Blind War Blu-ray Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Huo Sui Qiang
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Andy On, ZiXiong Li, Xing Yang, Hanyang Wang
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, French Canadian
• Language ‏ : ‎ Mandarin Chinese (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), Mandarin Chinese (Stereo)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go USA Entertainment
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ China
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Blu-ray
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 48 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ June 11, 2024

        There has been a longstanding tradition of blind heroes in action films, long before Donnie Yen made it his signature in sequels and spin-offs for popular franchises like Star Wars and John Wick. Even before Daredevil was created on both page and screen, there have been iconic action films featuring sight-impaired heroes. The Zatoichi samurai franchise lasted 25 films, and that doesn’t even include the multiple remakes and rip-offs. Blind War carries on this tradition within an action movie nearly able to pass itself off as a Hong Kong bullet-ballet action film from the 1990s if it weren’t for the occasional cheap CGI.

 

        Blind War also suffers from a slightly underwhelming screenplay, though the twisted premise shows moments of promise. When SWAT captain Dong Gu (Andy On) breaks protocol during a courtroom siege, he is permanently blinded and forced into retirement. The only surviving perpetrator is Xi Na (Yang Xing), one half of a psychotic couple seeking revenge for sexual assault. When she escapes from prison, Xi Na also wants revenge against Dong Gu for killing her lover, but instead partners up with him after a ridiculous coincidence leads them to have a common enemy.

 

        As though the film did not have enough of a ridiculous premise, Dong Gu turns into Liam Neeson when his daughter is taken by the same human trafficking crime ring Xi Na is seeking revenge against. The fact that he is blind doesn’t stop him from destroying anyone dumb enough to take him on in a fight, which is the real reason to watch this film. Every fight scene is well choreographed and perfectly over-the-top, and twice as good as the entirety of the new Bad Boys film. What Blind War struggles to get right is the comedic relief, especially with the forced humor Inspector Clouseau-type character of Detective Rama (Dao Dao).

 

        The Blu-ray release for Blind War contains no real special features, although there is something of a making-of featurette playing over the credits. The only problem is that none of what the filmmakers and cast say is subtitled for anyone who doesn’t speak Mandarin.

 

Entertainment Value: 8/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 6/10

Historical Significance:  3/10

Special Features: 0/10