Rundown on the Warriors of The Future

There have been some very entertaining sci-fi action movies from Asia that I've enjoyed over the last few years, like The Wandering Earth and Space Sweepers. My movie review for today centers on Warriors of Future.

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Earth has been ravaged by pollution and disaster, and a fast-growing alien vine named Pandora has arrived to cause more lethal devastation. So a combat squad swings into action, racing against time to try and prevent an apocalypse. So right off the bat, this is very CGI heavy in the presentation.

I don't say that as a bad thing, but it is something you need to be aware of because a lot of it does come across like we're watching a video game cutscene. A lot of the graphics look great with some awesome texturing and lighting, but there are moments, especially as this group of soldiers are hunting some creatures in a hospital, the graphics just look extremely fake. The lighting's off, as is the color correction, and it just makes them feel placed in the movie rather than part of it.

Luckily for the majority of this movie, the graphics aren't wonky. So like the synopsis said, Earth in the future has ruined the environment and the air. And while cities are building these glass domes to help purify the air, a meteorite crashes to Earth and brings with it this alien life form that's a plant.

And a plant thrives on water. So when it rains, the thing grows at exponential rates, destroying everything in its path. I love this concept because it pits nature against nature with humans left in the middle.

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The humans figure out a way to stop the alien plant from growing and wreaking havoc. But a massive rainstorm is approaching, so they're under a very tight deadline to deliver a payload that will render the plant inert. The story is actually very basic, and an antagonist is introduced rather early in the story. That arc is just so wildly predictable that it was actually disappointing because it was exactly what you'd expect to happen.

With the soldiers that the story follows as they try to disable the plant, we get to connect with them a bit emotionally simply from following them and watching them work as a team. There's not a ton of backstory on them, but there is enough to make them sympathetic and worth rooting for.

But what this movie really has going for it, and it's one of the massive strengths, is the action. There's a ton of it, and so much of it is incredibly exciting. There's this chase sequence on a raised highway that is tense and immersive.

As this huge truck carrying soldiers just barrels down the road, it's being chased by a maniac war machine, and the camera will fly around objects and then inside the truck, creating some seamless scenes that are filled with anxiety and pounding action. We get to see close quarters battles as well as fights that are taking part outside the truck, and it is just a nonstop high-octane adrenaline rush. This is one of the best sequences in the whole movie, and I'm so glad that it lasts quite a while.

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I think the scene is like over 10 minutes long, at least it feels that way, and I mean that in the best way possible. And then when the scene reaches its climax, there was a hugely emotional moment that put a lump in my throat.

And that's not the only action scene that will get your blood pumping. This movie excels when it's pushing the gas and going headlong into the craziness. When there are down moments, the story becomes less interesting, but typically we don't have to wait too long before another scene pops up and we're back in a melee of sorts.

There are a lot of conveniences built into the story, but I didn't mind them because they just help move the story along more efficiently. I wasn't really watching this for an intellectual boost. I just wanted some fun sci-fi action, and that's what it delivered.

There's a mid-credits scene that did have me a bit confused. And if you listen to the weekly podcast with me and Ruben from The Ruby Tuesday, neither of us was sure what it meant exactly, but it also wasn't a deal breaker for enjoying the movie overall. All in all, Warriors of Future has several qualities going for it, including an intriguing and unique premise with a powerfully scary antagonistic feature.

There's crazy intense action scenes that are shot and captured well, showcasing a lot of the action in ways that allow us to actually see what's going on in a fight. And we also get some characters that are naturally charismatic and easy to get behind. Also, for the most part, the graphics and visual effects look great, save for a few creature mishaps in certain sequences where the shading, color correction and textures don't match the surroundings.

This also doesn't outstay its welcome, which is good considering a lot of the plot is predictable, which could run the risk of this becoming a rote and boring watch. But yet it avoids that pitfall and delivers a fun sci-fi action story. I give Warriors of Future 7/10 rating.