Brotherhood of Blades II: The Infernal Battleground review by Bobby Blakey

WellGo USA continues to dominate the release of Asian cinema in the US especially with their martial arts films. Their latest film Brotherhood of the Blades II: The Infernal Battleground is a prequel to their 2015 release Brotherhood of the Blades taking fans back to fight, but does it offer up more of the same epic fights or will it fail to win the war?
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Brotherhood of Blades II: The Infernal Battleground follows an imperial guard who searches for the truth behind a conspiracy that framed him and his partners. The proof of his innocence lies with a wanted woman named Bei Zhai... but will she reveal what she knows? Story wise this film isn’t bringing anything that we haven’t seen before, but they have injected just enough twists and turns to make it still worth checking out and a great companion to the original. It’s no surprise that visuals to the film are amazing with both the sets and landscapes, but also the costuming and armor used in the film. While the story is intriguing and will keep you engaged once again the real reason to check out this film is the fighting.
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While they aren’t breaking down any walls in choreography they have executed some great sword play here. They have a few small fights, but the majority of them are saved for big sequences that are well executed and a lot of fun to watch. They waste no time getting right into it from the start which sets the tone to the rest of the film. After an interesting sequence it jumps ahead 8 years and right into the main thick of it all. Each and every battle sequence is bigger than the last, but the final one turns it up a notch and makes the entire film worth it. This is old school action at its best featuring some great weapons, action and wire work that is amazing, but you feel grounded thanks to the way it is executed.
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Much like the first film this entry earns its place in the ranks of great martial arts epics. Whether you are a fan of foreign films, martial arts or all of the above this is worth checking out if for nothing else than the action, but thankfully there is a good story and performances to go with it. This release not only includes the film but bonus content including a trailer and behind the scenes featurettes. Sharpen your blade and step onto the battlefield once again with Brotherhood of Blades II: The Infernal Battleground when it hits Blu-ray and DVD on February 13th from Well Go USA.
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For more information head over to www.wellgousa.com