Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

The Warrior Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 14, 2024

Sisworo Gautama Putra's "The Warrior" (1981) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro. The supplemental features on the release include program with special effects artist El Bodrun; program with filmmaker Joko Anwar; program with producer Gope Somtan; remastered trailer; and more. In Indonesian and English, with optional English subtitles. Region-Free.

Roger Corman’s name is attached to many dozens of films like The Warrior. They are not all bad films, but pretty much all share the same weaknesses that define The Warrior. For example, they are cheaply and quickly made, so plenty of material in them looks genuinely amateurish. They were done with B, C, and sometimes non-professional actors who frequently revealed greater enthusiasm for the paycheck that was coming their way, not the work they were hired to do.

The Warrior comes from Indonesia, and while it may have been conceived as a big project, it looks and behaves like a small project that Corman would have been happy to fund. It unites a cast of Indonesian stars, the biggest of which is Barry Prima, who has the attitude of a young Alex Cord. It is part action film, part horror film, which was probably the type of hybrid project most likely to be successful in Indonesia in the early 1980s.

What is The Warrior about?

Prima plays a handsome and outspoken rebel named Jaka Sembung who has declared war on the Dutch colonizers in Java. His ultimate goal is to take out Captain Van Schram (Dicky Zulkarnaen), the most powerful man in Java, who lives in a heavily guarded compound. But Sembung is not universally liked, so when his nemesis offers a big reward for his head, he instantly attracts several volunteers capable of defeating the rebel. This is where The Warrior rapidly begins evolving into a different film. The first volunteer is Kobar, a giant with superhuman strength, while the second is a magician who summons another character with demonic powers. While Sembung begins fighting Kobar and the magician, Van Schram’s beautiful daughter, Maria (Dana Christina), unexpectedly falls in love with him.

While clearly an original character, Sembung reveals plenty of similarities with the legendary rebel Kabir Bedi played in Sergio Solima’s classic TV series Sandokan. (The real birthplace of this rebel is the work of the great Italian novelist Emilio Salgari). Often referred to as The Tiger of Malaya, Sandokan, who is slightly older than Sembung, also fights Dutch and British colonizers and, at the right time, falls in love with the beautiful foreigner Lady Marianna. Like Sembung, Sandokan is frequently captured and made to suffer and once even brought back from the dead.

However, even Sandokan’s most exotic adventures are free of supernatural embellishments like the ones witnessed in Sembung’s adventures. Also, and perhaps most importantly, despite having a similar exotic appearance before the camera, Sembung and Sandokan's behavior could not be any more different. Indeed, the first is essentially a shlocky hero who acts in a low-budget, at least by non-Indonesian standards, production with very obvious limitations. The second is a legitimate macho pirate-turned-freedom fighter who leads a giant rebellion in an ambitious, big-budget production full of A-listers. In other words, the discrepancies in terms of quality are everywhere.

Quality is what The Warrior lacks the most. While some viewers may find parts of it charming and entertaining in the same way many American and European bad films are, there is just too much that looks genuinely amateurish, so staying with it from start to finish definitely feels like an endurance test. There is one more thing that is worth mentioning. The Warrior can be seen with equally goofy Indonesian and English audio tracks, which again some viewers may find charming and entertaining. The English track, which is the one this writer spent the most time with, is unquestionably the more problematic. It leaves the impression that The Warrior was conceived to be a parody, but someone powerful demanded at the very last moment to be transformed into a serious film.

The Warrior Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Warrior arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro.

It is pretty easy to tell that the film has been recently remastered because it looks fresh and healthy. However, I have to immediately mention that there are several areas with small yet quite obvious stretching. The most obvious, like the one seen here, resembles anamorphic stretching, and I think that is what it is. However, there are other areas where it is accompanied by minor weaving. In some areas, there are chemical stains too, like the ones seen here, that are part of bigger source issues. It is possible that some viewers may not notice the stretching, but it is there, and when it is obvious, it was impossible for me to ignore it. The rest looks very good. Delineation, clarity, and depth are all very pleasing. In darker areas, some of the grain could be a bit noisy, but there are no distracting anomalies. I thought that color balance was wonderful too. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The Warrior Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Indonesian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided.

I tested both tracks but spent the most time with the English track. The English track features borderline amateurish overdubbing that does not work for the film at all. Or perhaps it does, if you expect it to be a goofy parody, which to be honest is probably the most accurate description for it. Dynamic intensity is quite limited, even in areas where there is plenty of action and special effects. There are no audio dropouts or distortions on the English track.

The Warrior Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• SFX Maestro El Bodrun - in this program, special effects artist El Bodrun discusses his background and contribution to The Warrior. In Indonesian, with English subtitles. (23 min).

• Filmmaker Joko Anwar - in this program, filmmaker Joko Anwar discusses some of the genre films that had a lasting impact on him while growing up, including The Warrior. In English, not subtitled. (38 min).

• Scriptwriter Imam Tantowi One - in this program, writer/director Imam Tantowi discusses his background and career, plus his involvement with The Warrior. In Indonesian, with English subtitles. (21 min).

• Scriptwriter Imam Tantowi Two - in this program, writer/director Imam Tantowi explains how he entered the film business and recalls his contribution to The Warrior. In Indonesian, with English subtitles. (10 min).

• Producer Gope Somtani - in this program, producer Gope Somtani explains how he started his production company and addresses his involvement with The Warrior. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a remastered trailer for The Warrior. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

The Warrior Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Several years before The Warrior was apparently greenlighted, Kabir Bedi became Sandokan, the greatest rebel and cinematic hero to emerge from the area that Jaka Sembung comes from. There are some obvious similarities between the two, but their adventures are different. I also think that most of the time The Warrior looks quite amateurish. Mondo Macabro's release offers a remastered presentation of it with a fine selection of bonus features.