Review: The Four Dragons

Set in Malaysia in 1881, the film concerns four orphans who as adults (played by Michael Chin, David Bao, Robin Ho, and Kuan Fei Jun) are working for a mining operation. Unfortunately, the operation is run by a greedy bastard who plots to kill them and hire cheaper labour instead. Our heroes don’t take kindly to this and plan their revenge. Lots of poorly animated blood ensues.

 

This 2008 film from debut director C.L. Hor (who has directed two films since) and co-screenwriter Kam Leong Chow (also a first-timer) is apparently the first martial arts film from Malaysia. Also known as “Kinte”, it frankly isn’t up to snuff, I’m afraid. A very stylised film, and at first that’s kinda fun with opening credits design like something out of “300” (Not to mention the nu-metal soundtrack which is much less fun). There’s also impressive sound design early on, rhythmically matching the action on screen.

 

Unfortunately, the fun wears off about ten minutes into the film, as the stylised look of the film actually takes the fun out of all of the martial arts sequences. Blood is rendered in a cartoony/graphic novel animated fashion that takes you out of what is going on in the film, as it is clearly not there on screen with the actors, it’s animated. The mixture of that comic book style and live-action is jarring and distancing, which is a shame because the plot has elements of “Eight Diagram Pole Fighter”, my favourite martial arts film of all-time. And why hire four real-life martial artists and then obscure their prowess with shadowy or tinted cinematography? They’re not actors, so what exactly are they being hired for then?

 

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice-looking film, but it never draws you in dramatically in the slightest. It’s pretty useless as a film, to be honest. None of the characters pop at all, I could barely tell them apart. We’re told the four main players have distinct personalities, but those distinct personalities are never for a moment shown on screen. Don’t tell, SHOW for cryin’ out loud! It’s rule number one in cinematic storytelling, isn’t it? Sadly, this is 80% tell, and the majority of the 20% show is ruined by pretty but counter-productive artistic flourishes.

 

Sorry, but Malaysia’s first martial arts film is unlikely to become a much-loved classic of the genre. It’s pretty awful, actually, and it left me bitterly disappointed.

 

Rating: C-