Dynasty Warriors
By Brian Costello,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Video game-based adventure has lots of battle violence.

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Dynasty Warriors
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What's the Story?
In DYNASTY WARRIORS, the Han Dynasty is in decline, and now a child emperor has ascended to the throne. During a battle against The Yellow Turbans, three warriors -- Liu, Guan, and Zhang -- save the day and rescue General Dong Zhao from death and defeat. They soon learn that it was a mistake to rescue the General, as he has now seized control of the Dynasty and becomes increasingly debauched as he oppresses his people. Meanwhile, Cao Cao, a minor official, has tried and failed to assassinate General Dong, resulting in him being pursued by Dong's loyal warrior, the seemingly unstoppable Lu Bu. After escaping into the mountains, Cao Cao begins to organize an uprising with 18 warlords and their armies. They are soon joined by Liu, Guan, and Zhang, who must prove their worthiness since they have no clear rank. As Dong becomes increasingly debauched, Cao Cao and the armies he has assembled must find a way to fight back.
Is It Any Good?
This is a bombastic, over-stylized, self indulgent movie. Dynasty Warriors is an action-fantasy movie based on the video game series that gets so lost in the explanations and backstories, there somehow isn't that much action. The action that isn't summarized away through voice-overs and character dialogue filled with pompous laughter that quickly grows tiresome doesn't really convey any sense of excitement or suspense, as so much of it is obviously CGI. The closest the movie gets to action and tension is when a group of warlords lose to the third bad guy in command in one-on-one combat with swords, battle axes, and spears, inevitably resulting in the warlords losing their heads as they arc across the sky and land where the remaining warlords fearfully wait. The climactic battle scene, as frenzied and electrified with special effects as it is, feels surprisingly dissatisfying, as does the ending.
There's a moment in the movie where a character says through voice-over, "Things are finally getting interesting." It speaks volumes that even a character would say this about the story they're in, at a point when we're far enough along into the movie. That it doesn't really get interesting is almost beside the point. Moments of action are replaced with so much telling instead of showing, interspersed with pompous dialogue between the characters about, say, the meanings of verities like "loyalty" and "honor." There's also a scene with a suicidal woman connected to the main bad guy who meets the most powerful warrior in the bad guy's army that ultimately doesn't really go anywhere and feels downright clunky, even if perhaps it's a story thread intended to be in the hinted at sequel. If there is a sequel, here's hoping they focus more on action instead of summary, and character development instead of debates about stuff like "power" and "friendship."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about movies based on video games, like Dynasty Warriors. Why do you think there is a demand to adapt some popular video games into movies? What would be the challenges in adapting a video game into a movie?
How does the violence compare to other movies set during medieval times? Is the violence necessary? Why or why not?
How are most of the female characters in the movie portrayed? Are there any notable exceptions?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: July 1, 2021
- Cast: Louis Koo, Kai Wang, Ray Lui
- Director: Roy Chow
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy
- Run time: 119 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: February 17, 2023
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