Like another Jet movie ...

Rating: 7/10 (15 October 2004)

This movie is visually quite stunning, but it is not a perfect movie with a perfect story. For one thing the characters did not seem to relate to each other in a realistic way. They were almost cardboard cut outs of the actors. I am sure its not the actor's fault, since I have seen them perform quite well in other movies. I do like the way the story evolves depending on which point of view it is being told from. The colors and settings are magnificent. Two of my favorite scenes : the fight between Maggie Cheung and Zhang Ziyi in the woods ; and the scene where Broken Sword meets the Emperor at the palace. There are elements that did not really work for me; namely the relationship between Broken Sword and Falling Snow and also the disappearance of Donnie Yen from the movie. He has one great scene and thats it. The ending was also lackluster. It felt very contrived and laced with propaganda. It reminded me of the ending of another Jet Li movie - the Bodyguard from Beijing. All in all, I recommend you see this movie.