The Warrior is an Indonesian fantasy/action film about a noble warrior (Jaka Sembung) fighting for all of the right reasons against the oppressive Dutch Colonial Government. Not only is he a super-human fighter, he is also a symbol to the people struggling against colonial rule. Unable to capture the resistance leader, the Dutch representative hires local super-powered villains to defeat Jaka. One of them is a bullet-proof strongman and another is a dark magician who displays telekinetic abilities and the ability to turn people into animals. While the magician is the most powerful enemy that Jaka faces, the actual big boss is a Dutch captain name Van Schram, who coincidentally has a daughter who is quite taken with Jaka Sembung. Part martial arts film and part fantasy, the action is bizarre and exaggerated in the best way. It’s the kind of movie where a man gets an uppercut, and he flies thirty feet into the air. There are massive jumps and a lot of wirework in the stunts. At one point, there is a severed head that flies around and attacks people. The hero undergoes blinding and a crucifixion before escaping. Moments of it are very gory but the effects are cheap enough that it does not look convincing, especially the scene where a good magician replaces the hero’s eyes. All of the magic and superpowers make sense, since this movie is based on a comic book.

A digital transfer from film negatives, the film quality looks fine on my TV, though the image may be too sharp for this type of movie. There were scenes with floating props where the black string that they ran along was visible and I think that might not have been the case on VHS or DVD versions. I did try out the English dub and the subtitles. I think that the newly translated subtitles are more accurate as there were scenes where the dub made less sense. The special features are plenty. There are archival interviews with the writer and with the producer. There are also new interviews with Joko Anwar (film maker), El Badrun (special effects), and Imam Tantowi (writer). The length and quality of the interviews really gives the viewer a lot to explore after the movie is over. Plus, the presence of archival and new interviews provides insight into the same person at two different periods of his life. In addition, you can watch all of the original trailers for “The Warrior” and two sequels. Included is a 12-page booklet limited to the first 1000 copies. It contained an interesting history of the Jaka Sembung and the cultural significance to Indonesian children. It also discusses how the religion (Islam) of the hero colors the character and the reception of that character in different parts of the world.

In conclusion, “The Warrior” is an entertaining action/martial arts film with fantasy elements. At roughly 90 minutes, it has tight pacing and never feels boring. As soon as one battle is over, the villains are springing the next trap. It’s worth watching on its own, but the special features do a great job of informing the viewer about Indonesian filmmaking. Recommended.