Silat Warriors: Deed of Death Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.5

Silat Warriors: Deed of Death Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 8, 2021

Silat Warriors: Deed of Death may tell a well worn story which will hardly be a surprise to anyone, but it at least has a somewhat unusual, maybe even "exotic", setting, and it also may offer a bit of new information in little aspects like the very word silat, which may not be generally that well known, but which is according to several online authorities a kind of generic term for martial arts that are native to Southeast Asia. What's perhaps both interesting and maybe a little problematic in this regard is that the "silat warriors" in the film really only kick (and punch) into action consistently in the film's closing act, with a lot of the rest of the running time given over to family dynamics in the focal group of characters. Pak Nayan (Namron) is the paterfamilias for a brood that includes daughter Fatima (Feiyna Tajudin), and sons Ali (Khoharullah Majid) and Mat Arip (Fad Anuar), the latter of whom might properly be described as the "prodigal" of the offspring, and whose bad behavior(s) put the entire family in danger.

The original Malaysian title of Silat Warriors: Deed of Death was evidently Geran, another term with which few Westerners may be familiar, but which evidently refers to land grants. And in fact as in melodramas of yesteryear, there's a land grab at stake surrounding the family plot owned by Pak Nayan and his brood. Suffice it to say that "bad boy" activities on the part of Mat Arip end up providing the film's villains with an opportunity to usurp Pak Nayan's property, which is when the entire family kicks (and punches) into high gear.

While both the family dynamics and even the overall plot direction are beyond predictable, there are a couple of ways that Silat Warriors: Deed of Death may at least offer a few little bursts of adrenaline, even if the actual martial arts sequences are strangely intermittent. The first of these is that among Mat Arip's escapades is street racing, which gives the film a few opportunities to exploit speeding cars in some gorgeous locations. There's also the kind of cool aspect that Fatima is above giving a (literal) smackdown to those who would question her authority.

Silat Warriors: Deed of Death Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Silat Warriors: Deed of Death is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. I haven't been able to dredge up any technical data of any kind on this shoot, but I'm assuming this was digitally captured and finished at 2K, though this seems to be another film where some noticeable digital grain has been added. That may not always redound to the presentation's benefit, as some of the darkest material, especially a number of garishly green sequences in places like pool halls, can edge toward noisy territory. In bright lighting and especially in the many outdoor moments, the palette pops extremely well and detail levels remain high. As can be seen in screenshot 3, there are some flashbacks in black and white which preserve a crisp appearance and nice contrast levels. My score is 4.25.

Silat Warriors: Deed of Death Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Silat Warriors: Deed of Death features a suitably robust DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix in the original Malaysian (a Dolby Digital 2.0 mix is also included, as per Well Go USA's typical modus operandi). The film offers generous opportunities for some nice surround activity, including a bunch of outdoor material where either fights or things like car races allow for well placed discrete effects as well as some nice panning and rumbly LFE. The score, while not exactly innovative, also spreads nicely through the side and rear channels, and offers its own propulsive low end at times. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Silat Warriors: Deed of Death Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer (HD; 1:44)

Note: As tends to be the case with Well Go USA Blu-ray releases, the the disc has been authored to automatically move on to trailers for other Well Go USA releases after the trailer for this film plays. Those trailers for other Well Go USA releases also play automatically at disc boot up.

Silat Warriors: Deed of Death Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Silat Warriors: Deed of Death might have arguably better balanced its family dynamics with its ostensible action and martial arts angles, but that said, this is kind of an interesting film in that it offers a peek (as fictionalized as it may be) at a culture I suspect is largely unknown to a lot of Westerners. Technical merits, especially audio, are solid, for those who are considering a purchase.