Review: 'JADE WARRIOR' is a strange kind of film. It is the kind of film that you read about then, after it drifts from your consciousness, something will click in your mind and you'll think; 'Did I really read about a director, who had combined a Finnish folklore saga with Chinese wu xia, or was it a surreal dream?' In this case, it wasn't a dream. Another such example would be Yuen Wo-Ping's 'SNOW AND THE SEVEN' which, according to IMdb, is "A re-telling of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" set in British colonial China, where Shaolin monks take in a refuge girl." The mind boggles...

Antti-Jussi Annila, the film's writer and director grew up in a small town near Helsinki, as a child he was fascinated by cinema and grew to love Hong Kong cinema, in particular, wu xia and kung-fu films. He wanted to be a ninja, when he grew up but, instead, he studied film, producing a dissertation on the construction of action sequences in Hong Kong film and even making several short films which reflected his passion for the genre. When Annila read about possible links between Finnish and Chinese mythology (thanks to the research of Castren) he decided that his next step would be to combine the two in a film. In 2001, he'd created ten minutes of 'MUNAVALA', which would become his show-reel and a useful tool when trying to secure funding to make a feature length production. Five years later, he finished 'JADE WARRIOR'.

So, exactly how well does ancient Finnish and Chinese legend combine with the story of a couple breaking up in modern day Helsinki? Surprisingly well...

From the start, I feel as if I should point out that this is not an action film, wu xia or otherwise; this is a fantasy-drama, with a couple of action sequences thrown in. If you're expecting the Finnish version of 'HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS', you'll be disappointed. Despite the director's love of the genre, he has only included touches of it, instead, fantasy and drama are at the forefront. The idea behind the narrative, that fate will catch up with those who try and escape it, is not particularly original, but its transposition to the Kalevala and China is and, thankfully, it works well. And, to these ends, Annila has done a good job in constructing a narrative which embraces the past of Sentai and Pin Yu, and the present of Kai and Ronja. The cyclical nature of fate is expressed through the narrative of these two sets of characters, both of whom are struggling to the same ends, battling internal and external forces.

The Finnish cast were completely unknown to me. Tommi Eronen puts in a great central performance, in the dual roles of Kai and Sentai, having spent months preparing for both his action sequences and the large amount of Mandarin dialogue, required for the scenes in China. As Sentai, he is a warrior, isolated from the world, waiting to fulfil his destiny, when he falls in love and finds himself straying from the road that has been mapped out for him: as Kai, he is heartbroken, isolated and lost, when fate catches up with him, pushing him back towards his destiny. The main support for Eronen comes from Markku Peltola and Krista Kosonem, a veteran and a newcomer respectively. Peltola is great as the Kalevala researcher, who becomes a Kai's spirit guide, and brings so much to every frame of the film he appears in. In her debut feature, Kosonem puts in an assured performance, as she struggles to leave Kai behind her. As for the Chinese cast, I'd forgotten that it was led by Zhang Jing-Chu, who you may recognise from Tsui Hark's 'SEVEN SWORDS' or the excellent 'PEACOCK', in which she was fabulous. Zhang is a rising star and turns her talents to the role of Pin Yu with ease, whether she's battling with her feelings, or with Sentai, her qualities are evident.

Complimenting Annila's direction and narrative, along with a great cast, are the film's visuals. The set design, be it Kai's forge or Pin Yu's village, is very impressive and packed with detail yet, somehow, both worlds sit comfortably together. The sets, along with the countryside of a snowy, northern Finland, Estonia (doubling for rural Finland) and China are captured with some quite beautiful cinematography, which is as frequently understated as it is slick. If that makes any sense? All of these elements are enhanced by some extremely well employed CGI, sure there's a couple a moments where its use is a little obvious, but they are countered with elements that I would never have thought were CGI, if they hadn't been pointed out on the commentary track.


And finally, to the action. Choreographed by Yu Yan Kai, who relocated to Sweden, having worked with Sammo Hung and Corey Yuen in his native China, is a nicely stylised take on wu xia and kung-fu. There are several choreographed sequences, all of which are different in style and tone; from a strange confrontation with saplings instead of swords, to a bar fight with some nifty chopstick usage, to a more conventional confrontation, which turns into a mating ritual and a final showdown, where sledgehammers are the weapon of choice. Yu, and the cast, do a fine job.

In summary, Annila et al have produced a very watchable, enjoyable film, which successfully blends drama and fantasy, utilising both European and Chinese aesthetics with great success. I, for one, am interested to see what Annilla does next; he closes his commentary by joking that he'll be back soon with his "ninja musical", I wouldn't be surprised...