Merantau Warrior (2009) Movie Review
Although a film by a Welsh born director focusing on the Indonesian martial art of Silat may sound like a strange combination, Gareth Evan’s “Merantau Warrior” is a genuine sensation, and one which rivals, and even surpasses Tony Jaa’s “Ong Bak” series in terms of bone crunching thrills. The film also introduces the world to Iko Uwais, quite possibly another Asian action megastar in waiting, as he takes down villains using the titular technique, an amazing mixture of blows, joint wrenching throws, weapons and animal style strikes. Boasting some breathtaking fight choreography as well as cinematic craftsmanship, the film scores highly on a number of different levels, and is all the more impressive for not being a mere one trick kung fu pony. Genre fans can judge for themselves, as the film now arrives on region 2 DVD via E1 Entertainment, coming with a respectable collection of extras that includes behind the scenes and making of features, deleted scenes and [...]