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| The cast of 'Warrior' |
The first reviews are in from critics who were given advance looks at the 6-episode season. The story is based in San Francisco's Chinatown in the late 1800s and stars a largely British Asian and Asian American cast.
(To read the complete review, click on the links.)
ROLLING STONE: A Bruce Lee vision brought to vivid life
The bushy period mustaches that many of the Irish and WASP characters wear obscure their mouths enough to occasionally create the illusion that they’re the ones speaking a foreign language and having their dialogue dubbed into English for the local marketplace. Whether intentional or not, it’s a nifty role reversal.
“These are strange fucking times,” Father Jun suggests. “The ducks think we’re less than human. We can’t own, we can’t vote, and yet somehow, we’re responsible for the economic woes of their entire nation.” (Editor's Note: In Warrior, Chinese refer to white people as "ducks.")
HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: TV review
The martial arts will, of course, be the facet attracting the most general audience curiosity and the fights, from choreographer Brett Chan, aren't outsized wuxia-style fits of whimsy and exaggeration, nor laced with humor in the Jackie Chan vein. They're athletic and effective and take advantage whenever possible of what the actors are capable of doing with limited slo-motion embellishment or editing. They're also character-driven, so there's a smooth efficiency to Ah Sahm's fighting, a frenzied mania to Young Jun's attacks and when The Raid veteran Taslim gets going, that's when the show truly hums. There's a strong contrast between the fighting coming out of Chinatown and the brutal, bare-knuckle boxing that settles matters on the Irish side of town.
IGN: Series premiere review for new Bruce Lee martial arts drama
Fans of action won’t want to miss this energetic (if occasionally repetitive) series, which delves into a rough and colorful slice of American history with verve, intelligence, and memorable fists of fury.
ROLLING STONE: A Bruce Lee vision brought to vivid life
The bushy period mustaches that many of the Irish and WASP characters wear obscure their mouths enough to occasionally create the illusion that they’re the ones speaking a foreign language and having their dialogue dubbed into English for the local marketplace. Whether intentional or not, it’s a nifty role reversal.
“These are strange fucking times,” Father Jun suggests. “The ducks think we’re less than human. We can’t own, we can’t vote, and yet somehow, we’re responsible for the economic woes of their entire nation.” (Editor's Note: In Warrior, Chinese refer to white people as "ducks.")
HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: TV review
The martial arts will, of course, be the facet attracting the most general audience curiosity and the fights, from choreographer Brett Chan, aren't outsized wuxia-style fits of whimsy and exaggeration, nor laced with humor in the Jackie Chan vein. They're athletic and effective and take advantage whenever possible of what the actors are capable of doing with limited slo-motion embellishment or editing. They're also character-driven, so there's a smooth efficiency to Ah Sahm's fighting, a frenzied mania to Young Jun's attacks and when The Raid veteran Taslim gets going, that's when the show truly hums. There's a strong contrast between the fighting coming out of Chinatown and the brutal, bare-knuckle boxing that settles matters on the Irish side of town.
IGN: Series premiere review for new Bruce Lee martial arts drama
Fans of action won’t want to miss this energetic (if occasionally repetitive) series, which delves into a rough and colorful slice of American history with verve, intelligence, and memorable fists of fury.
TV GUIDE: Cinemax 's martial arts drama is typical Cinemax (For better or worse)
Second, the cast of the series, which is also executive-produced by Justin Lin(The Fast and the Furious franchise) and Shannon Lee, the daughter of Bruce Lee, is predominantly made up of Asians or Asian Americans actors. Representation in Hollywood, especially for the Asian community, remains limited, and Warrior is a show that works to elevate the Asian voices at the center of its story. The white supporting players appear not just dull in comparison, but sometimes feel like they exist in a different show. Between the all-too-familiar scheming of corrupt politicians, the young, pretty wife who can't stand the awful husband she married to save her family, and the drunk policemen with gambling addictions, the white men and women of Warrior are nothing we haven't seen before, and Warrior doesn't do much to add to their stories. Which is honestly fine in this instance; they're not the stars of the show.
Second, the cast of the series, which is also executive-produced by Justin Lin(The Fast and the Furious franchise) and Shannon Lee, the daughter of Bruce Lee, is predominantly made up of Asians or Asian Americans actors. Representation in Hollywood, especially for the Asian community, remains limited, and Warrior is a show that works to elevate the Asian voices at the center of its story. The white supporting players appear not just dull in comparison, but sometimes feel like they exist in a different show. Between the all-too-familiar scheming of corrupt politicians, the young, pretty wife who can't stand the awful husband she married to save her family, and the drunk policemen with gambling addictions, the white men and women of Warrior are nothing we haven't seen before, and Warrior doesn't do much to add to their stories. Which is honestly fine in this instance; they're not the stars of the show.
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