Yamada: Way of the Samurai (a.k.a. Yamada: The Samurai of Ayothaya), 2010.
Directed by Nopporn Watin.
Starring Seigi Ozeki, Kanokkorn Jaicheun, Sorapong Chatree, Thanawut Ketsaro, Winai Kraibutr and Buakhao Paw Pramuk.
SYNOPSIS:
Betrayed and left for dead, the young Japanese samurai Yamada finds a new home in Siam and soon faces his greatest battle against the elite warriors he once regarded as brothers.
Based upon the exploits of Yamada Nagamasa, a Japanese samurai and adventurer who rose to prominence during the Sukothai Dynasty in Ayutthaya in the 17th century, Yamada: Way of the Samurai is a historical action epic from Thailand that brings together Japanese swordplay with the bone-crunching, hard hitting Muay Thai style made famous by Tony Jaa with the likes of Ong-bak and Warrior King. Although there’s a decent amount of high-impact martial arts entertainment on offer, Yamada is hampered somewhat by its low production values (the film was produced on a budget of ฿100,000,000, which translates to a rather less impressive £2 million to us folks here in the UK), along with a well-trodden, predictable narrative that will be instantly familiar to fans of the genre.
Thai-based Japanese actor Seigi Ozeki (The Odd Couple) leads the cast as the eponymous Yamada, a samurai based in the Ayutthaya province of Siam. After discovering a plot to kill the king instigated by his own people, Yamada is attacked by a group of ninjas and left critically injured. Rescued by a band of fabulously-moustachioed Thai warriors (including veteran kickboxer Buakhao Paw Pramuk), Yamada is taken to a remote village where he is nursed back to health and soon gains an appreciation of the ancient fighting art of Muay Boran. Merging this no-nonsense technique with his own traditional Japanese martial arts, Yamada eventually earns the respect of the Thai warriors and rises through the ranks to become bodyguard to the King Naresuan the Great (Winai Kraibutr) – a role that ultimately leads to a final showdown with his former allies.
Despite the story being overly familiar, the majority of viewers will be watching this to get their action fix and in this regard, Yamada is fairly successful. At times, the cinematography is a little amateurish and the low budget also means we’re treated to an abundance of wonky computer-generated blood effects, but in general the fight scenes are well-choreographed and fairly entertaining. Naturally they don’t quite reach the heights of the aforementioned Ong-bak, but there’s still some impressive action on display, with a good mix of hand-to-hand combat and brutal swordplay. Apart from the CG blood, the only real complaint I have in this department is the over-reliance on slow-motion, which isn’t too much of a problem during the fight scenes, although it does become a little frustrating when it extends to simple actions such as a character taking a bow or turning their head.
Overall, Yamada: Way of the Samurai is a distinctly average entry in the martial arts genre, but if you’re a fan of Muay Thai and easily entertained then you’ll probably want to check it out, particularly for a standout performance from Thanawut Ketsaro’s moustache, which is without a doubt one of the finest I’ve ever seen in Asian cinema.
