still, I was blown away by this track. Sony appears to be favoring TrueHD lossless sound now rather than PCM uncompressed, but as they should be virtually identical mixes, I don't have a problem with either one. This TrueHD track is marvelous.

Dragon Wars Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

It should come as no surprise that the special features cupboard is pretty bare for Dragon Wars. We do get a documentary entitled 5000 Years in the Making (480p, 18:10) that tells us that this was the "most anticipated" Korean film ever. This feature is narrated by placards with speeches by director Hyung-rae Shim. He speaks Korean, and the subtitles are not turned on by default, so make sure to turn them on before watching this feature. He discusses the impact of having Koreans depicted in a positive light in a Hollywood film. He also talks about the rigors of shooting a special effects laden film and creating his own F/X studio, Yonggu Art, for this film. It's obvious he is very passionate about his work and pleased with this film, and watching this feature made me want to revisit the film again. There is also a feature entitled Storyboard Comparisons that focuses on five separate scenes. We see the final cut of the scenes, a version with some rough CGI, and the storyboards all on screen at the same time. It's put together and presented rather well. Finally, the only other extra on this disc is a Conceptual Art Gallery that features artist renditions of certain scenes.

Dragon Wars Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Dragon Wars is more or less entertaining if you get the story. We get almost wall-to-wall action that proves to be pretty fun with very good CGI and effects. The acting is rather bland, but anyone expecting to hear "Dragon Wars" and "Oscar" in the same sentence (unless we're talking the Sly Stallone pic) is most likely living in an alternate universe anyway. I've had mixed feelings over the past 24 hours since watching Dragon Wars and it has proven to be the most perplexing film I've had to rate yet. Therefore, I have to give the movie itself a rating right smack dab in the middle of the scale. This is one I'll be revisiting in the next few months to see how I feel after it has had time to sink in. On the technical side of things, this is a fantastic Blu-ray that should not overly disappoint even the harshest of critics. The supplements are slim, but seeing director Hyung-rae Shim's heartfelt passion for this film made me want to see it again. Dragon Wars is cautiously recommended.