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Executioner, The
Image // Unrated // November 14, 2006
List Price: $14.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
If the urge arises to watch an outlandishly odd martial arts flick with obscurely dated special effects and oddly dark humor, the The Executioner (1992) delivers on all fronts. However, if plot, dialogue and a sense of linear, purposeful storytelling are at all important to this piqued taste, then The Executioner might be a dissapointment. While mildly entertaining and uniquely humorous, this low-budget martial arts flick makes about as much sense as looking for a grain of salt in a sugar bowl.
The Film:
A noble executioner has beheaded 998 bandits with a majestic golden sword throughout his prolific career. Several of the bandits belonged to a family clan called the Eight Devilish Mortals. One of these bandits in particular, named Cripple, is left for the executioner's apprentice, named Quick Kid, to kill. As the apprentice fumbles with the execution, the master steps in and finishes the job on Cripple. As he is falling to his death, Cripple states that he will rise from the grave and wreak vengeance on the executioner that has killed his brethren. Afterwards, the remnants of the clan claim the life of the executioner's wife, thus setting the plot up for revenge-based tension surrounding the executioner and his apprentice.
What ensues after is a series of odd and confusing scenes that do not add much depth to this flick. As with most flicks of this type, the storyline seems stable enough just to carry the plot from one martial arts action sequence to the next. Even though the plot is just strong enough to float from scene to scene, the martial arts action doesn't quite compensate for this lack of clarity in the convolutedly, yet simply structured story. While some characters seem to exhibit a lack of emotion during somewhat dramatic moments, others seem to go well overboard. Furthermore, some scenes just seem to drag on way too long. The point that is truly confusing lies in a simple question: is all of the humor in The Executioner intentionally meant to be humorous?
However, there isn't much that is not packed into The Executioner: dramatic crying, sensual massaging, beheaded ghosts, smoke-breathing imps, evil female temptresses, raging lightning bolts, demonic possession, murder, resurrection, humor – even a splash of cannibalism. To say the least, this flick is packed to the brim with entertaining elements. Is it a fun movie to watch? That depends on the taste of the viewer. If the mood arises for a 100-minute ambiguously humorous romp through obscure, martial arts themed material, then prepare for a wild and unusual ride with The Executioner. Even though the film itself doesn't coherently come together very well, the sheer lunacy of the film makes it worth a watch. Just be prepared.
The DVD:
Image Entertainment has packaged The Executioner in a standard DVD keepcase with attractive cover art, replicated disc art, and an Asian Cinema brochure enclosed.
The Video:
The Executioner is presented in an anamorphic 1.85:1 image that is lackluster to say the least. Overall detail is very blurry and print dust and scratches appear frequently across the presentation. While some colors appeared bright, a lot of the color scheme and black levels fluctuated in quality consistently. While no significant print damage is visible and the image doesn't ultimately distract from the experience, The Executioner could have been cleaned up a bit more for this release.
The Audio:
The Dolby Mono track included for The Executioner is adequate. All of the audio seems to be a bit muffled and lacking clarity. The unusual sound effects felt a bit out of place and abnormally compressed. However, the Chinese dialogue came across to a decent level. This aural presentation is nothing stellar, but it does manage to moderately get the job done. The only audio option is the original Chinese language track with English subtitles.
The Extras:
All that is included in regards to extras on The Executioner DVD is a huge line-up of Asian film previews from Image Entertainment.
Final Thoughts:
Too odd for words, The Executioner blends almost every cinematic and fantasy-related element into a convoluted martial arts fracas. Jam packed with everything it can fit within an hour and a half, the chaos this film creates is pretty astounding considering it's only a little over an hour and a half long. While scenes are drawn out and plot elements just don't fit together, the eccentric nature of the humor, wacky plot elements, and moderately entertaining action make this weird little martial arts flick worth one watch. Rent It.
Thomas Spurlin, Staff Reviewer -- DVDTalk Reviews | Personal Blog/Site
The Film:
A noble executioner has beheaded 998 bandits with a majestic golden sword throughout his prolific career. Several of the bandits belonged to a family clan called the Eight Devilish Mortals. One of these bandits in particular, named Cripple, is left for the executioner's apprentice, named Quick Kid, to kill. As the apprentice fumbles with the execution, the master steps in and finishes the job on Cripple. As he is falling to his death, Cripple states that he will rise from the grave and wreak vengeance on the executioner that has killed his brethren. Afterwards, the remnants of the clan claim the life of the executioner's wife, thus setting the plot up for revenge-based tension surrounding the executioner and his apprentice.
What ensues after is a series of odd and confusing scenes that do not add much depth to this flick. As with most flicks of this type, the storyline seems stable enough just to carry the plot from one martial arts action sequence to the next. Even though the plot is just strong enough to float from scene to scene, the martial arts action doesn't quite compensate for this lack of clarity in the convolutedly, yet simply structured story. While some characters seem to exhibit a lack of emotion during somewhat dramatic moments, others seem to go well overboard. Furthermore, some scenes just seem to drag on way too long. The point that is truly confusing lies in a simple question: is all of the humor in The Executioner intentionally meant to be humorous?
However, there isn't much that is not packed into The Executioner: dramatic crying, sensual massaging, beheaded ghosts, smoke-breathing imps, evil female temptresses, raging lightning bolts, demonic possession, murder, resurrection, humor – even a splash of cannibalism. To say the least, this flick is packed to the brim with entertaining elements. Is it a fun movie to watch? That depends on the taste of the viewer. If the mood arises for a 100-minute ambiguously humorous romp through obscure, martial arts themed material, then prepare for a wild and unusual ride with The Executioner. Even though the film itself doesn't coherently come together very well, the sheer lunacy of the film makes it worth a watch. Just be prepared.
The DVD:
Image Entertainment has packaged The Executioner in a standard DVD keepcase with attractive cover art, replicated disc art, and an Asian Cinema brochure enclosed.
The Video:
The Executioner is presented in an anamorphic 1.85:1 image that is lackluster to say the least. Overall detail is very blurry and print dust and scratches appear frequently across the presentation. While some colors appeared bright, a lot of the color scheme and black levels fluctuated in quality consistently. While no significant print damage is visible and the image doesn't ultimately distract from the experience, The Executioner could have been cleaned up a bit more for this release.
The Audio:
The Dolby Mono track included for The Executioner is adequate. All of the audio seems to be a bit muffled and lacking clarity. The unusual sound effects felt a bit out of place and abnormally compressed. However, the Chinese dialogue came across to a decent level. This aural presentation is nothing stellar, but it does manage to moderately get the job done. The only audio option is the original Chinese language track with English subtitles.
The Extras:
All that is included in regards to extras on The Executioner DVD is a huge line-up of Asian film previews from Image Entertainment.
Final Thoughts:
Too odd for words, The Executioner blends almost every cinematic and fantasy-related element into a convoluted martial arts fracas. Jam packed with everything it can fit within an hour and a half, the chaos this film creates is pretty astounding considering it's only a little over an hour and a half long. While scenes are drawn out and plot elements just don't fit together, the eccentric nature of the humor, wacky plot elements, and moderately entertaining action make this weird little martial arts flick worth one watch. Rent It.
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