Warriors of Virtue (1997)

Warriors of Virtue is a 1997 Chinese-American fantasy film directed by. It is in English, Mandarin and Cantonese. Although commercially unsuccessful and critically panned, a sequel, Warriors of Virtue: The Return to Tao, was made in 2002.

Plot
Ryan Jeffers suffers a disability to his leg, preventing him from trying out for sports and fitting in with other kids at school. He is the waterboy of his school's football team and has a crush on the quarterback Brad's girlfriend, Tracy. He often seeks escape through comic books and dreams of adventure, hiding the depression of his disability from his mother.

One day, the owner of his favorite restaurant, his friend Ming, gives him a manuscript of Tao, representing the five elements; Earth, Fire, Water, Wood and Metal, and advises Ryan to live his life no matter his physical limits. That night, Ryan and his best friend Chucky are approached by Brad and his friends, who suggest an initiation for their group. Leading them to an underground drainage tunnel, Ryan is told he needs to cross a narrow pipe in order to sign his name on a wall of graffiti. Ignoring Chucky's protests, Ryan attempts to cross the pipe, but a water pipe opens up and throws him into the water.

Ryan wakes in a strange forest and is attacked by assailants who are drawn off by a creature from the lake. He screams and runs in fear, but soon realizes his leg works. He meets a dwarven man named Mudlap, who leads him to a beautiful girl named Elysia who tells him that he is in Tao; Ryan tells her about the manuscript, which had been stolen with his backpack. Believing it to be the Manuscript of Legend, Elysia takes Ryan to Master Chung and he meets four of the five warriors, anthropomorphic kangaroos each representing an element: Lai; Warrior of Wood, Chi; Warrior of Fire, Tsun; Warrior of Earth; and Yee, Warrior of Metal. He is told that Yun, the Warrior of Water, had left them following an earlier conflict; Ryan thinks that the creature that saved him is Yun and that he has the manuscript. He is told that the manuscript would be sought by Komodo, a man who betrayed the Warriors and is stealing from the Lifesprings of Tao in order to stay young forever, and that they are protecting the last spring. While talking to Elysia, Ryan is captured by Mantose, Barbarotious, and Dullard, but is saved by Yun who admits he doesn't have the book, leading Ryan to believe Komodo has it. He convinces Yun to return to the Lifespring.

Ryan flees, wanting to return home, but Mudlap leads him into General Grillo's arms and he is saved by Chung. Yun, Yee and Chi go to Komodo's palace after the manuscript and fall into a trap after being betrayed by Elysia, who joined Komodo as vengeance against Yun for killing her brother by accident. They are nearly killed, but narrowly escape and they return to the Lifespring to prevent Komodo from ambushing the others. Komodo attempts to kidnap Ryan but instead fights Chung. The battle is brutal, and Chung is defeated and killed by Komodo. After Ryan wakes up, Elysia explains Yun killing her brother and tries to convince Ryan to read from the manuscript so Komodo could possibly invade Earth for more Lifesprings. Ryan realizes he can't read the book and this upsets Komodo, who tries to strike Ryan down. Elysia interferes and is killed by Barbarocious, whom Komodo kills in rage as Ryan escapes. Komodo, now growing unhinged, returns to the Lifespring and challenges the Warriors to one-on-one combat, splitting into five versions of himself. He taunts and defeats the warriors while Ryan, after getting an apology from Mudlap for his betrayal, finds an inscription in the manuscript. Facing Komodo and taunting him, Ryan tricks Komodo into using his power on him, weakening him so that the Warriors can use their powers to purify his spirit, reforming him to a kind man. Ryan, now mortally wounded, is surrounded by his friends and Yee astonishes everyone by thanking Ryan, speaking for the first time in many years.

Suddenly, Ryan is back at the water plant before crossing the pipe. Realizing his desperation to fit in led to his accident, he changes it this time, refusing to go through with it. The water pipe opens like it did before, trapping Brad on the other side, but his insults to his friends only prompt them to leave him behind for the police to find. That night at home, Ryan apologizes to his mother for an earlier argument. When he goes to bed, he offers to tell his dog about Tao.

Cast

 * as Ryan Jeffers
 * as Komodo
 * Jack Tate as Yun
 * as Yun (voice)
 * as Yee
 * as Yee (voice)
 * Don W. Lewis as Lai
 * Dale Wilson as Lai (voice)
 * as Chi
 * as Chi (voice)
 * Adrienne Corcoran as Tsun
 * as Tsun (voice)
 * as Elysia
 * as Master Chung
 * Mina E. Mina as Master Chung (voice)
 * as Mudlap
 * as General Grillo
 * as Mantose
 * as Ming
 * Roy Cebellos as Willy Beest
 * as Willy Beest (voice)
 * Jason Hamer as Mosely
 * as Mosely (voice)
 * Don W. Lewis as Mayor Keena
 * as Mayor Keena (voice)
 * as Kathryn Jeffers
 * as Chucky
 * Michael Dubrow as Brad
 * as Barbarocious
 * as Barbarotious (voice)
 * Stuart Kingston as Dullard
 * Drew Reichelt as Dullard (voice)
 * Adam Mills as Toby
 * as Toby (voice)
 * Julie Patzwald as Tracy
 * Kimberley Warnat as Lisa
 * Rush as Bravo
 * Warren Moon as Coach Turner
 * Michael Vickerman as Dragoon Commander
 * Colin Murdock as Dragoon Commander (voice)
 * Clay McRae as Football Pal
 * Lian-Yi Li as Lang
 * Hamish Allan-Headley as Football Pal
 * Gill Butler as Villager
 * Ward Perry as Villager (voice)
 * Victoria Schoenke as Villager
 * Sabrina Culver as Komodo's Slave

Novelization
When the magical, peace and light filled world of Tao is overshadowed by the dark forces of evil warlord Komodo, five kangaroo-like warriors, each representing a classic virtue, become the world's only hope.

Sequel
A second film titled Warriors of Virtue: The Return to Tao was released on October 22, 2002. It was directed by the first film's co-writer Michael Vickerman with replacing Yedidia as Ryan Jeffers along with  as Amythis,  as Chucky and  (his final role) as Dogon, a villain bent on taking over our world and Tao.