Invasión, insurrección

There are good things to enjoy about this. The action is well realised, the plot provides some pace and the actors make their characters come to life.

So if all that adds up to a film you might enjoy then give this a go.

However, much of it fails to ring true, meaning I never got beyond knowing this was a story made up in an attempt to entertain me. At no point were my emotions engaged in the characters. Their predicaments did not move me. Their actions and reactions carried very little weight.

Nevertheless I did gain some enjoyment from it. Keep your expectations low and you might well too.

An evil king cares nothing for his people and even less for the countries slaves, but then comes the Japanese invasion and it is the slaves and peasants who subdue it. You would think the king would be grateful but instead returns to the capital planning to once again exploit the people. The story has two main characters, a lord and a slave who befriend each other but later a misunderstanding leads to conflict. It is an interesting plot with over the top fight scenes but fails to really develop any of the characters and this is its main failing. Having said that it is an ok watch and an interesting death, look for the hand holding the sword.

Uprising is an enjoyable movie with a beautiful setting and good acting. The story isn't necessarily unique however works well and is easy to digest. There's some cgi but it's used minimally and isn't completly hard to look at. This film would have probably worked better as a tv series as it's very fast paced. This can cause you to lose elements of the story if not paying full attention. The action is fun, creative and gruesome. The actors are what makes this movie most enjoyable as they are all exceptional at conveying their characters stories. If you're bored and don't know what to watch uprising is good enough to cure that boredom.

A Visually Striking but Confused Film

Uprising (2024) delivers stunning visuals and impressive fight choreography, yet it struggles with its identity. The film swings between being an action-packed spectacle and a historical drama, but never fully commits to either. This results in a movie that feels disjointed, with brutal violence often coming across as excessive, more for shock than to drive the story forward.

While the action sequences, especially the sword fights, are captivating, the plot itself is chaotic. It's easy to get lost in the non-linear timeline and convoluted character motivations. The emotional stakes feel underdeveloped, and the complex relationship between the two main characters doesn't receive the depth it deserves.

In the end, Uprising excels in style but falters in storytelling. Those seeking pure action without a deep narrative may enjoy it, but for anyone craving a cohesive plot, the film may leave them unsatisfied.

An issue with historical fiction mediums is that they can either bend too far and become so detached from the period that you don't feel connected. The other side is that they can be so rigid, sticking to the history, that it struggles to be a narrative. I find Uprising to be a beautiful blend. Whereas the series Kingdom deals with the Imjin War (the invasion of the late 16th century by Toyotomi Hideyoshi) with a mix of zombies, Uprising looks at the issues of a top-down power structure in human terms. Honestly it helps one to see how and why the top views the people as near less than human -- while also wholely calling it evil.

That aside, I love single-shot action sequences. There are two, looking from either perspective, that are right next to one another. I was squealing with delight. The scenes were absolutely heavy, but I'm also a fan of the Berserk manga by Kentaro Miura, so it's my safe space.

The storytelling, action sequences, choreography, and even the English dub all are great. Highly recommended.