From Deseret News archives:
Warriors of Virtue
Film review
"Warriors of Virtue" is really just "Teenage Mutant Ninja Kangaroos." Honest. Although it owes a lot to many other movies as well (ranging from "The Wizard of Oz" to "Return of the Jedi" to "The NeverEnding Story").
The plot here which is ridiculously complicated for a kids' picture has a young boy named Ryan (Mario Yedidia, who resembles Elijah Wood) dreaming of playing football, but he's hampered by the brace on his leg. To pull him out of his funk, a philosphy-spouting, kung-fu kicking cook (Dennis Dun, who is great but disappears all too soon) gives him a magic book.
Later, when Ryan finds himself in a precarious situation with some local tough kids, the book is instrumental in spiriting him away to a fantasy world, where his leg is miraculously healed.
There, he meets up with five kickboxing kangaroos the Warriors of Virtue each empowered by one of the elements (water, metal, wood, fire and earth). But when Ryan arrives, they are separated. The book would help, but it seems Ryan lost it to an evil wizard named Komodo (Angus Macfadyen), who is draining the local lifesprings to keep himself young.
Komodo can't use the book without Ryan, so he sends his minions (a pair of twin stooges and a nasty Asian version of Elvira) to capture him. And eventually the five "roos" come together to help Ryan and defeat Komodo while dispensing heavy-handed wisdom about the environment, finding one's inner self and kicking the tar out of bad guys who steal your lifespring.
As with the recent "Turbo," this is handled with over-the-top comedy that would make Jim Carrey wince. Macfadyen sets the tone, mugging wildly, screaming many of his lines and leaping about as if he's dropped a match in his robes. He's ludicrous, but he's not funny.
For some reason, respected Chinese action director Ronny Yu ("The Bride with White Hair") has filmed the action scenes in a herky-jerky fashion, which lends a chaotic, stop-motion animation feel to the proceedings. It's most annoying.
And the kangaroo makeup will give you new respect for the "Planet of the Apes" movies and those were made more than two decades ago!
Worst of all, the film contains a number of things that are inappropriate for the kiddie crowd, including a female lead (Marley Shelton) who at first seems childlike, then becomes a sultry woman in a plunging nightgown, and a profane punchline when Ryan is unable to read the book to Komodo.
"Warriors of Virtue" is rated PG for considerable violence, some profanity and some vulgar gags.
Comments
Cast: Angus Macfadyen, Mario Yedidia, Marley Shelton; directed by Ronny Yu
Find a Movie Theater
- Warming fuels hidden wealth 9:44 a.m.
- 4 relatives shot dead on holiday 9:42 a.m.
- Criminal probe on party crashers? 9:40 a.m.
- Crashers posed no danger to Obama 9:37 a.m.
- Dubai seeks to assure markets 9:36 a.m.
- Iran censured at UN nuclear meeting 9:34 a.m.
- Sprinter took steriods to be fastest 9:34 a.m.
- Shoppers rev up holiday season 9:32 a.m.
- Shoppers 'experience' Black Friday 8:39 a.m.
- World markets fear Dubai debt 8:13 a.m.
- BYU would like friendlier rivalry
262 - Protests against Phoenix LDS temple
211 - RSL wins MLS Cup on penalty kicks
202 - Bronco, Kyle rubber match
139 - Thunder rolls by Jazz
136 - Letters: Rushing to judge Palin
133 - Boys basketball rankings
118 - Editorial: Poor welcome for Palin
112 - Hall, Johnson matchup key
102 - Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies
101
Good luck to both teams and may both teams' fans applaud good plays and think...
Waaaah! It's all in fun. If you are looking to be offended, you will be...
People are so childish and apparently ignorant that they will sign up the...
Thanks to the Deseret News for posting this each year. It is a great service...
As much as some Utah fans would like to think so, Utah isn't nearly as good...
Hey Anonymous~ If you were active LDS you would know that hundreds, if not...
Smith--what do you have against libraries? Have you been in the Farmington...
Could I really the first person to comment on this story? Booz really D-will...
Bub, wow that was quaint. Is the Mtn. still broadcasting in Standard Def,...
Is that a word? See the "uneducated" posts in other articles. Exhibit B




You can be the first to comment on this story.