Kim Young Jun has followed up his enjoyable Wuxia film BICHEONMOO with this excellent and enjoyable WUXIA film SHADOWLESS SWORD. It shows that Kim is an expert in Taekwondo and Hapkido because the action is totally bad ass, and much higher quality than Bicheonmoo, sure it has some cheesy music at times, but overall it is shot really well, acted very well, the action is incredible (SWORDSMAN Style action at it’s best) and this is just a really good and enjoyable film. I am glad someone is making wuxia films, and am amazed that it isn’t China that is doing it the best, Korea has learned well. I highly recommend this film for fans of Wuxia action.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

In AD 927 the land of Balhae is besieged by it’s neighbor, with an army led by a former member of that kingdom Gun Hwa Pyong (Shin Hyn Joon from BINCHEONMOO) and his woman Mae Young Ok (Lee Ki Yong) who have brutally murdered almost all of the royal family of Balhae, and plan on killing the rest. So a great warrior, the beautiful Yeon So Ha (Yun So I, damn is she fine, and she looks good fighting in this film too) is dispatched to save the surviving prince Dae Jeong Hyeon (Lee Seo Jin) who was exiled long ago, but she is very devoted to protecting. The prince keeps trying to escape from her, but the evil army is on his tail and only Yeon So Ha can save him and bring him back to his land where he can be made kind and rally the people to take back their land and castles.

Eventually he starts to like her, and starts to fight again to protect her when she is wounded (and poisoned). We learn he was once a great warrior and fought at age 15, in fact saving her when her family was killed, and the person who taught her how to fight and that swords were used to protect and not to kill. She is wounded by the poison though, and though she recovers she must use all her strength to fight Gun Hwa Pyong and Mae Yong Ok, and it is fatal to her, but the prince uses the secret skill of the royal family that Gun Hwa Pyong has been using, but doesn’t have the full strength and defeats him. And Dae dies in the prince’s arms, with the man she has loved for 15 years, and the reason she devoted her life to swordfighting, and she has brought him back to the mind he had at age 15, when he was the best warrior in the army, and that he would be a king who cared for all of his subjects and would not run from battle.

And finally we see him out rallying his people to take back his castle and take back his land, Braveheart style, and burning and incense for his fallen bodyguard who did more than save his life.

This film is totally bad ass, with killer fight scenes, people exploding with sword energy and good digital effects, including a cool underwater fight sequence. This is really a well done and enjoyable film. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!

I

picked up the Region 3 Special Edition DVD with an extra DVD of features, though without English subs. Well worth the price!