Good movie but grossly overrated

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

One of the many Chinese great films that is severely underrated.The movie starts by a narrative by Cao Cao, stating that the Chinese character of "Righteousness", 義(yi), is composed of a (羊)"sheep" and the word "myself" (我). It implies that according to the ancient Chinese wisdom, there is only a thin line between being righteous and being sacrificed. But in one of the most chaotic era in China, such "righteous" man can not end well. The movie poetically pull off a metaphor that in a world ruled by wolves, sheeps (the righteous man) can only be sacrificed in the benefit of other wolves, which in the movie, are Lord Liu Bei, Lord Cao Cao and Lord Suan Quan.Jiang Wen is really a great actor. His in-depth acting of Cao Cao puts this legendary warlord to live. It is only in the second time watching the film again that I understand Cao Cao's reasons of trying to save Guan YuChang. "I want to see heavens everywhere", Cao Cao to the monk.He understands that in chaotic times what people need most is a hero, a benevolent hero like Guan YuChang that places traditional Chinese values on top of everything. Values that are forgotten. Values that need to be re-established once China is to be unified again.In the movie, these values that Guan YuChang holds sacred are in fact useless and sometimes expendable. Despite his great fighting skills, he is totally defendless against all the manipulative jugglery by all those manipulative people. Guan YuChang in many writings has been depicted as the most "loyal, righteous, brave and dangerous" (忠義勇武) person throughout the Chinese history. But what surprises me is that the movie creates a whole new perspective re-evaluating what a tragic wanderer he really is. He is too loyal to his Master Liu Bei that he loses the woman he loves; too righteous and altruist that he ends up very vulnerable and being hunted; too brave that he is taken advantage of; too dangerous that even the Lord Cao Cao's deputy disobeyed Cao's order and try to kill him. Donnie Yen's acting of Guan YuChang really delivers a sense of helplessness. He is captured by his enemy Cao Cao, despised by the woman he loves and misunderstood by the foolish mass. But there is no even a slightest falter about abandoning the his moral values. He could have chosen a easy way-out by simply giving in. But compromising to the adversities he faces would equal to surrendering all the values he has been taught to believe. A true hero won't do that. Ironically, despite all the Cao's endeavor to save Guan, Guan met his end in the most tragic way and Cao Cao couldn't even lived long enough to see a unified China, nor their sons, nor their grandsons. But heroes and their stories always pass on. So in some way I think Cao Cao did save Guan YuChang. He saved his reputation and reasons for people to worship him as a hero.

Donnie Yen is really good at Martial Arts, but you already knew that. Some don't think he's a very good actor though. But the role he has on hand here, is really serving him good. He plays a loner and that suits him very well. The action scenes are phenomenal as expected and the story is good enough (while you could argue there is too much kitsch in it, I think it's the right amount).It's not a masterpiece, but I think it's a good movie overall, with great story points and turns that while you might expect them, they still come down crashing on you. What's also true, the movie does not loose much on a second viewing. I even liked it better the second time around, because I knew where it was heading and could see small touches in between the settings.

It took these people quite a while, didn't it? Who else did they think could don that imposing armour, wield that threatening blade and still exhibit grace and agility? Who else did they think could command enough screen presence to sport a scholarly moustache and beard? And who else did they think could take on the role of real life Han dynasty general Guan Yu who personifies courage and righteousness? The perfect candidate is none other than Hong Kong action superstar Donnie Yen, of course. After a decent success that was Ip Man (2008), Yen has been wowing his fans with his slick moves (okay, the redundant All's Well Ends Well 2011 was a breather) in one action flick after another. Here, he takes on the titular role in a historical epic drama based on one of the characters in the classic novel Romance of the Three Kingdom. A fictionalised tale set in AD 200, this high budget production has its attention on the relationship between General Guan and the infamous Cao Cao, who is out to conquer the whole of China. Despite Cao Cao's repeated attempts to recruit Guan Yu, his loyalties lie with Liu Bei, whose concubine Guan Yu has a soft spot for. The 107 minute movie follows Guan Yu as he faces treacherous ambushes while escorting the lady home to his sworn brother. Yen has proved his acting chops in works like Bodyguards and Assassins (2009) and Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (2010), and he delivers a decent performance here as the recognised deity in Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. He personifies the gallantry, trustworthiness and uprightness that Guan Yu is known for. But all eyes are on Mainland actor Jiang Wen as the tyrannical Cao Cao. The acclaimed actor steals the show with his ability to instill an intelligently sly sense of intimidation in all the scenes he appears in. Supporting characters are played by Sun Li (Fearless), Andy On (True Legend) and many other Mainland artistes (Li Zonghan, Shao Bing and Hei Zi amongst them), ensuring ticket sales in the Mainland China market. Familiar faces like Alex Fong (as Liu Bei) and Chin Siu Hou (as a slain general) also appear as cameos. The spectacular actions scenes are no doubt the highlight of this highly recommended movie. Guan Yu's famous expedition of "crossing five passes and slaying six generals" plays out in an episodic manner, with each sequence showcasing a unique martial arts style. Choreographed by Yen himself, action fans will be pleased to see various blades, spears, crossbows and arrows on display, as they come into use during the countless fight scenes. Action scenes aside, the drama is often intense and serious, with elevated dialogues written by directors Alan Mak and Felix Chong. This may not be Infernal Affairs material, but expect to be engaged in a high octane drama that features some truly intelligently dramatic lines. Those unfamiliar with the original novel may be thrown off balance with the massive setup of this period piece. But given its very impressive production values, you will be taken along for the ride. With luscious cinematography by Chan Chi Ying (Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame), masterful production design by Bill Lui (Lust, Caution), and an emotional score by Henry Lai (Echoes of the Rainbow), this is one Chinese production truly worth watching on the big screen.

Historic romances under the pen of a polished novelist have an almost irresistible appeal to a certain segment of readers. When the written material is in turn adapted to the screen, it again has the potential of immense popularity. "Ivanhoe" (1952) is a case in point.GUAN Yun-chang is arguably the number one icon in China's historic heroic figures. One local columnist has pointed out that this hero is worshipped with equal fervour by both law enforcers and the criminal underworld today. With a chuckle, he further wonders aloud to himself that when there is direct confrontation between the two, whose prayers will be heard.While the novelist's depiction of GUAN in "The three kingdoms" may not be authoritative material for the scholar, it is deeply ingrained in the mass as if it were divine truth. Chong and Mak's liberal re-imagining of this and other historic figures is therefore rather gutsy as it may have traditionalist grinding their teeth. Based loosely on the set of events (popularized by the novel) generally referred to as "Clearing the 5 passes; killing the 6 warriors", the movie plot is a liberal mix of historic facts, novel-popularised heroism and the directors' lively re-imagining. It should appeal to the mass audience in general.While not particularly brilliant in any way, this movie scores above average in all the subjects on the report card. The action sequences are good and should satisfy those looking for them. The character depictions may upset hard-core fans of the novel but are generally sensible and at times even inspired. The dialogue is clever if not truly intelligent. JIANG Wen, one of the best actors in China today, adds depth to Cao Cao, whose name is almost synonymous with "vastly ambitious villain" in the Chinese language. He is a joy to watch. Donny Yen who never disappoints in the action department has recently demonstrated that he can also act. In this movie, we see him face a new challenge of carrying, as said, the number one icon in China's historical figures. He has done a decent job but what he portrays is not quite what a lot of people visualize GUAN Yun-chang to be, from the first time they hear about this hero, most assuredly when they were small kids, from their parents. But then a coin has two sides. This depiction makes the movie more interesting than following the novel's simple template.