WATCH THE TRAILER HERE

First, the Recap:

Dreams. As human beings, we experience these often when we sleep. Some are vague, and others are so blatantly realistic, we either desperately wish to wake from them or longingly wish to remain in the experience. Nightmares. The other side of the dream world, usually reserved for those things that haunt us, or prey upon the inner fears we may possess inside. Regardless of which, there can be meaning and purpose behind these visions, and for young American Christopher Gabriel (Ivan Doan), his recurring nightmares, suffered for so long and without understanding, are about to have a startling new reality introduced, as things that were only in dreams start coming to enigmatic life, a mystery that is only beginning.

Taken by an unexplained group of people, Gabriel is thrust into a fantastical existence, ushered in by Williams Higgins (Bill Konstantinidis) who indicates Christopher’s questions can all be answered in regard to the nightmares he has been plagued by. Hesitant and doubtful about still being in the state of being he is, Christopher is then further instructed philosophically and physically by others within this group, including the beautiful Maria (Mary Mellow), medium Lisha (Philippa Peter), fight instructor Vladimir (Vitaliy Kiuila), and the more earthly Tom Gorsky (Michael Golodini), all of whom form a larger picture of preparation Christopher requires for an initially undisclosed mission that utilizes his burgeoning abilities.

But, more sinister forces, including The Servant (Konstantin Gerasimuk), his right hand Lucas (Reza Golestani), along with the equally mysterious Judge (Eric Ross Gilliatt) and hidden Informer (Philip Larmett), are also watching Christopher’s progress–and the warrior within him that may be the catalyst to upset a greater plan.

Next, my Mind:

Doan, who also wrote and directed this indie effort, certainly takes the worlds of martial arts action and philosophical pondering to a different place with “Overturn: Awakening of the Warrior”, thematically presenting concepts in the principals of films such as “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “The Matrix”, the latter of which this reviewer would draw overall comparison to. Choosing to focus more on the ideological aspects of what it means to be “awakened”, some will find this a slow burn if initially thinking it would be all action. While there are some action sequences present, it really is more about looking at how this character perceives himself vs. who he actually is and can be with the right guidance and discipline.

Boasting a cast from 6 countries, the dialogue’s execution at times can be a little rough, but this didn’t necessarily take anything away from certain characters as much as make some lines seem a tad cumbrous. The overall cinematography for the project is quite fluid and contained some beautiful settings for scenes. The fight sequences that do occur were solid, and Doan just has that innate ability to provide a lead character whose “real” enough to believe the unsettling, then understood, adventure he is on. The supporting cast all does a fine, somewhat subdued job, and it does add an interesting element to have so many nationalities represented in the film.

In total, “Overturn: The Awakening of the Warrior” is a straight-forward, thinking man’s amalgamation of philosophy, action, and science fiction rolled into an independent film effort that feels like a story only getting started.

As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!