If you enjoy old school martial arts movies from Hong Kong and China, chances are you have heard of the legendary character named Wong Fei Hung, who has been portrayed by several actors over the years, including Jet Li. Director Marco Mak, who was the chief editor on the original Once Upon A Time in China starring Li, heads up Warriors of the Nation, a 2018 film (in China) that was just released last week by Well Go USA on Digital and Blu-ray. I received a Blu-ray copy in the mail, and with the flu behind me now, am finally ready to present a review.
Warriors of the Nation offers a fun blend of old school action nostalgia with modern fidelity. Star actor Wenzhuo Zhao reprises the role he played nearly twenty years ago as Wong Fei Hung, the legendary kung fu master and doctor who seeks peace above all. Yet his attempt to live in peace is thwarted when the White Lotus Society kidnaps a leading military officer, Zhang Zhidong, near the end of the Sino-Japanese War. The White Lotus Society are just a part of a conspiracy and covert effort to topple the local Chinese government (and indeed eventually the entire Chinese government). Wong Fei Hung, with the help of his students, begin to turn the tide against the enemy to restore order and prevent an all out war, but they’re up against a sinister Japanese force and a race against time to prevent a coastal invasion.
I found Warriors of the Nation to be entertaining, to the point, and fun. It’s relatively brief at about ninety-two minutes, and it felt like no scenes were wasted. Characters and subplots were presented efficiently and effectively and the action was enjoyable, blending some classical realistic combat with plenty of “high-wire” combat that you would expect from such a film. Some mystical elements from the White Lotus Society add that certain type of accent I’ve come to expect from this specific sub-genre of “kung fu” movie as well. Acting is solid, though a few attempts at humor fall mostly flat, but that’s ok, the film doesn’t spend much time on those as it continues to move the plot and action forward. Warriors of the Nation is a movie I enjoyed watching, but it doesn’t rank in my favorite films and it’s not one I would be in any rush to watch again.
The Blu-ray release is straight-forward. No English dub is offered, but there are of course English subtitles to compliment the Chinese DTS HDMA 5.1 audio. A trailer is the lone bonus feature, and some previews for other Well Go releases including Ip Man 4. In terms of presentation quality, the menu, sound, and image are all crisp and excellent, and I found no issue with them. I loved the reprisal of the classic Wong Fei Hung theme song (if it’s accurate to call it that), that would play during some of the battle scenes, too.
I’d recommend Warriors of the Nation for any fan of classic martial arts movies, especially those who enjoy the stories of Wong Fei Hung. The film provides a dose of nostalgia in a modern package, complete with a strong cast and crew. This might not become one of your favorite movies of the genre, but it is a good one and Well Go USA did a good job on a no-frills Blu-ray release.
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