Before his death, a martial arts master names his apprentice as his successor instead of his son. His decision unwittingly kicks off a fierce power struggle that bring the entire city to the brink of chaos.
“100 Yards” opens with a fight sequence. The master of a martial arts school wishes to see a duel between his son, Shen An (Jacky Heung), and his apprentice, Qi Quan (Andy On). Before the fight starts, a divider is set up to prevent the rest of those present from viewing the fight, highlighting one of the martial arts rules — fights must not be public. The film’s title refers to the martial arts school’s unspoken agreement to keep order within 100 yards of their school. The master chooses Qi Quan as his successor, starting a feud as both the successor and son wish to run the school.
Directors Xu Haofeng and Xu Junfeng are more concerned with the spectacle of the fights than telling a compelling story. On a positive note, the fight sequences are excellently choreographed and photographed. Haofeng and Junfeng frame these sequences so that the viewer always has a clear shot of what is happening.
Otherwise, the movie leaves something to be desired. The acting is a little flat, and it’s never entirely evident which character the film wants the viewer to root for. For instance, one of the characters is later revealed to be something of a villain, but by that point, it all feels too wishy-washy to care either way. Without a clear, likable protagonist, the film feels like treading water. The music is off-putting, frequently sounding more like something you’d hear in a spaghetti western.
The film’s transfer onto this Blu-ray Disc is well handled, although I was initially a little worried when I saw that a 2-hour movie was crammed onto a single-layered 25-gigabyte disc. However, visually, it looked excellent. There were no artifacts or anomalies that distracted me from my viewing. Aurally, it’s also presented well. While I couldn’t speak to the surround activity (I have a 2.1 speaker setup), the dialogue and sound field were clear. The bass kicked in frequently. Be warned, your neighbors might not appreciate late-night viewings of this title.
The disc includes a couple of special features, including a 30-minute behind-the-scenes featurette and the film’s trailer.
Ultimately, “100 Yards” didn’t leave much of an impression on me. The fight scenes are finely handled, but the story is lacking. As it is, it feels like things go on too long by the end of the film. Still, if you’re looking for an easy-to-digest action movie, this could be right up your alley, and this disc from Well Go USA offers a nice presentation.
Now available on Digital and on Blu-ray™ and DVD February 18th
