The Warrior's Way (2010)

A warrior-assassin is forced to hide in a small town in the American Badlands after refusing a mission.

Director:

Sngmoo Lee

Writer:

Sngmoo Lee

Stars:

Dong-Gun Jang, Kate Bosworth, Geoffrey Rush

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dong-Gun Jang	...	Yang
Kate Bosworth	...	Lynne
Geoffrey Rush	...	Ronald
Danny Huston	...	Colonel
Tony Cox	...	Eight-Ball
Lung Ti	...	Saddest Flute
Analin Rudd	...	Baby April
Markus Hamilton	...	Baptiste
Rod Lousich	...	Craig
Matt Gillanders	...	Geyser
Christina Asher	...	Esmerelda
Jed Brophy	...	Jacques
Carl Bland	...	Billy
Ian Harcourt	...	Lofty
Tony Wyeth	...	Smithy

Storyline

Yang, the world's finest swordsman, packs it in and leaves Japan to find an old friend in the Wild West rather than kill the infant queen of a rival clan. He carries the baby to his friend's desolate, broken-down town; the friend has died, so Yang reopens a laundry and settles down, hanging wet clothes, growing flowers, raising the infant, and finding himself attracted to Lynne, a red-haired woman with a tragic past. As long as Yang keeps his sword sheathed, his rivals won't find him, but a band of reprobate gunmen terrorize the town and threaten Lynne. Showdowns are inevitable, but once the sword is drawn, can Yang find rest, a home, and a family?

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Plot Keywords:

assassin | 19th century | throwing a knife | bullet time | explosion | 

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Taglines:

Assassin. Hero. Legend.

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Genres:

Action | Fantasy | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong bloody violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally titled "Laundry Warrior".

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Goofs

Ronald and another man are at the old ferris wheel during the big battle against the Colonel and his men. Ronald loads a bullet into his rifle with his bare finger. In the next shot, he is firing the gun while wearing black gloves that are completely intact.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ronald: Okay, you settled down? You got your ears open?
[clears throat]
Ronald: This is the story of the sad flute, a laughing baby, a weeping sword. A long long time ago, in a land far far away, there lived a warrior. A warrior with empty eyes.

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Connections

Referenced in Movie Friends - Eine Videothek stellt sich vor (2013)

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Soundtracks

Silent Night
Written by Franz Xaver Gruber (uncredited) and Joseph Mohr (uncredited)
Arranged and Performed by Mary Jane Ballou
Courtesy of Harpways Music

User Reviews

Bravo!

Never ceases to amaze me how a movie can move an audience in polar opposite ways. It's probably the expectations - so if you go in to have some escapist fun, action and swordplay, you won't be disappointed.

So, why will I be happy to rewatch this grossly underrated movie that's avoided me for the first four years of its life tsk tsk: a simple story combining the Seven Samurai and Silas Marner (kinda), intoxicating mix of humor, gorgeous grotesqueness and visual splendour . . . and a love story that did not force itself on the surreal action thread.

One of the hallmarks of a good film has to be how much love a writer director puts into the details and in this, it is clear Lee Sngmoo has nurtured this baby for a while: superb production, lovely setups and payoffs.

Oh, make my decade and give us a sequel already!

Amazing for a first time director. Bravo! Bravo!

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

New Zealand South Korea

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 December 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Laundry Warrior

Filming Locations:

Henderson Valley Studios, Hickory Avenue, Henderson, Auckland, New Zealand

Box Office

Budget:

$42,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,048,665, 5 December 2010

Gross USA:

$5,666,340

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$11,103,434

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rogue, Boram Entertainment, Wellmade Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1