Genre: Action, History, Martial Art
Starring: Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Nicholas Tse, Li Yuchun, Wang Xueqi, Hu Jun, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Eric Tsang, Simon Yam, Fan Bingbing, Cung Le, Zhou Yun
Release year: 2009
Language: Mandarin
Subtitle: English
SYNOPSIS:
In 1905, Sun Yat-sen (called "Sun Wen" in the film) intends to come to Hong Kong (then a colony of the British Empire) to discuss his plans for revolution with fellow Tongmenghui members to overthrow the corrupt and crumbling Qing Dynasty. Empress Dowager Cixi sends a group of assassins led by Yan Xiaoguo to kill Sun. Revolutionary Chen Shaobai arrives in Hong Kong a few days before Sun's arrival, to meet Li Yutang, a businessman who provides financial aid for the revolutionaries. As Sun Wen's arrival day draws near, trouble begins brewing in Hong Kong as Chen Shaobai's acquaintances are murdered and Chen himself is kidnapped by the assassins during a raid. Li Yutang decides to officially declare his support for the revolutionaries after the newspaper agency is closed by the British authorities, who maintain a policy of laissez-faire towards China's political situation. Li rallies a group of men, including rickshaw pullers, hawkers and a beggar, to serve as bodyguards for Sun Wen when he arrives. Li's son Li Chongguang is chosen to act as a decoy for Sun Wen to divert the assassins away while Sun attends the meeting and leaves Hong Kong safely.
RATING: 9/10
REVIEW:
Donnie Yen – an obvious choice because of his Ip Man fame. Wang Xueqi – an experienced Mainland Chinese actor who anchors the film. Tony Leung Ka Fai – he provides the affirmative weight to the cast chemistry. Nicholas Tse – another opportunity to hone his acting skills. Hu Jun – another Mainland actor who is increasingly popular with the masses, Eric Tseng – a familiar Hong Kong face always helps. Li Yuchun – a very popular singer in Mainland China would definitely boost the market. Fan Bing Bing – an obligatory pretty face from Mainland China to soften the mood. Mengke Bateer – the professional basketball player from Inner Mongolia would help to pull in some fans too.
The list doesn’t stop here. We’ve also got other notable names like Leon Lai, Simon Yam, Jacky Cheung, Michelle Reis and Zhang Hanyu (in cameo roles which are essentially important to the story) in the mix. Indeed, listing all these actors down almost seems like an exhausting task – imagine what the casting director went through to pin down the cast?
The pro Chinese story works for the production too: Revolutionary leader Sun Yat Sen is arriving in Hong Kong, and the politically dangerous trip requires a group of patriotic bodyguards who will go all out to protect the man. And it is with this, the 138 minute movie is played out nicely like an action adventure.
The impressive production values will awe you – Huge sets, magnificent cinematography, rhythmic editing, engaging action choreography, decent computer effects and emotionally charged music score are all part of the equation to this recommended movie. Sure, the storyline isn’t really considered innovative, but the pompousness of a production like this doesn’t need anything more.
Action fans would be pleased to know that there are some memorable sequences showcasing Yen’s agile moves, all adrenaline charged. Lai gets to be part of the fun too, but the Heavenly King’s character design is just too awkwardly distracting to hold ground. Celebrity Li’s foray is decent, as she turns in an affecting performance as a revolutionary’s daughter who gets involved in the turmoil. Other actors like Tse, Leung and Hu may have to resort to makeup antics like scars and blood to capture the audience’s attention, but being capable and respectable actors already, this doesn’t come off as exploitative.
If there’s one name to look out for during the award season, it has to be 63 year old Wang’s winning performance as a merchant. Note to budding artistes: This is called acting. Every subtle facial expression, eye movement or hand gesture is indicative of the experienced actor’s skill to bring out the intricate personality of the character. Though not a key scene of the movie, watch out for the sequence where the wealthy merchant agrees to propose on behalf of Tse’s rickshaw puller character. Through some simple exchange of words and actions, this scene stands out as the most poignantly moving portion of the movie.
Source: MovieXclusive
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DISC 1: Part 01 - Part 02 - Part 03 - Part 04 - Part 05 - Part 06 - Part 07 - Part 08 - SUB
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MF:
DISC 1: Part 01 - Part 02 - Part 03 - Part 04 - Part 05 - Part 06 - Part 07 - Part 08 - SUB
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