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The setting of Superfighters, a Korean film which is better known in the U.S. as Shadowless Sword is in the ninth century when Georan colonizers reign in Balhae, the Korean capital. Realizing the need for a royal figure to bring unity to the people and recover their land, the remnants of Balhae officials assign their best swordswoman, Yeon Soha (Yoon Soy) to protect and bring home safely their prince in exile, Jeonghyun (Lee Seo Jin). But her mission is threatened by the Killer Blade Army under Gun-hwa-pyeong (Shin Jyun Joon) and his fiancée, Mae (Lee Kee Yong). Complicating her job is the reluctant would-be king, using an alias - Sosam, who has degenerated into a pragmatic merchant, buying and selling stolen wares. While Yeon Soha risks her life to protect him, he devises ways to escape from her. After several skirmishes with the Killer Blade Army and exposure to the tortured Balhae militants, Jeonghyun experiences a conversion. Just as he begins to admire and to become attached to Soha, a poisoned dart has felled the courageous woman. As the Georans intensify their efforts to capture the last prince of Balhae, the story unfolds the price of freedom and the meaning of heroism.
A well-crafted action film that has a narrative appeal, Superfighters is entertaining and showcases swordplay and martial arts skills. Some scenes are not that original given an exposure to previous Chinese/Korean films on legendary heroes. But the cinematography boasts of powerful images that enable non-Korean viewers to follow the film sans the English subtitles. One can even overlook the fact that while an army of assassins hunt the prince in exile, only one female warrior looking like a stoic and subdued guardian angel is assigned to protect him. What comes as a surprise is the discovery of the prince’s military prowess and leadership, far from his earlier portrayal as a weakling who has to be rescued time and again from his foibles.
That the sword is intended to protect what is precious is reiterated several times in the film by the protagonists Soha and Jeong-Hyeon. Seen from the eyes of the patriots and the heroes, the sword is a weapon to defend life, honor, country. The film has several positive values such as the redeeming power of love and loyalty, spirit of sacrifice, sense of commitment and responsibility. It has also presented how allegiance to the wrong person and evil cause could lead to tragic repercussions. While it is true that war cannot be portrayed without violence, the ruthless and barbaric manner of killing/assassinating people in the film could still be disturbing. As such, the very young ones should be spared from gory spectacles.
(Date Reviewed: 13 March 2008)
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