Some people argue that watching a foreign film is not unlike catching the public transport to the park. After all, those few hours seem to drag on forever, you wonder if this trip worth all that effort just get a glimpse of nature's finest and you know someone is bound to retell a depressing life story at some point during the ride/movie. Well, suffice it to say that not all foreign films are like that. Take for instance Storm Riders. An immensely popular fantasy flick made in Hong Kong, it boasted three vital elements that had all self-respecting gamers queuing up for tickets - well choreographed battle scenes, characters with magical abilities and epic story telling. Made in 1998 and inspired by a famous Chinese comic book (Fung Wan), the story was typical of the wuxia genre - powerful, larger-then-life warriors standing up to an evil regime. This particular movie, while bemoaned by comic book fans as an annoying deviation of the original plot line, was critically acclaimed by many. It won numerous awards and some claimed it to be a landmark movie where special effects were concerned.
Gist of the story
The story goes that the land in question is ruled by Lord Conquer (Sonny Chiba) and he was the type of ruler that can be best described with adjectives like "unbelievably cruel" and "dastardly evil". The power hungry Lord discovers, through his trusty prophet, that there might be two children, Cloud and Wind, who can overthrow his comfortable lifestyle. Following an immense blood-bath, which by the bye was approved by his Lordship, the two children are recruited as his minions. And in spite of the Lord's concerted efforts to brainwash and manipulate them, Cloud and Wind, start to rebel. All this despite the ruler's back-up plan which involved his daughter, the rather unfortunately named Charity, playing the love game with both heroes. Blood-fests, epic battles and intense moments later, it is time for the final confrontation.
What's to like about this movie
This movie is a must-see for fans of the fantasy genre. While it may not involve elves and dwarves and other D&D inspired classes, this story is rich with its own cultural references. And contrary to some criticisms of Ekin Cheng's (Wind's) abilities, both Ekin and Aaron Kwok (Cloud) portrayed impressive depth in their acting abilities. Ekin depicted the quiet, brooding one rather well while Aaron was angst-filled in a manner similar to teenagers driving fast cars. The plot line is typical of most comic books - a main story intertwined with numerous sub-plots. It has its appeals as this introduces a variety of supporting actors. Most importantly, there are the fun fighting scenes.