Tian di ying xiong (2003) User Reviews

Good, but not great - more of a character study than a kung fu flick

[inkslave · 7/10 · 31 January 2005]

I liked this movie but I was not awestruck by it. It has some excellent characters and a very engaging plot. There are a few lines that will make all but the most jaded filmwatchers smile.

But this movie has a couple of drawbacks which mark it as a notch below other films like "Crouching Tiger" and the infinitely superior "Hero." Both of these films also had excellent characters and stories but were visually far a cut above. A BIG cut.

"Warriors" uses jump-cuts and too-tight camera angles in an effort to hide the fact that many of its stars are not actually martial artists. The resulting fight scenes are very frustrating to watch. Like I said, the plot carries the movie along and it is indeed a good film, but I hate getting snookered by creative editing.

Compare any fight scene in "Warriors" with, say, the extended battle scene between the two women warriors in "Crouching Tiger," most of which is filmed in medium shots that allow your eye to follow the line of action. IMHO this is a lot more impressive. Even the goofy wire work doesn't take away from that.

But "Warriors" is worth a rent. You will care what happens to the characters. And you will see a very nice meditation on the question of what, as people of honor, we must do.

Worth a watch, still fun...

[redrum_driew · 7/10 · 14 December 2004]

Warriors of Heaven and Earth is a decently made movie with some good plot developments.

The fighting scenes. All of the fighting scenes were done relatively well, being more towards the real side of battle, instead of the fighting scenes from the other big names (Hero, House of Flying Daggers). My only complaint with the action scenes, is that nobody is affected by the death of their comrades. I understand you cannot stop fighting unless you want to join your brother in heaven, but they all took their deaths as the grim reality. I suppose in a way, it is more realistic (we're all going to die anyway, maybe he was lucky to get to heaven sooner). The camera work and plot however did do an excellent job of making you feel sorrowful when a character died.

The romance. Wait, excuse me, romance? Vicky Zhou? What?

This point nearly ruined the movie for me until I got back into the mindset of hey, there are good fight scenes, let's enjoy them. Vicky Zhou's character is completely extraneous and was a waste. Although her voice is nice as the narrator of the story, and she still has a pretty face, she was utterly useless. Not only did she not fight (unless you call the one to two minute scene in the end "fighting"), she had about 10-15 minutes of full, on-camera footage - mostly devoted to questioning Li's criminal activities.

Overall. Lai Qi (Kiichi Nakai) and Li Zai (Wen Jiang) carry the entire movie. It's interesting that Jiang is not in the credited cast as he probably had the most screen time in the entire movie.

Should you see it? There are a couple things to take into account. 1) If you're not used to HK films, this isn't a good one to start with, unless you abhor the Chinese humor in older less epic films 2) It will probably make you depressed. Maybe it's just me... What else has made me depressed you might ask? Let's see: So Close, Hero, House of Flying Daggers...

I give it a 7 out of 10. I had hoped for something slightly better, but then again, it was realistic and the final battle scene reminded me of what the LOTR battle for Helm's Deep would have been if the good guys hadn't all survived -- Classic.

Cool epic.

[veganflimgeek · 7/10 · 7 March 2004]

Warriors of heaven and earth

This is an excellent film. While I do not personally think it is as good as Hero I can see why the film commission in China choose this film as it's official selection. This film is somewhere in between the magic and fantasy of Hero and brutal realism of MUSA. The Wire-fu is kept to a minimum only used to slightly punctuate certain scenes. There is a element of fantasy but it does not make it'self apparent in every frame of the film.

The acting was good, the battles were pretty good. Personally however if you had not seen either and were thinking about a film to buy I would suggest MUSA. The most major complaint I had with this film was the costumes some times looked a little corny.

One last thing…While the marketing department tried to sell the lead female role as a woman warrior empowered much like the characters of Crouching tiger or Hero don't buy it. She is window dressing and while her characters has awesome dramatic and story potential is mostly wasted.

Flawed but entertaining - *contains spoilers*

[sillybuddha · 7/10 · 3 December 2006]

Very similar in theme to a Western, including absolutely stunning scenery of Chinese desert mountain ranges and lush pine forests like those often seen in cowboy movies. A bunch of retired war buddies loyally follow their ex-commander on one last mission to protect a mysterious caravan journeying to the capital. The positive points about the film include the charming performances from Wen Jiang as the leader, Kiichi Nakai as the Imperial agent and Deshun Wang as 'Old Die-hard' who really lend the picture some gravitas and show total commitment to their performances. Xueqi Wang is especially good as an arrogant villain, his dead blue-eyed stare evoking cold menace. As others have mentioned, the scenery is stunning, with lovely shots of camels crossing the desert and horses along rocky plateaus. The film really is a chance to see landscapes ignored by Hollywood. The religious element to the cargo so disdained by other reviewers was a nice little touch, something I did not expect - it had to be an artifact of this nature to raise the stakes and commit the soldiers to protecting it. For those with an interest in Buddhism it is a nice little element. Sadly the Buddhist precept of doing no harm is not followed by the plot when the relics kill the evildoers - perhaps not what Lord Buddha would do. I was also unsure if the monk was supposed to be Shakyamuni Buddha himself? Xueqi Wang's character seemed to recognise him at the end - was he a reincarnation? I had to watch the movie twice to fully understand what was going on - sudden cuts leave out portions of action, explained away by such narration as 'they gave up the chase and we arrived at the fortress' - there's a fair bit of telling rather than showing. The ending is particularly sudden, once the relics dispose of the baddies we aren't even sure which of our heroes are alive - we just suddenly jump to the capital. The fight scenes are frenetic but are deliberately filmed in close shots and in a rapid-fire confusing manner, meaning we are never sure who is fighting whom and who is winning. Most of these problems, I suspect are down to lack of budget or time. The film has beautiful scenery, some very nice locations at desert forts and towns, an interesting visual combination of Chinese and Arab cultures, and an undemanding Western style plot with some nice tense battles and good performances. You don't really care about the characters as individuals, but you want them to succeed.

A movie with potential that fails completely..............

[Strider-100 · 16 December 2004]

Warriors of Heaven and Earth is an interesting film due to the fact that it had so many great elements that just didn't come together. The cast was fine, the setting and backdrop were fine, the outline of the story was interesting, but the ingredients of this picture did not mix.

The problem with the film was timing, budget, and the script.

Excellent Cast including Jiang Wen, Kiichi Nakai, and Vicki Zhao. Beautiful Scenery of the Gobi Desert and the far reaches of China.

The problem was the script. It was clichéd and most of all boring. There was nothing unique, in fact the dialog seemed taken from other films. You have the two guys that are suppose to be opponents who become buddies (aka 48 Hours)who take on an evil warlord and his thugs and defeat them in Battle. The supporting cast (the other warriors) get picked off one by one like (The Magnificent Seven).

Vicki Zhao has a meaningless role in the film. It is pretty much just stand around and look pretty and helpless and do a little narration work while you are at it. If you have Vicki Zhao in a film, you should use her. They made her character as clichéd and one dimensional as possible.

This film can't compare to "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", "Musa", or "House of Flying Daggers". It is what you call a big budget B movie. The fight scenes look uncoordinated as well. After watching the "How the Film was made", I was a little more sympathetic towards the director. The Director Ping He had a daunting task of getting the film made due to weather and the timeline. I think he did not have enough time or money to do this film right. It was just too massive of an undertaking given the time constraints. It looked very rushed and disorganized.

The scenery and the backdrops are breathtaking, actually the highlight of the movie, the script itself was weak. The most memorable moment in the film is the scenery and Vicki Zhao in the bathtub. Now that was some nice scenery too.

The Chinese Russell Crowe?

[Cantwr · 7/10 · 20 September 2010]

This is my second Chinese film after Mulan and I picked it up to see more of the actress Wei Zhao. But I am warming to this genre - yes simple (but reading subtitles the screenplay could not be too complicated or it would be exhausting!). Again I am struck by the superb sets - breathtaking country. This time the similarities with Westerns are palpable - the characters, lines ("Something doesn't feel right"), behaviour all reek of the 'Wild West' and serve to remind us that we humans are basically the same everywhere - and so are our stories - despite superficial variations. But my biggest impression is how the lead hero played by Jiang Wen is so like our own dear Russell Crowe! Deep voice, flat expression, speaking eyes , unflappable calm and stocky build - it's uncanny. Mind you I'm not sure whether RC can wiggle his ears like Jiang! Recommended.

An action flick that emphasizes a communitarian idea of heroism

[MBunge · 6/10 · 21 October 2010]

I haven't watched a lot of Chinese cinema, but Warriors of Heaven and Earth seems to be part of a uniquely Chinese genre - the martial arts movie that preaches the importance of loyalty to the state.

Lai Xi (Nakai Kilchi) is a Japanese warrior who has spent most of his life in China, serving the Emperor with his prodigious skill and strength. Xi has been given two oddly disparate missions. He is to both safeguard an important young woman on her way from the Western regions of China to the capitol, and he's also to hunt down and bring to justice the renowned outlaw "Butcher" Li (Jiang Wen). Li was once a solider in the Emperor's army, but he rebelled at being ordered to slaughter unarmed women and children. Li and his loyal men became mercenaries, until Li's men settled down in an isolated village while the "Butcher" pursued his destiny alone. Wandering through the desert, Li is saved by a convoy that's taking valuable Buddist artifacts to the imperial capitol. Xi and Li finally meet, and after a brief sword fight, Xi agrees to allow Li to escort the convoy to the Emperor and only kill him after that mission is complete. But, both Xi and Li have to save the convoy from Master An (Wang Yuengi), who seeks the convoy's artifacts to help his Turkish allies control China's Western regions. Through combat, deprivation and hopelessness, Xi and Li fight on…until the story ends with a rather strange, "Look! It's magic" conclusion.

The first thing to know about this film is that it is not a wildly exaggerated, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", people-flying-through-the-air-with-super-powers martial arts movie. There are a couple of moments of so-called "wire-fu", but this is a much more realistic adventure and I think it's the better for it. Some people really get off on the intricately complex, ballet-like conventions of modern martial arts films, but I prefer action scenes that bear some resemblance to what can happen in actual life.

There are certain aspects of the story that don't make sense or don't seem to hang together that well, but this is a foreign film so it's hard to tell if anything is actually missing or if I am just missing certain cultural or social themes that a Chinese audience would easily recognize.

Even with all that, there's some good acting here. Jian Wen and Nakai Kilchi create very different characters without big scenes to show off in. Lai Xi has a decidedly aristocratic air to him, while "Butcher" Li is a solider much more used to the muddy trench. Several of the other characters are also allowed some depth.

The theme of loyalty to the state running through Warriors of Heaven and Earth isn't something you see much in cinema from other countries. Loyalty is usually something between individuals, not between a person and a ruling government. Yet, I've seen a few Chinese films that strongly stress the nobility, honor and necessity of sacrificing oneself for the betterment of the nation. It's a very communitarian, as opposed to individualistic, concept of heroism.

Warriors of Heaven and Earth is a pretty straight-forward adventure tale that's enjoyable on its own, but it also might teach you a little bit about modern Chinese culture…or at least the culture that's being propagated at this particular time.

Mediocre and Incomplete

[Oorag · 6/10 · 25 September 2004]

This movie had all the trappings of a successful film, but was obviously did not come together in editing. Much of the third act was simply not there, and the use of voice-over to advance the plot was an obvious sign of internal problems. The movie as a whole is incredibly uneven, and the sudden inclusion of CGI hoodoo after the half-way point was jarring and unwelcome.

Even still, just about all of the plot devices have been done better in other movies. Comparing this movie to Musa, Hero, and CTHD is doing those movies a disservice. While this movie is not bad, nothing raises it above mediocrity.

Well-crafted blend of depth & "heroic" realism

[PulpVideo · 8/10 · 19 May 2005]

Though this is a "heroic epic" telling of the Golden Age of China, director Ping He does an outstanding job of blending depth of character with period- and action-realism within only 115 minutes.

The springboard/wire-fighting is kept to a minimum and is subtly crafted. These are heroes who have skills far beyond the ordinary, and the fighting effects merely convey that without rubbing it in or going over the-top.

Every major character is developed in this story except for the young monk, and you'll understand why at the end. We even spend a little time with Lai Qi's 3 loyal soldiers and their families, getting to understand what they've been doing and what is important to them.

The plot does involve a magical object, but there are only two scenes with associated special-effects, which were as nicely done as any Hollywood CGI. The first time, it is essential to developing the story and our understanding of why these men will fight so hard to protect it. The second time, only to establish its proper role in the epilogue.

There is a hint of a love-story, which I find unnecessary in films like these, but I didn't moan or groan here because it is kept deep in a minor subplot and used primarily to demonstrate that the protagonist is not truly a criminal or a bad man. Not that Ping He doesn't know how to tell a good love story, as he did brilliantly in 1994's "Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker" (Pao Da Shuang Deng). I think he was forced to add it, and simply relegated it to the lowest priority.

I don't understand how someone could like "Jet Li: Hero" or "Crouching Tiger..." better than this film, unless they have little taste for dramatic, action-adventure epics, and must have a perfectly happy-ending every time. I thank thee, Buddha, that Hollywood hasn't taken over the Chinese film-making industry!

Decent storyline and beautiful scenery

[slayer69 · 6/10 · 29 July 2008]

Came across this movie looking for something else and thought I would give it a watch. The storyline was decent enough and not too confusing with an interesting look at individual's commitments to their beliefs and their journey and how they dealt with changes to their commitment once situations changed. It was not your typical Chinese action movie and was located in some beautiful areas, with the scenery and imagery quiet nice. Costumes where nice and suited the characters being portrayed. The only thing that could have been done better where the combat scenes, which had a lot to do with the way they were filmed, the view was quite close so made for some confusion by the viewer. Still it was nice to see the resistance to the usual highly choreographed fight scenes.

It tries, and it dies...

[medic82 · 4/10 · 28 August 2005]

Personally I think it's a rip off of Musa, but besides that, it does a terrible job of developing characters. You feel no attachment to any of them. Vicki Zhao was did nothing except play eye candy. You didn't know exactly what was going on until at least 45 minutes into the movie, and the main villain was absolutely laughable. There were scenes that were stuck there for no apparent reason at all. Either He Ping rushed this, or he had to clip out practically half the movie to make budget.

Poorly developed characters and storyline. Even the music seemed inappropriate or cheesy at times. The only redeeming grace of this movie is its extraordinary cinematography. That and an attempt to add some symbolism in the movie with water and blood.

Terrible movie. Not worth your money or time. If you want the same style but awesome story/characters, go for Musa.

Interesting View of China's Silk Road in 700 A.D.

[sm22281 · 8/10 · 4 February 2006]

This is not a Kung Fu action movie, so those looking for fight scenes will be disappointed. It is a thrilling story of two warrior knights acting under their own sense of honor and called to action in circumstances beyond their control, against the backdrop of the turbulent and multi-cultural Silk Road. China being the vast country it is has birthed many such thrilling adventures of wandering warriors, itinerant mercenaries, Buddhist monks and pretty maidens. Think of romance or adventure novels based on the Middle Ages! The thrill of the story is to watch the two warriors meeting, one supposedly as the imperial agent sent to eliminate the renegade and intent on his mission, the other as the free agent warrior trying to live a life according to his own personal code of honor. When the two of them unite to fight hordes of greedy bandits, we see hand to hand combat, pursuits on horseback and sieges of a fort.

The unusual angles in this movie, for most movie goers, comes from the time and place: the warriors are from 700 A.D, a T'ang Dynasty era. The location is in the far western reaches of China and the locales are not traditionally "Chinese". The landscapes change from mountainous to woodsy to desert. There are thrilling scenes of camel caravans and desert towns and forts. The protagonists wear battle gear and the long hair of that period, which remind me vividly of French and English knights and crusaders of that era! The final siege of the desert fort reminds of the male warrior bonding in desperado scenes like in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"; or the "Alamo"; or the "Three Musketeers".

The Buddhist relic transported by the caravan reminds me of the Catholic relics from dead saints found in many mystery or adventure stories based on the Middle Ages. The finale reminds me of the movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark" when the bad guys seem to be on the edge of acquiring the treasure, only to be annihilated, leaving some of the good guys to move on...

It is great entertainment and gives one yet another view of the Chinese culture about warriors of its complex past.

noodles western

[dromasca · 6/10 · 2 April 2005]

How should we call this genre? Chinese film-makers take their rich history and repack it into action movies very much shoot in accordance to the Hollywood action and western movies conventions. If the Clint Eastwood movies of the 6os were spaghetti westerns, these should be noodles westerns, right? The result is quite entertaining, I confess. As a warning, 'Warrior of Heaven and Earth' do not get to the level of 'Tigers' or 'Hero' from a story budding, fights choreography or cinematography. It's what is called in American cinema slang a B movie, but not a bad one. Acting is good, there are good moments of cinema, and I actually enjoyed the fact that the fights avoided this times the physically impossible choreography in some other movies - no jump records broken in this one, no walking on the ceilings and walls, sorry! The less successful parts in Ping He's film are related to some cheap low-budget effects, discontinuities in the story and a tendency to solve conflicts through super-natural effects which are quite in contrast to the down-to-earth tone of the rest of the story. But this may be where the Ewnglish title comes from - the Earth action, and the Heaven dramatic solutions.

Worth watching, although not the best in his category. 6 out of 10 on my personal scale.

Dull

[lchanglchang · 2/10 · 23 August 2006]

There is only one word to describe this movie, dull. Dull plot, dull acting, dull special effects and dull fighting scenes. I saw other highly rating reviews, mostly 10 stars, but after watching it, what a waste of time. Different people has different taste, but this one is definitely not my cup of tea. This movie focuses too much on the characters, but there are nothing exciting about these characters, they are really boring. I should stick to the Xmen, cheesy movies like this one really put me to sleep. It's very disappointing. Anyone who wishes for a better epic movie should consider the 90s "Once Upon a Time in China" or "Fong Sai-Yuk" series if they haven't seen them already.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

[harry_tk_yung · 29 October 2003]

Spoilers

`Warriors' is intend to be the Chinese movie that will follow the footsteps of Crouching Tiger and Heroes to next year's Oscar contest for best foreign film.

Before going to a synopsis, allow me to start from the middle of the movie and explain my summary line. This is a scene when the three main characters converge in an ambush, and we see separate shots of them on horseback, clad in red, black and white respectively. This was the point when I made the association to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach respectively), even though the match may not be perfect. The Good is one-time army captain Li (JIANG Wen), now hunted by the government for his refusal to slaughter women and children. The Bad is Lai Xi (NAKAI Kiichi), the government agent charged with the assignment of killing the Good before he his allowed to return to his native Japan to see his mother. The Ugly is bandit leader Master An (WANG Zueqi) who is being manipulated by the Turkish empire to go after certain treasure. Watching the three wielding their respective weapons, a Chinese army sabre, a Japanese sword and a curved Islamic sword, I had another thought. If I were to cast them from Hollywood, my choice would be Russell Crowe, Morgan Freeman and Johnny Depp respectively.

Some of the other characters are:

The Girl (Vicki Zhao from `Shaolin Soccer') - a general's daughter that the Bad is escorting back to the capital city

The Monk - on an imperial mission, in a caravan travelling to the capital

The Soldier - escorting the Monk

The Four - the Good's former subordinates, loyal as ever

The Old Man and the Boy - fighters recruited by the Good

Now to the synopsis. I'm trying to divide the story into chapters (the original idea is not from Kill Bill, as there have been numerous examples before).

1. The build-up.

This is the longest part, taking its time in introducing the various characters. We see the three warriors, on separate occasions, display their awesome skills. The main story line develops when surviving a killer sandstorm, the Good runs into the caravan, and agrees to help out on this treacherous journey. On a short sojourn in a quiet village, the Good refuses help offered by the Four, in consideration for their families. While enlisting the Old Man and the Boy, he has his first encounter with the Bad whom he persuades, after some brief parrying, to back off until he has seen the caravan safely to the capital.

2. The trap

In their attempt to recruit more help, the Good and the Old Man wander into a small walled village that looks more like a maze than anything else. There, the Ugly is waiting, with two alternatives he has to offer: recruit his men or turn the caravan over to him. Upon the Good's refusal, the gates are all slam shut, and a fight ensues. Dodging pursuit in an attempt to get out of the trap, the Good is greeted by the sudden appearance of the Girl and the Bad, offering their help. Before he has time to respond to the offer, however, his four loyal followers crash into the skirmish from out of nowhere. While the Good and his followers finally break out of the trap and ride back to the caravan, the Bad confronts the Ugly, daring him to challenge the authority of the Imperial Emperor, which he represents. The Ugly backs off, vowing to come back.

3. The ambush and the revelation

Reinforced by the Good's four loyal followers, the caravan moves on, only to meet an ambush by the Ugly and his bandits. Recognising that the caravan is on an imperial mission, the Bad and the Girl come to their aid. After a bout of exciting engagement on horseback, the caravan retreats through a narrow gorge and finally goes into hiding a cavern not unlike Moria in Lord of the Rings (but not as grand). There, the Monk finally reveals the secret. He is carrying the utmost treasure, the crystallised remains of Buddha, back to the capital, and this is what the Ugly, with the Turkish Empire behind him, is after. Recognising the gravity of the situation, the Good sends the Boy home while keeping the Old Man in his service.

4. The gamble

Temporarily safe in the hidden cavern, the group, including the Bad and the Girl, debates various alternative routes. The final decision is to brave the Gobi Desert, gambling on the Old Man's accurate recollection of the location of an underground stream. On they move in the punishing heat into the scouring desert. Their supply of water has dwindled to a critical low when the Old Man proclaims that they are getting close to the underground stream. There the camp, and send out the Old Man and one of the Four to look for the stream. The Ugly's pursuit however has caught up with them. Mobilising into a circular formation just like wagons in a Hollywood Western, the caravan fights off the first round of savage attack. But the elements are against them as their supply of water finally runs out and the searches return with the heartbreaking news that the underground stream is nowhere to be found. All seem lost, despite the gallant effort of the Good and the Bad in the furious fight against the fatal onslaught, when something skin to a miracle occurs. Struck down by several enemy blades, the Old Man plunge his sword into the ground, from which water first gushes, then shoots out in a ten-foot fountain. Life comes back in full vitality to the caravan while the Ugly, reading this as a heavenly sign, calls a hasty retreat.

5. The last stand

This `chapter' is reminiscent of The Alamo. Making it to a miserably primitive fortress means only a brief reprieve to the caravan. In addition to the bandits, the full fury of an entire Turkish army now is close on its heels. Similar to what we see in Seven Samurai or even Saving Private Ryan, the caravan sets up its last defence. Even the Girl trades her white garments for shinning armours, as she is after all a general's daughter. No resistance, no matter how brave, can withstand the crushing weight of an entire army and it looks like everybody will get slaughtered in the desolate fortress, when another miracle happens, Raider-of-the-Lost-Ark fashion. When the Ugly opens the container of the treasure, blinding lights come out, vanquishing the enemy. The toll that has been exacted before the miracle, however, is heavy, including all of the Four, the Monk and even the Bad. The expected climatic duel between the Good and the Bad therefore never materialised. In the end, only the Good and the Girl survive to complete the mission, bringing the treasure back to the imperial palace.

So how is the movie? It's inevitable that comparisons will be made with Crouching Tiger. At the risk of sounding ridiculously mystical, I would say that it's a bit like Yin (Tiger) and Yang (Warriors). While the former is subtle and feminine, the later is blunt and masculine. While the former delights with beautifully choreographed action, the latter excites with brutal, realistic fighting. Beyond that, it is difficult to compare because they are so different.

The first three-quarters of Warriors are splendidly done. The characters are interesting and the development is well paced. The rugged landscape is invigorating and the brisk dialogue refreshing. The end, unfortunately, falls somewhat apart. I wouldn't grudge being cheated out of a climax of a duel as I respect the producers' intention to stay away from the conventional. The Raider-of-the-Lost-Ark thing, however, is really lame. I would rather see the imperial army coming to the rescue, if an Alamo-type ending is not contemplated.

it was Ok,but not good than YING XIONG

[HuangKun · 7/10 · 30 September 2003]

well,I seen this movie just now,the first impression is the scene and action.we talk about the scene first.if you had seen Directed Ping He's forepart movie,you'll know the movie <<Shuang-Qi-Zhen daoke>>(english title is the swordman in double flag town.but "DAOKE" in chinese it means the blade man[a use blade's fighter]),it show the west of china's view and action.in this movie,is show west too.TIAN DI YING XIONG's scene hugeness,and costume is beautiful,character background preciseness.second is the action,the action is great,very without further ado,is an other genre's action,different to WO HU CANG LONG and YING XIONG.they are pay attention to action vision,but it was inauthenticity.TIAN DI YING XIONG's action is true-life,the action vision it was good too(but it was an other genre's action,you must accept it).

ok,i must talk about disadvantage.story & film editing is bad!crassitude story and film editing!if they was good,i will vote this film 8/10,but now i just can vote this film 6 or 7/10!because maybe international edition is different to chinese edition,so i just say that all.

A fluffy friendship that was born between the rivals...

[RosanaBotafogo · 7/10 · 1 November 2022]

In 8th century China, the Silk Road was controlled by Buddhists, but Turkish nomads want dominance and raiders won't leave caravans alone. In the Gobi Desert, an agent of the empire, Lai Qi, is sent to execute a defecting soldier, Lt. I read that they refuse to execute Turkish prisoners. But when a Buddhist monk and a valuable treasure (which will bring peace to the entire region) are in the crosshairs of thieves, they will become allies (at least temporarily) to protect travelers.

Edit synopsis

Perfect setting, but the environment itself is not attractive to me, I'm not a fan of the movie style, the drama is negligible compared to the fight scenes, a lot of action and little talk, for lovers, a plate full, for me plate half empty , gains a mystical air with the boy buddha, a fluffy little pinch where sword fights overflow... And a little poetry in the death of the "old man" and in the obtaining of water... A fluffy friendship that was born between the rivals... Tragic, magical and enchanted ending ...

Acting not seen in years

[sapphire_dragon-1 · 7/10 · 7 January 2010]

Reading all the reviews they covered most of the relevant points. The thing about this film it is not a kung fu movie, it's not about demonstrating the great skills of kung fu, so I think it is a bit unfair to compare it to the movie Hero, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon or House Of Flying Daggers. And the characters are not meant to be martial artists but swordsman, which is a totally different skill set. I would compare this more to road movies, because it is more of a road movie, (where characters physical moving through an environment is symbolic of the character's inner change.) If your looking for a movie with amazing battle scenes this is not it. It's a character driven movie, about ethical and moral dilemmas, loyalty and honour and the bonds of brotherhood. For me what blew me out of the water was the acting, it's been a long time since I've seen demeanor acting like that. I don't know if it was perfect casting or perfect directing but the main actors looked completely involved in their character, in the way they moved , the way they walked even just sitting in a chair you'd think that is how that character would sit in the chair. They got all the nuances right never once you thought that's the actor coming through. Been a long time since I've seen acting that particular. My only real gripe, is if you are going to get a Japanese actor to play the Japanese character, couldn't you get Turks to play Turks? Or at least someone more passable for Turkish because Chinese looks nothing like Turkish.

action adventure

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 12 September 2016]

It's the start of the 8th century. The Chinese Tang dynasty is battling the Turk for the silk road occupied by Buddhist kingdoms. Lieutenant Li tries to release Turk women and children when he's ordered to execute them. He's forced to mutiny and escape. Later, the Tang emperor sends Sir Lai Xi to kill Li who is labeled as 'the butcher'. Lai Xi is Japanese forced to live in the Tang court since age 13. He is promised a passage home after killing Li. The two men fight but join forces to defend a Buddhist caravan. The caravan is carrying a powerful relic and the Turks are after it for control of the local Buddhist tribes. Lord Khan recruits ruthless local warlord Master An who is promised the Khan's daughter.

This has good locations of the vast desert landscapes and local settings. The story is relatively simple but a little disjointed. The battles are part-realistic and part-unreal kung fu. There's some good action but also some confused action. This is a watchable action adventure with some good but also some deficiencies.

Great movie

[nickav-1 · 9/10 · 11 February 2005]

This film was a really great surprise.

The characters were a lot of fun without being goofy or two-dimensional, and the story was complicated enough to be interesting without being overwrought and confusing. The locations were beautiful, and the costuming was great, too. The action was practically non-stop -- lots of chases and sword fights. It didn't have any of the hokey mysticism that so often appears in films like this (although there was a lot of acrobatic swordplay), opting instead for a grittier approach (with a notable exception or two).

Definitely worth seeing.

Effects were spectacular!

[lastliberal · 7/10 · 5 July 2007]

A Japanese soldier travels across the Gobi to chase a deserter, but they have to join forces against a common enemy to reach their destination.

Japanese actor Kiichi Nakai and Chinese actor Wen Jiang lead a brilliant cast that includes Xueqi Wang as leader of the desert bandits and the incredibly beautiful Chinese actress Zhao Wei, who will be appearing with Infernal Affairs actor Tony Leung next year in John Woo's The Battle of Red Cliff. She starred with Leung in Chinese Odyssey 2002.

The battles were fierce, but the incredible scenery and special effects are what grabs you as the duel between Kiichi Nakai and Wen Jiang were delayed not only to fight the bandits and the Turks who wanted to control Western China, but to deliver a sacred relic to the Buddists. This relic had special powers that made this film beautiful.

Who is the "ying xiong"?

[mimihoudini2001 · 4/10 · 18 September 2004]

Read at your own risk.

Don't waste your good money watching it. This movie just reaffirmed my decision not to watch Hero. I had the chance and figured it would be Americanized with implausible plots.

One of the aspect I enjoyed was the cinematography. In one scene, the camera looked up at Lieutenant Li reminiscent of Orson Welles' Citizen Kane. Parts of the sound track was enjoyable, more so if father dearest didn't open his mouth and buries the good dialogue way way below the obnoxiously loud music. Dear Ping He, please watch either volume of Kill Bill and learn how to mix soundtracks. Finally about the second viewing, my ears adjusted and picked up the words. I suppose the slightly jarring music was a foreshadowing of the sloppy weaving of the story leaving gaping holes where the audience is left to fill them in. For example, what is the Japanese doing at the military post? what was the relationship between Japan and Tang Dynasty? Wen Zhu (played by beloved formerly saucy Huan Zhu Ge Ge) didn't receive a decent chance to break out of the pretty girl mold. Instead, poor dear was reduced to narrate the obvious like when they were sneaking of the Big Steed Post (their translation, not mine), "Lai Qi spotted them heading for Red Rock Gorge. He didn't want the bandit steal the caravan, nor does he want Li killed until they reach the capital." (not word for word) This is only slightly less painful than Legolas stating "those are orc horns." Bah!

I can't say that I know the costume from Tang Dynasty but the helmets look suspiciously like shiny plastic. I could be wrong. I could also be wrong but half way through the movie, there were more camels than they started with. The key parts of the journey cuts through the desert. If they were true desert people, even with wells, Master An would not give water/spit at Lai Qi, nor would the girl take a luxurious bath.

And what is with the mysticism of the pagoda? If the plot is believable and characters true to their environment, anything valuable could replace the pagoda. Anyone who thinks this is good need to watch Chinese television series Yang Jia Jang about the rise and fall of a family of warriors serving their emperor. Or San Quo Yang Ye/Tale of Three Kingdoms.

Incredible. Best movie I have seen in a long time.

[gnosis1 · 10/10 · 15 April 2004]

This movie is the story of an Imperial Agent sent to bring to justice a murderer, his final mission before he is allowed to go home to his family in Japan. The murderer, a former army officer accused of mutiny when he refused to kill a group of women and children. The movie is the tale of their trek across the desert fighting against each other and with each other. The dialog was great, short and delivered impeccably by an incredible cast of characters. It has been a long while since I have seen such thoughtful, dramatic acting. The movie is shot mostly in the desert but it is all done beautifully and with exactly the right tone and feel. I enjoyed the period costumes and the fight scenes were extremely well choreographed. It is seldom that I watch a hollywood movie and come away feeling satisfied, I can only hope that Asia continues to pump out incredible movies like this one and that Hollywood will wise up and stop trying to feed me drivel like the Last Samurai.

Disappointing

[kamwingp · 4/10 · 1 January 2005]

I first saw the making of this movie on AXN and thought it would be a great film. It had some major stars and the location looked beautiful. Considering I had worked in that part of the world for a year, I knew how it felt like in the summer heat and winter cold.

The story is a simple one with a renegade soldier being hunted by an emperor's Japanese emissary. The renegade soldier is in charge of escorting a Buddhist artifact and they get hounded by bandits in the desert. The emissary and renegade predictably band together to save the artifact from the bandits.

After watching the film I was disappointed with the story and how it panned out. I thought the fighting sequences were ordinary and the last part of the story a cop out. I think the whole film could have been done much better with a better script and the fighting choreographed much better. My low voting mark reflects this disappointment.

Beautifully written and executed Film

[akarp55 · 9/10 · 14 August 2004]

Everything that makes for a great Action Adventure film can be found in Warriors of Heaven and Earth.

Chemistry between actors, excellent music, directing and cinematography, and a good story combine with some decent action sequences to make this tale of warriors a memorable one.

Fans of Gladiator, The Four Feathers, or Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

should enjoy this. Solid if understated special effects and and some excellent dramatic moments with a few surprises along the way make Warriors of Heaven and Earth a beautiful experience to behold.

As for Sound if you Can't see it in theatres... at least try to see it with an AC3 or THX/Dolby Surround System the sound and music is worth it!

If 100 is perfection this gets a solid 90.