House of the Flying Daggers

Action/Drama/Romance - 111 min — Directed by Yimou Zhang
Cast: Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau, Ziyi Zhang, Dandan Song

Near the end of the Tang Dynasty, deputies Jin and Leo tangle with Mei, a dancer suspected of having ties to a revolutionary faction known as the House of Flying Daggers. Enraptured by her, the deputies concoct a plan to save her from capture, and Jin leads her north in what becomes a perilous journey into the unknown.

It's hard not to compare this film to the directors previous masterpiece Hero. It has some of the style, but it isn't nearly as beautiful and rich in textures as Hero is. It falls short on several levels, most of all, the story is not as good and epic if you will. While Hero had vivid colour-keyed scenes and factions, this one barely reaches to the ankles of Hero. It feels like he tried too hard, only to fail. Not that it is entirely bad, it has some highlights. Ziyi looks as beautiful as ever. Lovely. Serene. This is more of a love story, and there are some minor surprises which saves the day, but at times it just drags along.

My Rating: 6 / 10