The Warrior Collection: Limited Edition – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Indonesia, 1981 (The Warrior), Indonesia, 1983 (The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman), Indonesia, 1985 (The Warrior and the Ninja)
Director: Sisworo Gautama Putra (The Warrior), Dasri Yacob (The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman), H. Tjut Djalil (The Warrior and the Ninja)
Cast: Barry Prima (All Films), W.D. Mochtar, Dana Christina, Eva Arnaz, Dorman Borisman, Rukman Herman, H.I.M. Damsyik, S. Parya, S. Suryabrata (The Warrior), Advent Bangun, Gudi Sintara, W.D. Mochtar, Syamsuddin Syafei, Gino Makasutji (The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman), El Manik, Rita Zahara, Syamsuri Kaempuan, Tizar Purbaya, Piet Pagau, Zurmaini, Syamsuddin Syafei (The Warrior and the Ninja)

Release Date: July, 2024
Approximate Running Times: 91 Minutes 36 Seconds (The Warrior), 92 Minutes 36 Seconds (The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman), 98 Minutes 37 Seconds (The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (All Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Indonesian, DTS-HD Mono English (All Films)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: OOP (This edition was limited to 1500 copies)

The Warrior: "Witchcraft and black magic versus mystical martial arts! This outrageously entertaining fantasy flick stars Indonesian action hero Barry Prima. He plays Jaka Sembung a kind of Robin Hood figure who possesses mystical powers. As a leader of his country’s rebellion against the oppressive Dutch colonialists, Jaka Sembung is captured, tortured and left for dead. But he returns, even more powerful than before. In desperation the invaders resurrect an evil wizard and set him against Jaka Sembung in a fierce fight to the death." - synopsis provided by the distributor

The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman: "In this explosive sequel to The Warrior, Jaka Sembung is back, organizing resistance to the Dutch colonialist army in West Java and spreading the message of rebellion throughout the land. The Dutch commander organizes a martial arts tournament to select the best warrior to defeat Jaka Sembung. The winner is Si Buta, a mysterious blind swordsman from a place Called Devil’s Mountain. For a chest full of gold coins, Sin Buta returns with Jaka Sembungs’s decapitated head. However, things are not quite what they seem and they become even more complicated when a seductive sorceress, Dewi Magi, sets her sights on the blind swordsman and demands Jaka Sembung as her sex slave. The Dutch send in their heavily armed troops and an apocalyptic battle ensues, filled with magic, mayhem and mystical martial arts." - synopsis provided by the distributor

The Warrior and the Ninja: "In this final entry in Rapi Films’ Warrior Trilogy, Jaka Sembung teams up with a female freedom fighter known as The Black Squirrel. The film opens with a spectacular volcanic explosion and from there on the tension never lets up. Numerous high energy scenes of brutal martial arts are interspersed with sustained action, gore, and outrageous special effects sequences. This may well be the most action packed of all the films in the series and is directed by Mystics in Bali helmer H. Tjut Djalil. Jaka Sembung comes up against one of his most fearsome opponents in the seemingly invincible, iron skinned Balung Wesi. The film features one of the most over the top scenes in the entire trilogy when one of the villains has her face ripped off by the Black Squirrel." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (The Warrior), 4/5 (The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman), 3.5/5 (The Warrior and the Ninja)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfers, "HD transfer from the original negative".

The Warrior comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.4 GB

Feature: 28.2 GB

The bulk of this transfer looks excellent; that said, there are still some instances of minor source damage. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity and compression are solid, and black levels fare well.

The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman and The Warrior and the Ninja come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.6 GB

Feature: 21.5 GB (The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman), 23.2 (The Warrior and the Ninja)

The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman: The source is in great shape; any imperfections are minor. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity and compression are solid, and black levels fare well.

The Warrior and the Ninja has the weakest source out of these three films; darker moments lack clarity, and black levels are not convincing.

Audio: 4.25/5 (The Warrior - DTS-HD Mono English, The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman - DTS-HD Mono Indonesian), 4/5 (The Warrior - DTS-HD Mono Indonesian, The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman - DTS-HD Mono English), 3.5/5 (The Warrior and the Ninja - Both Audio Tracks)

The Warrior comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Indonesian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. That said, the English-language track sounds more robust than the Indonesian audio track. Included are removable English subtitles for the Indonesian language track.

The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Indonesian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear and balanced. That said, the Indonesian language track sounds fuller than the English audio track. Included are removable English subtitles for the Indonesian language track.

The Warrior and the Ninja comes with two audio options: a DTS-HD mono mix in Indonesian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. The audio tracks sound satisfactory range-wise, but at times their dialog is muffled and they seem confined. Included are removable English subtitles for the Indonesian language track.

Extras:

All of the extras are on disc one. Extras include theatrical trailers for The Warrior (4 minutes 15 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman (2 minutes 56 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles) and The Warrior and the Ninja (3 minutes 21 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with screenwriter Imam Tantowi (9 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Indonesian with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with producer Gope Samtani (11 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with SFX maestro EL Badrun (22 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Indonesian with removable English subtitles), an interview with filmmaker Joko Anwar (37 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an interview with Imam Tantowi (21 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Indonesian with removable English subtitles).

Other extras are reversible cover art, slipcover, and a 20-page booklet with an essay titled Djair and the Warrior(s) written by Hikmat Durmawan.

Summary:

The Warrior: When word spreads about an impending revolt, the Dutch occupiers set their sights on eliminating the leader of the rebellion, Jaka Sembung, once and for all.

Sisworo Gautama Putra directed The Warrior. He is also known for making Primitives, Satan's Slave, Sundelbolong, and The Hungry Snake Woman.

With only one film under his belt, The Warrior would make Barry Prima a star who would rule 1980s Indonesian action cinema. The Warrior would also reteam Barry Prima with director Sisworo Gautama Putra; they had already worked together on Primitives. Barry Prima would portray Jaka Sembung in four films: The Warrior, The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman, The Warrior and the Ninja, and Jaka Sembung and the Ocean Goddess.

The Warrior is a melting pot of the outlandish and the bizarre. Body parts are dismembered and reattached with ease, eyes are gouged, the dead are raised, and in one scene the protagonist is transformed into a pig. An ample amount of bloody carnage is present, and the fight sequences are ridiculously exaggerated.

The main attraction is Barry Prima in the role of Jaka Sembung, a Christ-like character who refuses to bend to Dutch occupiers. He delivers a solid performance that more than fulfills the role of the hero; is it not surprising that out of all the characters he’s portrayed, Jaka Sembung is the one he’s most identified with. Also, the deliriously over-the-top bad guys should not be overlooked when discussing the performances.

The Warrior, like all Indonesian cinema from this era, is not known for its polished production values, and yet it is a film that succeeds despite its shortcomings. And though the bloody moments of carnage far outnumber moments of exposition, this does not affect pacing in any way as things move along briskly. Ultimately, The Warrior is a satisfying mix of carnage, action, and mayhem that often exceeds expectations.

The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman: The oppressive Dutch occupiers hold a tournament to find the fighter who can eliminate Jaka Sembung.

Whenever a film is successful, it won’t be long before a sequel happens. And though The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman literally pick up where their predecessor left off, the result is a film that feels more like a rehash than a sequel; there are several moments that feel like Deja Vu. That said, when it comes to carnage, this is one area where The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman bests its predecessor.

The best part of The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman is Barry Prima, who reprises the role of Jaka Sembung. With The Warrior under his belt, he’s even more comfortable in the role; his performance is overflowing with enthusiasm. Another performance of note is Advent Bangun’s portrayal of a blind swordsman.

From a production standpoint, it is obvious that The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman has even fewer resources than its predecessor. It is a film that is light on plot and heavy on action; fortunately, pacing is never an issue. Ultimately, The Warrior set the bar so high that The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman feel like a letdown that retreads familiar ground.

The Warrior and the Ninja: Jaka Sembung joins forces with a Robin Hood-like ninja in his fighter against the oppressive Dutch occupiers.

H. Tjut Djalil directed The Warrior and the Ninja. He is also known for directing Mystics in Bali, Lady Terminator, and Dangerous Seductress.

Where the first two films were similar, in this third installment there is some new blood thrown into the mix. The Ninja character Black Squirrel takes the lead this time, with Jaka Sembung having less screen time as the focal point is shifted. That said, no matter which of these characters are on screen, The Warrior and the Ninja is an improvement in every way over The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman.

From a production standpoint, despite its shortcomings, The Warrior and the Ninja succeeds because of its two lead performances. And though it has the most anemic narrative of these three films, its non-stop action sequences ensure there is never a dull moment. Also, besides well-executed action sequences, the ample amount of gory carnage is another area where The Warrior and the Ninja stands out. Ultimately, The Warrior and the Ninja is a positive move in the right direction after The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman.

The Warrior Collection is another must-have release from Mondo Macabro, who are always ahead of the curve when it comes to releasing cinematic oddities waiting to be rediscovered, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer