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

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.”

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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