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Review: Shiny parts can’t elevate latest Luc Besson pastiche ‘Enter the Warriors Gate’

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Like a lot of Luc Besson productions, the international martial arts extravaganza “Enter the Warriors Gate” mostly just assembles multiple salable elements into a shiny package. Working with director Matthias Hoene (best known for the cult hit “Cockneys vs. Zombies”) and co-screenwriter Robert Kamen (who previously worked with Besson on his “Transporter” and “Taken” series), the French impresario tells a story that encompasses ancient Chinese sword-and-sorcery, teen romance, hip-hop and video games.

Uriah Shelton stars as Jack, a high school geek who comes into the possession of a mysterious box, which turns out to be a portal to a fantastical version of medieval Asia where a barbarian warrior (Dave Bautista) has abducted a princess (Ni Ni), leaving Jack and the royal’s protector (Mark Chao) to track her down.

“Enter the Warriors Gate” mashes up an old-fashioned, family-friendly fantasy quest — more concerned with magic and high-flying stunts than blood-and-guts — with the tale of an idle youngster who discovers how to put his years of playing adventure games to good use. Think “The Princess Bride” meets “The Last Starfighter.”

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But while Bresson’s presence as a writer-producer assures a certain baseline level of competence, this movie ultimately lacks the characters and imagination to make it anything more than a passable entertainment. Aside from the amusingly grumpy Bautista, no one here develops much personality — not even Jack. When the hero’s a big blank, no amount of slickly staged fight scenes can compensate.

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‘Enter the Warriors Gate’

Rating: PG-13 for martial arts fantasy violence.

Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Playing: AMC Atlantic Times Square 14, Monterey Park

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