Liam D
A mixture of martial arts action, historical romance and supernatural thriller makes for an entertaining but a bit overlong adventure
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
04/22/24
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Audience Member
J'ai regardé ce film. Les couleurs, les images, le paysage, les costumes, etc. tous sont magnifiques. Il y a aussi deux histoires d'amour compliqués mais très belles là-dedans. Les séquences d'action, souvent réalisées en slow-mo, sont satisfaisants. Ce film réponse tout à ce que j'attends d'un film fantastique.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/13/23
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Audience Member
An Asian movie with a happy ending! This is a rare gem indeed! I loved it!
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/04/23
Full Review
jesse o
There's sometimes when I decide to watch a film in two sittings, something I rarely do, it sometimes works in that film's favor, particularly if it's a bad movie. Like if I had to sit a bad movie in one sitting, I'd be pissed. But watching it in two sittings would sort of alleviate some of that badness. It'd still be bad, but I'd probably review it more favorably in comparison. I did that with this film, considering that it was long and it was tired, and, somehow, it didn't actually work in favor of the film. I think it actually detracted from it. And I have no idea why, cause I left the movie off at, probably, the most important point plot-wise with the princess rejecting the Chinese Empire's order to marry the prince of the Tian Lang state, I believe that's what they were called. So I left it at a tense moment that moves the story forward in a big way and yet when I came back to it, I just didn't really get that into it. And it's not like I was that into it prior to stopping it. I mean, I guess there's some cool scenes, like the scene where the fox demon and the princess switch skins, this was actually a really cool scene, visually. It reminded me of parts of Under the Skin. But the story itself didn't really do anything for me. The female characters in the film, for the most part, are poorly portrayed. And by that I mean that they all live for men. Their entire lives revolve around men and being accepted and loved by men that, seemingly, don't want them. Look, it's not that women can't fall in love in films, it's the portrayal of them only living to get the man they love is pretty outdated, to put it nicely. Like I said, strong, independent women can fall in love, but not the way this film does it. And it's particularly lame considering that the three women leads are actually really cool characters in bursts. And it's not like the narrative itself is that good. It's a melodramatic romantic martial arts fantasy epic. I suppose it works with the film's over-the-top style, but it didn't really do anything for me. I'd much rather see actual character development instead of melodrama, but it's the style they chose to go with here, so it is what it is. One thing I will say is that the costume design is pretty amazing. It's one of those thankless jobs, where no one really notices or pays any attention to it, but I do think it is pretty amazing here. And the film does have some pretty cool moments. I wouldn't really even call it a bad movie. I'd just say it's average at best. It's got good acting, the three women leads are all good. It's just that the narrative, and the characterization, brought a lot of it down. It's not a bad film, but the good stuff in the film just isn't good enough to overcome its flaws and that's why I gave it this rating. Wouldn't recommend it, but you could do worse.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
Audience Member
An entertaining supernatural drama that takes place on the edge of China. The effects aren't always top-notch, but the story is fascinating. Two animal spirits/demons eat human hearts and can transform into beautiful women. More drama and romance than I would have liked, but the direction and costumes are great.
Wear a blindfold? No way! Sword to the eyes, of course!
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
01/21/23
Full Review
don s
A love story told in a fantasy setting with some martial arts type skirmishes thrown in to keep it from be dreary. Lavishly shot with a wonderful color palette. Convincing acting also. The story is simple and yet deep at the same time. Is beauty on the inside or outside or both. Can love overcome disfigurement (though I didn't think her scars looked bad at all)? Better than average.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
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