Fishing for Metaphors

Going around beating people in the name of righteousness sounds rather noble. Doesn’t it? In this case, The Revenger is simply about REVENGE!!! Far from serious, the undertone of the film is light hearted and humorous. I found myself laughing right off the bat as there are plenty of humorous catchy lines that made me laugh hard.

If you are a fan of the Shenmue video game franchise, the tone of this film is all too familiar. The first part is played by the father who goes around setting things straight in the society with violence. Out of revenge, the villain sent his sister to destroy the hero for being humiliated. One day, the hero rescued his future wife from bandits which was all a setup by the main villain. As they say what goes around comes around. The villain used his own blood (sister) to get close to the hero’s heart. Romance blossomed between the hero and the villain’s sister and so they both experienced great happiness and conceived a child together. Until one day, the hero got trapped and killed by the villain and his gang. Fast forward, the hero’s son is fueled with revenge when he learned how his father died. By grace, his mother stopped him from revenge and warned him that “hatred will destroy [him].” Instead of seeking revenge, the son goes on a quest to collect his father’s bones. After all, the cycle of revenge must stop! Lets not make it into a Jerry Springer Show!

What’s interesting about this film is its statement: Your enemy is closer than you really think. He could be your uncle. Who said blood means loyalty? Family members fight among each other. Those you love is the one that hurt you most. In summary, such serious topics could have been extended and made this film epic. It’s all too short and a little wonky because the transition scene from the father and the son was played by the same actor–Tung Li. I was so confused because I did not see the child growing up! Nonetheless it’s a good film to watch if you want a good laugh.

I would leave you folks with my favorite line from this film: ” It’s all over between us like this bridge is broken!”

Okay, I take that back. I hope to see you next time for my next review and the following reviews after that!