[yasr_overall_rating]
A teenager is magically transported to China and learns to convert his video game skills into those of a Kung Fu warrior.
Jack (Uriah Shelton) is your typical American teenager, when at home, he’s wrapped up playing martial arts video games where he goes by the name of The Black Knight but when he’s at school, or out and about in general, he is constantly being picked on by his high school bully, Travis (Dakota Daulby), and his gang. He works part time at an antique store for Mr. Chang (Francis Chun-Yu Ng) and one afternoon, after managing to evade Travis and his clique, Mr. Chang gives him an ancient Chinese heirloom, showing a visual representation of a strong female warrior princess named Su Lin (Ni Ni). Jack initially refuses, stating that he couldn’t accept such a beautiful gift but Chang insists. Later that night, Jack is awoken by Zhoo (Mark Chao), a Chinese warrior who is searching for The Black Knight. Jack freaks out at the sight of a Chinese warrior standing in his bedroom holding a sword to his throat and explains to him that The Black Knight is his gamer name. Zhoo doesn’t have much time and tells him that he will have to leave Princess Su Lin with him and that he will have to look after her. In a flash, he is gone, and Su Lin is with him. The next morning, Jack manages to convince his mother that Su Lin is a Chinese exchange student and unaccustomed to his modern culture, he takes her to the mall where he buys her customary clothing and teaches her the ways of his world.
When they get home, there are ambushed by bad guys and in the ensuing chaos, they manage to grab Su Lin and take her into a portal. Jack jumps in after them and it closes behind him. He is met by Zhoo and realizes he is now in ancient China. After battling a horde of angry fighters, Zhoo informs Jack that they have to travel to the city where they must free Su Lin before she is forced into marrying Arun the Cruel (Dave Bautista), a man so evil that once he becomes emperor, he will kill Su Lin and stop at nothing to wipe out the entire country. Naturally, Jack is somewhat hesitant, seeing that he has no fighting capabilities whatsoever so along the way, Zhoo teaches him the basics of martial arts, and Jack teaches him the importance of loosening up and how to have a little fun. Along the way, they are captured by Arun’s army and sentenced to death but Zhoo manages to free them both where they make their way to the princess’s chambers. With Arun’s army in hot pursuit and Su Lin and Zhoo engaged in hand-to-hand combat, Jack must rise to the occasion and help his friends, and prove that he is indeed, The Black Knight.
“Enter The Warriors Gate” is pure escapism entertainment that recognizes the controversial topic of bullying. Typically, in movies that deal with this subject matter, the bullies always get their comeuppance and here is no different. Young Jack learns much about himself on his journey to rescue the princess and realizes that he does indeed have what it takes to stand up to his persecutors. We see him being bullied early on but by the end of the movie, these same bullies try to take advantage of him right outside their school, hoping to embarrass and humiliate him in front of everyone only for Jack to now have the courage and strength to fight back and turn the tables on them. While it may be a fictional story, I can only hope that any young boys or girls who are suffering the same fate in real life, might be able to take away from this film, the importance of self-worth and that each and every one of them has what it takes to stand up for themselves. Uriah Shelton as Jack and Ni Ni as Su Lin make a great onscreen couple and Dave Bautista, who stole the show in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” while only a supporting character here, appears to be having fun with his larger-than-life bad guy persona. Luc Besson, the director of “Leon: The Professional,” “The Fifth Element,” and the upcoming “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets,” wrote the story along with Robert Mark Kamen, the writer of “Taken” and “The Karate Kid” remake, and between them, they create some exciting action set pieces and some genuinely heartfelt moments. If you’re looking for a few hours of pure escapism, look no further.
Available on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD) and DVD June 6th from Lionsgate
