Yamada: Samurai of Ayothaya

YAMADA, WAY OF THE SAMURAI is another historical Thai martial arts flick along the lines of BANG RAJAN, although it's a far cry from the quality of that movie. This is a low-budget misfire that purports the tell the true story of a Japanese samurai warrior who finds himself fighting on the side of the Thais against some evil oppressors and assassins.

The story's okay but the execution isn't. For an action film, YAMADA, WAY OF THE SAMURAI is remarkably short on fight scenes. There are a few scenes of training and the like, but the action is limited to only one battle scene and the final fight. While the hard-hitting choreography is acceptable, too much of the fighting is hidden behind poor added effects; silly slow-motion to emphasis the hits early on, and rubbishy CGI sword thrusts and spraying blood later. It hardly makes for a realistic viewing experience.

The script is minimalist and the characters largely one-dimensional. Seigi Ozeki has zero screen presence as the lead and his character is largely a bore. The Thai actors fare better, but the kind of elbow-slamming action you'd expect from a Thai martial arts flick is in short supply. Instead we get a predictable story and a dull narrative lacking in genuine incident.