War of the Arrows [DVD]

Product Notes

Set in 1636, the second Manchurian invasion of Korea rages chaos, as villages are attacked by overpowering Manchurian soldiers. The Manchurians kidnap childhood sweethearts, Ja-in and Seo-Goon on their wedding day. In an effort to save his sister, Ja-in's brother Nam-Yi sets out to defeat the enemy and save his sister and other Korean victims with only 1 bow. The 'Manchu War of 1636' was a period in which nearly a half-million civilians of the Joseon Dynasty had been taken captive by the Qing Dynasty of China. The movie tells the story of a young master archer named Nam-Yi, who goes on a journey to save his only sister who is caught among the captive civilians. Nam-Yi is branded a traitor, but also happens to be the best archer in the Joseon Dynasty. Having a life not worth living for, Nam-Yi's main desire is to keep his sister, Ja-In safe from any harm or strain. However, on the day of his sister's wedding, the villages of Joseon Korea are attacked by the Qing Dynasty of China. The village in which Nam-Yi and Ja-In live is in the path of invasion and Ja-In gets kidnapped by the elite troop (Niru) of Qing. In order to rescue his sister from Niru, he departs from his demolished village with a bow that his father had bequeathed upon him before dying. Disrupting his mission to save his sister is Jyu Shin-Ta, a fierce Qing warrior who leads the elite troop. They are relentless in their chase to bring down Nam-Yi, who has but one day to save his sister from slavery. As Nam-Yi finally gets a hold of his sister, Jyu Shin-Ta comes between them and a fierce battle between two of the finest warriors unfolds.

Product Reviews

A 17th Century Korean archer embarks on a treacherous mission to save his younger sister after she is kidnapped by Manchurian soldiers on her wedding day. The year is 1636. Ja-in (Moon Chae-Won) and her longtime love Seo-Goon are about to exchange their wedding vows as the armies of the Qing Dynasty begin attacking villages, and abducting Koreans. In the midst of the chaos, Ja-in is swept away. As the fighting intensifies, Ja-in's older brother Nam-Yi (The Host's Park Hae-il) realizes that the only way he will ever see his sister alive again is to take on the entire Qing Dynasty. Armed with only his bow and arrow, the brave warrior sets out on a mission to reunite his family, or die trying. A sweeping, historical action epic that proved a massive hit in Korea, War of the Arrows received four trophies at the 2011 Daejong Awards. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi