The Warrior's Way (A-)

Fantastic art direction and awe-inspiring visuals make this truly an action adventure.
Yang (Korean star Jang Dong-gun) had been trained as an assassin since a young age, and was really good at it. Really good. He looks at a perfectly tranquil pond and is able to spot the nearest killer lurking in its depths and slash him in half. He is unfazed when the entire pond comes alive with a score warriors. And he calmly cuts them down in less than thirty seconds. In fact, Yang is so good he practically single-handedly takes down an entire tribe of trained murderers--except for one. Upon seeing an adorable little infant (Analin Rudd), he finds himself unable to do his usual tricks, and instead decides to adopt it (seeing as his sword just snipped her parent's lives short a few years). This action is inexcusable with his tribe and master, and him and the child are now the most wanted men in Asia. So Yang leaves Asia. Enter The Wild West.
The touching-yet-melancholy ending might turn off some, but one should probably realize that the film is more about Lynne (Kate Bosworth of 21), the vengeful cowgirl (in the sense of having guns and liking sand, not in tending cattle) who's life is touched by the child and her foster-parent. Is there romance? Duh. But there is quite a bit more. First off, you have that mysterious town drunk (Geoffrey Rush of Shine and Quill), and that pesky swordsman chasing Yang (Ti Lung), and the vicious gang-leader (Danny Huston) who murdered Lynne's family ten years ago when she burned half his face off during an attempted rape.
Other than perhaps Legend of the Guardians, this film is the most beautiful picture this year. The scenery, the costumes, all the surreal imagery...It is truly incredible. Desserts are usually ugly and unpleasant to the eye, but in this film it seems like a combination of Middle Earth and Neverland. The art direction (from Phillip Ivey and Writer/Director Sngmoo Lee) is award-worthy and a reason to see the film in and of itself.
Of course there is a far bigger reason to see it: the action! Aside from the inherent FREAKINGSWEET!ness of cowboys versus ninjas (if that is what the Asiatic assassins are), the film finds every possible way to kill a person and then a few ways that I think would be rather difficult. This is all beautifully choreographed as if it is a ballet (with blood), a nice contrast from the blunt barrage of beatings generally offered in movies.
As for the story, it is nothing incredible, but it has a good message and can be quite touching--if you keep in mind the previous warning. Of course, the movie is more show than substance, but it has real themes and it is a show like you have never seen before.
An additional plus is Huston's performance and character, which rivals the Joker in being a truly horrifying person who twists your heart around every moment he is on the screen. He lacks Joker's depth, but if you are just looking to squirm and really, really want to see someone's face get smashed in, the character serves this purpose perfectly.
Beautiful and beautifully violent, The Warrior's Way is the right way to make a movie.