simply stunning

Rating: 9/10 (9 October 2004)

I saw this movie without seeing any previews or reading any reviews so I had no expectations - but wow what a treat!
The story appears to be fairly straightforward - set in China in the 3rd Century BC a nameless warrior (Jet Li) reports to the King of Qin how he has killed three of his most feared and dangerous enemies. But things are not so simple and we are taken on a journey of several versions of events.
The cinematography is as good as anything you will see. Stunning landscapes are intertwined with scenes featuring close up slow motion work. The use of colour is spectacular, some scenes having a theme colour which is changed as we move forward.
The fight scenes are fantastical with the protagonists gliding through the air swirling swords and spears in their amazing costumes. They've obviously used a large amount of wire work but unlike say The Matrix you are left admiring the grace of the movements rather than being conscious of special effects.
The scale is grand, they appear to have used thousands of extras rather than CGI, and the result is impressive. There is some CGI used but it is seamless and complements rather than dominating.
The soundtrack is a pleasure to hear. Funky Chinese music with plenty of drums a-banging while swords are a-clanking.
And after all the main characters have spent the whole movie trying to kill each other the themes that emerge are love and peace. A nice twist.
As you can probably tell I really enjoyed this movie. Possibly not for everyone but worth taking a chance on, you might just love it too.