Film Review: Dragonwolf (2013)

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SYNOPSIS:

The Devil’s Cauldron, a city where depravity and violence has forged a society in which only the lethal and callous can survive, two young men who possess the intellect and ferocity to flourish, carve a name for themselves as the most efficient and unstoppable hit men. Side by side, these two brothers are the deadliest killers, feared by even the most evil criminals. But when a woman of rare beauty mysteriously enters the brother’s lives she blinds them with her sweet promises and turns them against each other, resulting in an epic battle that threatens to bring the Devil’s Cauldron to the brink of destruction.

REVIEW:

This film kicks ass…literally. Actor Kazu Patrick Tang rolls thru martial arts heathens “like-butter” in an over-calming performance of slick moves and fancy footwork. If its crazy martial films that your looking for presented in an urban setting, then look no further than Well go USA’s’s release of “Dragonwolf“.

Kazu Patrick Tang plays the role of Mozart along with his counterpart Johan Kirsten who plays Julius. Brothers since childhood, Mozart is brought under the wing of Julius and his mother. Their day-to-day resides in an inner city sector known as “The Devil’s Cauldron”. It’s a town where you either learn how to fight or get trampled on by the neighborhood bullies. The story is laid out in a typical “best friends now enemies fashion” where we have the 2 ramping up for an inevitable show down by the film’s last act. Julius “mostly” stands in the background while his bizarre hired lackeys make various attempts at killing off Mozart using a smattering of styles and fighting disciplines. This alone could carry the film in a way that we are attracted to films like “The Warriors”. However, the base intention is to reveal a dram of 2 brothers.

Kazu Patrick Tang (who might be a bit too slick for rough housing) counteracts his boy-band appearance with a knack for kicking ass in an almost effortless fashion. It’s great action-for-action-film-lovers movie offering quite a bit of fight scenes.

The story works in a backwords fashion that reveals its story thru flashbacks and dialog. In a town run by thugs we have Julius and Mozart at the top of the hit man-for-hire list. Their union has made those in power nervous that they may just rise to power on their own. A young alluring women comes into their lives strategically turning them against each other by seducing them and playing into their weaknesses. It’s the ultimate weapon that they didn’t see coming.

Actor Johan Kirsten makes his first appearance ever in a film as Julius the tough as nails but mellow as a pumpkin fighter who kept me guessing thru most of the film if he was ever going to “actually” fight. I suppose his laid back nothing bother me approach caught me off guard over the more stereotypical bad seeds of films these days. He does ramp up things when it matters which counterbalance this cool demeanor.

In review, “Dragonwolf” sets its sights on the story of 2 brothers who have to come to terms with the violent world they surrounded themselves in. It’s a world with fighters of various levels, hit men, corruption and the quest for power. Though underneath it all is a sensitive tale that forges the love between the 2 brothers who find themselves at odds over a manipulative female. What makes this film fun is the menagerie of costumed thugs who challenge Mozart as often as he can take them on. I couldn’t help but focus on thru the whole ordeal the idea that this guy must be exhausted by now. I suppose that’s what makes for a certain level of belief suspension and the assume energy that our on screen characters seem to possess.

The story was written and directed by Raimund Huber and co-written by actor Johan Kirsten. Huber has been on a roll as a fresh “go-to talent “to  direct action adventure films.

Make sure to watch the film until the end credits as it has a few tacked on additional endings.

Dragonwolf (2013) is now available on bluray per Well Go USA