The release of Lone Samurai marks the first major production Iko Uwais has directed. It's presented by his production company, Uwais Team; he's one of the executive producers, and Uwais's stunt team is on hand to provide the action. The only place his presence isn't felt is in front of the camera, opting instead for a take on the chambara genre, with the titular samurai arriving on a remote island after being battered by a typhoon while repelling a Mongol invasion in the 14th century.
Played by the singular Shogen (Gensan Punch, Hero's Island), after an on-screen text recounts the Mongols' repeated attempts to invade Japan (only to be thwarted by typhoons!), we meet our failed samurai (literally and metaphorically) with a wooden stake through his leg and his sword broken in two. It's a captivating start, and those who watch Lone Samurai expecting an action-packed feast (a reasonable assumption given the credentials of those involved!) might be confused by the tone the film adopts. In fact, for a third of its runtime, we simply follow Shogen around the island, watching him try to survive the remote environment he finds himself in, with minimal dialogue and the occasional flashback.
Director: Josh C. Waller
Writer: Josh C. Waller
Stars: Shogen, Yayan Ruhian, Rama Ramadhan
It's a bold choice by director and screenwriter Josh C. Waller, whose previous directorial experience has seen him frequently work with stuntwoman Zoë Bell, giving her starring roles in films like 2013's Raze (his feature directorial debut) and 2015's Camino (which was also his last feature film). Waller's penchant for blending martial arts into unexpected genres is evident, and even though it's been 10 years since he last directed, that same penchant remains with Lone Samurai, whose tagline promises "Samurai vs. Cannibals." The production certainly delivers on its promise, though audiences might be surprised by the path it takes to achieve it.
The experience of watching Lone Samurai is like seeing three movies for the price of one, with the caveat that you have to be a fan of all three or only see one. In that sense, Waller's latest film might feel like an identity crisis. The biggest problem with the serenity of the first third, which consists of Shogen wandering the island, dabbling in poetry, and experiencing hallucinations with his wife, is that it lacks narrative drive. That might be the point, but spending over 30 minutes watching his leg heal, the rest of his sword being sharpened, and a makeshift shrine being built would have been more appropriate for editing. Luckily for the audience, just as he spouts some pretentious nonsense (it's argued that it could have been a better film if Shogen hadn't had any dialogue) before committing seppuku, a cannibal appears and knocks him unconscious.
The second act is essentially a horror film, as Shogen finds himself bound and gagged in a cave inhabited by a tribe of cannibals, among whom is the most recognizable face in modern Indonesian action cinema: Yayan Ruhian (Wiro Sableng 212, Legend of Gatotkaca). The transition from the contemplative tone of Shogen's isolation to watching a group of caveman cannibals cut off a captive's legs doesn't quite work, almost as if we were watching a different film altogether. While any veteran fan of Asian cinema will have encountered tonal whiplash, in most cases the context behind the shift remains consistent, but in this instance, it doesn't quite connect.
Shogen's performance is partly to blame, as the script hints at a character who gradually descends into madness; However, in general, he chooses to portray him as stoic and emotionless, seemingly unaffected by his situation of being alone on a deserted island, much less by being captured by cannibals. Fortunately, the final third tries hard to distract, offering a continuous action sequence for almost half an hour, as he reconnects with his primal side and recalls how much he misses "the days of rotting skulls."
His sword soon regains its true purpose as he faces a small army of cannibals, mere cannon fodder. It's a shame that the lack of real characterization makes the motives behind it seem superficial rather than cathartic. The violence stems from the need to escape the temptation of becoming the day's dinner, so while it's justified, it lacks any kind of emotional involvement that would connect with the audience.
Shogen's performance is partly to blame, as the script hints at a character gradually descending into madness. However, he generally opts for a stoic and impassive portrayal, seemingly unaffected by his situation of being alone on a deserted island, let alone being captured by cannibals. Thankfully, the final third of the film tries hard to distract, offering a non-stop action sequence for almost half an hour, as he reverts to his primal instincts and recalls how much he longs for "the days of rotting skulls."
His sword soon regains its true purpose as he takes on a small army of cannibals, mere cannon fodder. It's a shame that the lack of real characterization makes the underlying motives seem superficial rather than cathartic. The violence is driven by the need to escape becoming dinner, so while it's justified, it lacks any kind of emotional weight that would connect with the audience.
Again, if Lone Samurai had displayed its pulp ambitions from the start, the sequence would have worked much better, but as it stands, the events of the first hour don't carry much weight in the final massacre. Even so, the beach setting is welcome, reminiscent of the opening scenes of 2018's Revenger, a Korean action film that also opted for a remote Indonesian island and successfully utilized the local stunt talent.
Once Shogen decides to retreat, it isn't long before heads start rolling and arrows are lodged in eyes. After wiping out virtually the entire tribe, we finally arrive at what most will be waiting for. As in many of the productions he's been involved in since rising to fame in the 2011 classic The Raid, Yayan Ruhian is present as the fearsome right-hand man of the main villain, who here takes the form of the cannibal tribe leader played by Rama Ramadhan, a Uwais regular.
Ramadhan, a stuntman making his screen debut here (don't miss him in another Uwais production next year, Ikatan Darah), is also part of a trio of fight choreographers, along with Yandi Sutisna (a stuntman in The Night Comes for Us) and Erik Rukmanila (a stuntman in Beyond Skyline). Overseeing them is fight coordinator Faisal Rachman, who also throws his own punches when facing off against Shogen, one of the few cannibals not immediately taken down.
Only after his defeat is Ruhian summoned to the battle, armed with a staff that doubles as a club. It's an acceptable fight, but far from the intensity of the films that made him famous—part of the curse when one of your first screen appearances defines the rest of your career (Tony Jaa suffered a similar fate).
Had it been anyone else in the fight, it would probably have been considered disappointing. Fortunately, Ramadhan more than lives up to expectations in his first on-screen appearance, introducing the final opponent Shogen will face and giving the audience their first real sense of danger. Considering the relative inexperience of Ramadhan and his trio of colleagues in fight choreography, it seems Uwais might be using productions like this to develop a new pool of talent in Indonesian action cinema, and the decision to group them together is admirable. There's promising material in the action department, but there aren't any truly standout moments, and the overall quality doesn't quite reach that of contemporaries like Muhammad Irfan (The Shadow Strays).
Lone Samurai is likely to appeal to a wide range of viewers thanks to its unique appeal. Fans of Indonesian action cinema, chambara fans, and even horror enthusiasts will find something appealing in Waller's latest endeavor; whether it fully delivers on any of these promises is another matter. Part meditative drama, part low-budget horror, and part slashing, hacking samurai goodness; there's a clear ambition behind Lone Samurai; the disjointed tonal inconsistencies simply make it fall short.
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