This week's review is on a 2004 Korean Martial Arts flick called Fighter in the Wind. Now I am usually biased to Chinese Martial Arts Cinema, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with this film. For a movie to hold my attention, it has to have a solid storyline, great fight scenes, and a killer score, and Fighter in the Wind does not disappoint in any of those categories.
The story is a based on Choi Bae-dal, better known as his Japanese name Masutatsu Oyama, creator of the famous Kyokushin-Karate. Most of the movie deals with the struggles he faced as a Korean living in post-World War II Japan. Bae-dal goes from wanting to be a pilot in the military to trying to make a living on the streets of Japan, but he is always met with Japanese strong arms who take ever chance to beat and embarrass him.
While dealing with a bunch of sword yielding Yakuzas, Bae-dal is saved by Bum Su, a talented martial artist also from Korea. He forms a bond with him, and Bum Su eventually gives Bae-dal a copy of Musashi Miyamoto's "Book of 5 Rings," which details techniques on how to fight and survive.
Soon the Yakuzas come back for revenge and wind up killing Bum Su. Bae-dal eventually goes to the mountains for one of the coolest training sequences I have ever saw. Peep it here. The music is incredible in this scene:
When Bae-dal come back to civilization he has one goal in mind, to fuck up every single martial arts school in Japan! Dude was seriously on a mission! Peep as he enters a dojo and literally KICKS the shit out of everyone!!
Bae-dal is eventually reunited with Kato, a pompous military official who embarrassed him in the beginning of the film. Hearing how Bae-dal has been going to dojo after dojo and taking out master after master, Kato challenges him in what is a great final fight scene. Peep it here:
I was thoroughly impressed by Fighter in the Wind, so I give this movie a rating of 4 FISTS. As I said earlier, I am partial to martial arts films from China, having been disappointed by plenty of releases from Thailand (Ong Bak 2 and 3). But this movie had it all. The storyline was not a classic, but it was strong enough to keep me interested. The fight scenes were a lot better than I expected, making me want to research more films starring Yang Dong-guen, who played the role of Bae-dal. He was a solid actor, not over-dramatic, and I didn't see any wires helping out the choreography so that is always a plus in my book! Also, I personally always find the score can make or break a movie, and the melodic metal-type sounds found in Fighter in the Wind definitely do the scenes justice.
Do yourself a favor and rent/purchase/borrow Fighter in the Wind. You'll thank me later....
Peace & Blessings,
The Sage
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