Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Highly Overrated But Still Good

The acting in this movie is really good.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

RED CLIFF II is the second part of John Woo's historical epic, based on a true story. It's the better of the two films, as it finally gets to the 'meat' of the battle and the last hour in particular is all pay-off. Before then we get another hour and a half of slow moving material in which things get confused at times and everything feels a little bit too dragged out; I'm dead against meddling and censorship, but I actually feel the truncated international version of this film has the edge over the two parter. The cast are all very good and the production values are exemplary, but you just wish there was more material and more involvement in terms of plotting. The good news is that the naval war and huge battles of the last hour are exemplary and as near perfect historical action as you could wish for, and worth the wait in this case.

With the cast established, their motivations solidified, the stage set and the first volleys already thrown in the original, John Woo is able to just sit back, relax, and make the thoroughly indulgent epic action picture he always wanted in its sequel. Where the first film thematically leans more in the direction of theology and politics, backed by a brief taste of large-scale military maneuvers, this follow-up is a full-gale blast of battlefield planning and dramatic execution. History buffs may grimace at a few of its flashier moments, like the warrior who uses his spear to pole vault over enemy battalions, but those are rare enough to write off as passing fits of eccentricity from a director who's not always known for his realism. Besides, the real sizzle lies with the world-class, hour long battle scene that closes the picture - and the obscene amount of fascinating war maneuvers seen therein. It's the mother of all fight scenes, an intense, unrelenting thrill ride the likes of which hasn't been seen from the west in decades, if ever. And, as Woo addresses one of my biggest complaints about the first Red Cliff - the generic, evil-for-the-fun-of-it enemy commander who's admirably rounded out in a few powerful scenes - it's ultimately an even better effort than its predecessor. A thrilling, intense, large-scale classic that makes for one hell of a payoff.

Hong Kong auteur John Woo provides his most elaborate of spectacles with the epic RED CLIFF where his filmmaking, perhaps finally, emulates that of which Kurosawa did for RAN or, at the very least, Jackson and his LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, distancing himself from his more- recent Hollywood bombs such as PAYCHECK and WINDTALKERS. He keeps the violence that he is known for intact, but does not allow it to run the show, aside from some very out-of-place chop-saki action, allowing history to tell its brutal tale.The tale is both simple and complicated. A corrupt Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty declares war on the two lesser kingdoms of third century China. The result is the bonding of the Xu and Wu kingdoms who use extraordinary tactics, as well as taking advantage of their sea-worthy prowess, to defend against, and ultimately defeat, the larger nation. However, the intense, internal political intrigue and various character plot points at times over-burden the production with heavy story lines that are usually better suited for a miniseries as opposed to one, long film. Having a working knowledge of Chinese history, including this historical battle, would enhance the film's storytelling, but such could be as foreign to Western audiences as the story of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and the shootout at the OK Corral would be to the East.Although historical epics such as this one often focus on the overall story as opposed to individual characters, it can be tricky to cast and depict those that now have the mythology of time added to their legend. However, RED CLIFF's headliners of Tony Leung - a Woo mainstay - Takeshi Kaneshiro and Shidô Nakamura do act and perform well giving life to the names they are portraying. The true star of the film is, of course, war and all the various battle scenes showcased throughout the film are cinematically worthy of the aforementioned LOTR or even BRAVEHEART. Woo balances the sword-edge thin difference between the beauty of honorable war and violence for havoc's sake like a samurai master. With this he shows is mastery in his craft taking his shoot 'em-laden beginnings like THE KILLER and HARD BOILED and tempering such style with the grandeur he learned in Hollywood.Slow and tedious at times like cooking basmati rice or Southern-style grits, RED CLIFF is by no means a perfect movie; there are too many action scenes that appear too fantastical to be believable and, obviously, the fiction of story supersedes the events of reality. For a large, historical epic, however, the film authenticates nearly a generation of cookie-cutter Hong Kong actioneers.

Picking up immediately after the end of the first film (There is a brief recap during the opening credits but don't think its going to get you up to speed if you haven't seen the first film.) the two opposing armies still sit across the river from each other. The "evil" prime minister with his vast army and navy waits across the water waiting for the right time to strike the assembled warlords from the South. The Warlords on the other hand are drawing up their final plans. They are waiting for more weapons to arrive and for one of their own to return from the enemy camp with vital intelligence. As the film get under way alliances are tested, the dire need of weapons is made clear and typhoid begins to get a foot hold in both camps. As the first 90 or so minutes of the film unfolds the stage is set and things are amped up for a battle that last the better part of an hour and is utterly exhausting.As a stand alone film, (one that stands alone but is connected to the first film, but not one that you can come upon on its own and hope to understand fully) this is awesome. Its takes a while to get reacquainted to all of the characters and plot lines but once you get a grasp again on every one and everything the film is truly compelling. This is a spectacle and an epic film that puts most Hollywood films to shame. The size of this film is massive. Its clear that most of what you are seeing is real, the people, the places are all real. Yes there is CGI, particularly in the final battle, but then there would have to be simply because you couldn't have done it any other way. I honestly don't have words to describe this film.To be honest I was a bit disappointed at the start because the film takes a while to get to the battle.Its not that there is anything wrong with the timing, except that when the first film ended I would have thought the battle was going to quickly come. As I said earlier it takes 90 minutes for the battle to actually start, but the time isn't wasted. Characters that were not as well drawn in the first film are fleshed out here. Plot is revealed, twists exposed. and we as the audience is made to connect more. Its all for a reason. I was a bit fidgety in my seat for a while until I realized that it was simply wanting to get to the final show down not because of what was on the screen. I mean how can one quibble where you have sequences like the burning of the bodies, the hospital speech, the scarecrows, or the return of the spy all of which are perfectly constructed set pieces. On top of that you have the wonderful interplay between the characters that makes the final sequence all that more emotional. Once I realized I was being stupid the film fell into place.This is simply put a great film. It needs to be seen on a big screen close to the first part.---------- Red Cliff as a whole (both parts) is I think one of the best films I've ever seen. Its an awesome experience. I know I keep saying that but I don't know what else to say. Its a nicely paced five hour film that has fully rounded characters (something it may take the full run time to see happen), fantastic action, deep emotion and almost anything you could want. I don't know how deep the film is but as a "romance" film, in the classical sense, its truly amazing. John Woo has made a masterpiece, though on some level even that is too small a word. Its a film that is only really comparable to films like War and Peace, Lord of the Rings and a handful of others where film becomes an immersion tank. You are dropped in this place and time and for many hours the world passes before your eyes. Its one of those films where you can't even really talk about the flaws because they are so inconsequential (and to be fair some of the things that bothered me about the first film, lack of character for example, are corrected in the large canvas). Even if one were to quibble with some of the visual effects, its kind of pointless because there is no way to have filmed a navy on fire on the scale its seen here with anything other then computer effects.How in the world are they going to cut this in half? I don't know if its possible. There will be holes in the plot and way too many unrealized characters. In releasing this as a sort film they are going to make a lesser film. Certainly all of the emotion will be drained.John Woo has made his best film, a film that transcends most other films.See it- preferably in its full glory.ADDENDUM:The International (all in one version) If you can see the full two part film. The all in on version loses about 75 or 80 minutes from the first film and a little less from this one. Everything is reduced from the scope and amount of action, to character development and some plot. Characters are missing and things are often confused. The short version rates between 6 and 7 out of 10. Trust me its worth it to see the full version.