[KFCC] The Stormriders Review

Story: The leader of the conquer clan calls upon the prophet known as Mud Buddha to find out his destiny. Conquer seeks to be the master of the martial arts world, the prophet tells him that the next 10 years of his life will hold great fortune as long as he aquires two children. They are known as Cloud and Wind, also the prophet tells him that in 10 years the second half of the prophecy will be revealed. In accordance with the prophecy the conquer clan becomes the most powerful force in the martial arts world. After the 10 years Conquer sends Wind and Frost to find the Mud Buddha and Cloud to defeated the Unchallenged city and recover a sword of power. When the Mud Buddha is found he reveals that the 10 years of good fortune is over and soon the misfortune will begin, Conquer will try every method at his disposal to avoid his destiny.

Review: This movie is somewhat the rebirth of the Fantasy Kung Fu genre, unlike the movies of its type that came before this one is far from any cheesy effects. All the latest techniques are used to give this film a crisp clean and beautiful look. There is extensive use of CGI (computer generated imagery) which makes the film look like it was inspired by a video game, it is really an interesting look and feel.

The story behind Storm Riders is quite elaborate, our explanation of the story is limited for the reason we do not want to give out any spoilers. The story and the movie is inspired by a comic book series by the same name, the story in the movie is about what takes place in the first 10 comic books, the series is at 300 something today. The story is pretty original, it may have the common element of a prophet and a destiny but how everything works out is interesting. You will not find the story boring because you never know what to expect.

The cast for the film is quite special, the characters are really "cool". Each of the main characters has a special look and style, we find that these characters resemble a lot to characters in a fighting game(ex. Soul Calibur on Dreamcast) as they each have their own power. The background for the characters is not very in-depth but there is a lot of focus on the main characters as the movie follows them instead of events. This is one of the best parts of this movie, having such excellent characters and skilled actors playing the part well.

Action is one thing that is not missing from this film. The style of fantasy kung fu in Storm Riders is quite different from other movies of its type, the physical combat is very limited it is more of magical battles. All the main characters had their power and it is with those powers they fought. Some people would find this bad as they would prefer real kung fu while there are those who like this better. The effects for these magical battles are incredible, the stunning visual effects are unlike any from other movie of its type. The magical battles fit this movie very well so even those looking for more traditional fight will not be disappointed as these fights are very enjoyable.

The subtitles on the VCD version are not so good, they are very small and hard to read but we must mention that at least we did not have the white on white problem. Anyone who has played a good amount of fighting games in the arcades will be reminded of those games when they watch this movie. In our opinion the movie was somewhat inspired by the videogame culture or maybe it seems like that because of CGI. Those who have read the comic book will notice that style of the fights will resemble those in the comic book. None the less this film breaks new ground, fantasy kung fu takes a new form and shape with this film. The use of the latest technologies gives the filmmakers full creative freedom to make what invision. It is our hope that this is just the beginning of a new wave of films of this genre. For any lover of fantasy kung fu and just about anyone else, we are sure you will all find the movie interesting because of the beautifully well crafted look.