CompleteMartialArts.com - Shadowless Sword
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List Price: $24.99
Our Price: $7.74
Your Save: $ 17.25 ( 69% )
Availability: N/A
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Average Customer Rating:   
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Audience Rating: Unrated
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0876543227552
Feature: NTSC,Region Free
Format: Anamorphic
Number Of Items: 1
Publication Date: 2005
Region Code: 0.0
Running Time: 115
Theatrical Release Date: 2004
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Features
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NTSC,Region Free
Dolby Digital 5.1
Unrated
Anamorphic Widescreen
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Editorial Reviews:
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Kim Young-Jun, director of 2000's Bichunmoo, helms the exciting new fantasy swordplay epic, Shadowless Sword! Set during the Balhae Dynasty in the tenth century, the film is full of danger and political intrigue. It centers on the fate of Dae Jeong-Hyeon (Lee Seo-Jin, from TV's Damo) who lives a simple life in a Chinese frontier town, but who hides an amazing secret - he is an heir to the Balhae kingdom! Little does he know, however, that he will soon become the last surviving one! When the king and the remaining heirs are wiped out by the murderous Khitan, it's up to Yeon So-Ha (Yoon Soy, from Arahan), one of Balhae's top female warriors, to accompany the exiled Prince Jeong-Hyeon back to his homeland so he can ascend the throne and take his rightful place as ruler of the empire.
Hot on their trail is a band of highly trained assassins, including Khitan chieftain Gun Hwa-Pyeong (Shin Hyeon-Joon, from Bichunmoo) and his female companion Mae Yeong-Ok (Lee Gi-Yong), who are looking to insure that the prince's reign will be cut short...permanently! And to make matters more complicated, it turns out that Jeong-Hyeon isn't quite the regal, honorable gentleman that So-Ha was expecting, but is instead a man eager to protect himself at all costs with no concern for the well-being of his fellow countrymen. Will Yeon So-Ha escort Jeong-Hyeon back safely? And if so, will he become the kind of leader that his people long for in this desperate time of need? The truth will be revealed in Shadowless Sword, an amazing swordplay saga also starring Park Seong-Woong, Nam Ji-Hyun, Han Gang, and featuring cameos by Choi Ji-Woo, Kim Soo-Ro, and Jeong Jun-Ha!
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2 stars- Top-notch swordplay epic
Comment: Shadowless Sword is another great entry from Korea, a country that has spent the new millennium really carving out their place in the asian film world. The story is basically just like King Ralph, except Peter O' Toole has to protect John Goodman from assassins before he can get back to Buckingham Palace and install a bowling alley in the royal bedchamber. Ok, so it's a little different than that. But it is an 'escort the VIP' movie.
SS is from the same director that gave us Bichunoo, another fantastic film. It has a great cast from films like "Guns and Talks" and "Arahan". SS is a swordplay epic. For the laymen, it would be in the same vein of a Crouching Tiger or a Hero or House of Flying Daggers. Period piece, acrobatic wire-fu, lots of swordplay. And while it may not have the budget, star power, and exposure of the previously mentioned films, it can absolutely hold its own against them.
The acting is spot on. The story, while not anything new, is still very engaging. And the action is certainly well worth the watch. Although not quite as graceful as some of it's HK counterparts, the wire work is creative and integrated well into the sequences. The visual approach is stylish without being over-the-top. And it does have a great score, too.
Fans of asian swordplay movies would be wise to give this one a look. It doesn't have the depth of story and character that those looking for something more in the drama category are looking for. And while the action is great, it's not wild and insane like a Kitamura movie or a Hark film, and certainly not as blood-filled. The action sequences would be considered reserved compared to how those guys work. So if you're looking for a good, solid swordplay epic that is subtle and understated while being quite entertaining and action-oriented, this would be a fine choice.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Not on the level of the Shaw Brothers
Comment: I am one of those hardcore martial arts fans and I try to not only see but own every great to good movie on the market, over the years I compiled a significate collection of films. At this point now I'm trying to view the Koreon style of film making thats why I purchased this movie, so far I found some simularites in the Koreon, Chinese and Japanese.But in my opinion the Chinese are by far superior the Koreons and Japanese show much more aggression and brutality where the Chinese are more artistic. This movie is a good combination of all three the fighting is fair not a lot of extended stand and fight but mostly cameras and effects. I could tell how the story line was going to flow which was'nt that bad and I was glad to see the women fighters steal the movie overall a fair movie not on the level that would have like to have seen.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Uneven, lumpy and not very engaging...
Comment: I want the two hours of my life back... ugh. Very improbable plot and it doesn't appear Koreans do wu shu flying as well as the Chinese, probably because the Koreans put alot of power into the flying sequences, when they are best done with grace such as in Chinese movies.
Special effects are not well done. The water fighting scene was laughable. Also, the love story was too contrived and formulaistic if you are familiar with Korean love plots.
All in all, it was a big yawn. I don't know why I persisted through the entire thing.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fun And Entertaining Korean Film: Great Eye Candy!
Comment: Having just watched this film, "Shadlowless Sword," after viewing "Seven Swords," with Donnie Yen, I was almost tempted to give this film 5 stars. I bought this film almost one year ago, and finally got around to watching it. I think this film could have been better, especially if the comic elements in the film were taken out, however, this is the way the film is presented so I will have to live with it. Also, the film really has no plot, but then that does not necesarily mean it won't be a fun film. Which is what this film is meant to be: Entertaining and fun! Also, one of the things I like about films is character development, and there is none in this film. Having written this, however, I do think the film will appeal to some viewers of this genre.
Further, I found the film entertaining and visually stunning. And although the action scenes in the film were okay, they were not as good as some of the ones I have seen from Hong Kong martial arts films. The main thing for me, however, is that I really wish that the films from Korea and HK, were more serious in their nature. I think that the Jackie Chan style of comical acting needs a makeover: especially since so many of the films [and this one in particular] are so beautiful in their visual effects. The costumes are great, they just need a little more seriousness, that's all.
Therefore, for me I would like to see more seriousness in Korean action scenes. I liked "House of Flying Daggers," and "Hero" even though they stretched realism in their combat scenes. But I really believe that Korean films need to distance themselves from HK films, because they can be truly masterful if realism was placed in their action films. The flowery combat of the wuxia style from the aforementioned films were good, but now I would like to see some real gritty realism that one finds in Japanese cinema. I really liked "Shinobi," and "Azumi 1&2." And even though they were Japanese films which stretched the limits of believability, this was an abberation, and not the norm. Which is why I probably liked them so much. Anyway, I recommend the film. Rent it first [If it is still available].
Customer Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly Impressed...
Comment: I actually didnt expect this to be so good...but man...I really enjoyed this...great swordplay and emotion...
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