I'll say right off the bat, that I enjoy martial arts period pieces set in turn of the century China or Japan, so Kuro Obi was in favour from the off.
By the same token, the film starts with lots of kata practice and other kihon that is completely as it is practiced in modern dojo, so the sense of connection with my art also won my approval.
But things quickly took a turn for the worse with the whole "do not attack first or strike at all" theme. The idea of non-aggression is one thing, but no martial artist of note ever recommended being beaten up and never fighting back. The fact that this theme is so pivotal just indicates that the film was conceptualised by someone who never really understood the art. That this is finally revealed to mean that one is most vulnerable during attack, is another misunderstanding of the nature of combat. One is only vulnerable during attack if one's attack is ineffectual, and one is not aware of the potential for counter-attack, but I prefer the axiom "action is faster than reaction".
I really liked the example of one-hit one kill throughout the film, and although it was just window dressing, scenes of the fighters practicing is beautiful locations were both enjoyable and served to establish a little credibility. The acting was very much in the oriental style, which is so over the top as to be almost operatic. Don't criticise the style - it's cultural.
Ultimately, what massively let this film down was the ridiculous final fight scene, and the glib, pointless, vomit-inducing ending.
The whole idea of the belt and the martial ethics portrayed in the film, simply demonstrated how little the writer truly understood the spirit and value of karate.
The great tragedy is that this is one of the most karate-sensitive films ever released, but ultimately it took the easy route, instead of looking at the deeper ethics of balancing martial skill with human needs and weaknesses.
If you want to see a better karate film watch "Fighter in the Wind", the semi-fictional biography of Mas Oyama, founder of Kyokushin.
By the same token, the film starts with lots of kata practice and other kihon that is completely as it is practiced in modern dojo, so the sense of connection with my art also won my approval.
But things quickly took a turn for the worse with the whole "do not attack first or strike at all" theme. The idea of non-aggression is one thing, but no martial artist of note ever recommended being beaten up and never fighting back. The fact that this theme is so pivotal just indicates that the film was conceptualised by someone who never really understood the art. That this is finally revealed to mean that one is most vulnerable during attack, is another misunderstanding of the nature of combat. One is only vulnerable during attack if one's attack is ineffectual, and one is not aware of the potential for counter-attack, but I prefer the axiom "action is faster than reaction".
I really liked the example of one-hit one kill throughout the film, and although it was just window dressing, scenes of the fighters practicing is beautiful locations were both enjoyable and served to establish a little credibility. The acting was very much in the oriental style, which is so over the top as to be almost operatic. Don't criticise the style - it's cultural.
Ultimately, what massively let this film down was the ridiculous final fight scene, and the glib, pointless, vomit-inducing ending.
The whole idea of the belt and the martial ethics portrayed in the film, simply demonstrated how little the writer truly understood the spirit and value of karate.
The great tragedy is that this is one of the most karate-sensitive films ever released, but ultimately it took the easy route, instead of looking at the deeper ethics of balancing martial skill with human needs and weaknesses.
If you want to see a better karate film watch "Fighter in the Wind", the semi-fictional biography of Mas Oyama, founder of Kyokushin.