Blind War

Action Mayhem from China!! A completely unknown and inexperienced director delivers an attractive, spectacular and wild action ride that has almost no competition from Asia this year. The film has quite an appealing story where the main character (Andy On, a beautiful comeback!) is the captain of a SWAT team and in a botched operation he loses his eyesight and then has his daughter kidnapped by a criminal organization dealing in people trafficking, specifically young girls. The protagonist, however, has excellent hearing (a bit like Daredevil) and even blindfolded, he is an awesome martial arts machine. There are some amazing characters, besides Andy Ono, who is not only likeable but also an excellent fighter, there’s the unknown Xing Yang (a Chinese Julie Estelle), who was sold into slavery and trained as an assassin from a young age, and she is a delight – she plays a downright twisted female character, a total nutcase, an emotionless killing machine who teams up with the protagonist to kick the ass of the criminal underworld. I like the team up of the blind hero and the twisted anti-hero, it’s an unprecedented pairing and it works well. There's plenty of action, hardly ever off the gas, lots of gunfights (rotary machine gun, shotgun), amazing fights – it’s quite unprecedented in a Hong-Kong production to have more punching than shooting, but it cuts to the chase with amazing choreography and awesome cinematography, accompanied by a thumping soundtrack that beautifully pumps adrenaline and euphoria into the viewer's blood. There are a few minor plot surprises and most of all, it's a lot of fun and a joy to watch. I never get tired of these R-rated action rides with high craftsmanship (a John Wick style finale!). I enjoyed it immensely and love this movie. It is a very strong showing from China that is close to a South Korean production. Story 4/5. Action 5/5, Humor 2/5, Violence 4/5, Fun 5/5 Music 5/5, Visuals 5/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 4/5, Emotion 3/5, Actors 4/5. 9/10. (06/30/2022)