Marvelous, spectacular, and must see
Added 3/2/2010
I first saw this movie on cable and was Mesmerized. If you are a fan of ancient warfare, sun-tsu (art of war), Miyamoto Musashi (book of five rings) and the like then this movie is for you. The art of deception, decoy, knowing when to attack your enemy, using the environment to your advantage are all utilized in the movie. Well written and directed. The scenery and special effects are on point. I love this movie and once you start watching you will not even want to pause. I recommend it to those that are into military warfare and strategy.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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English please
Added 2/28/2010
My wife and I get tired of subtitles
you can get so busy reading them that you miss too much of a movie
if they're going to sell their movies over here in the U.S.A.
then the least they can do is get it done well in english
I've passed on at least 30 movies that look good simply because of the subtitles
which should still be included on the DVD, but be limited to it
because once you watched one with English
then you might want to watch it again later with the subtitles to pick up on nuances
3 out of 33 people found this helpful.
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If You Read the Novel, this Movie Stinks!
Added 2/25/2010
If you have read San Guo (Three Kingdoms) you probably will be very disappointed in this movie. It strays from some very important storylines. For example in the Novel, Zhou Yu feared Zhuge Liang (Kongming) and tried to have him killed for negligence of duty. He did this by assigning him the task of making 100,000 arrows and then failed to supply him the materials. In the movie, this is entirely left out because they create a "bromance" between Kongming and Zhou. The arrow incident becomes comedy relief in the movie. In the Novel, Cao's only tie to Zhou Yu's wife is a boast that he has built two towers for Sun Quan and Zhou Yu's wives to live in. (They were sisters) The movie has some sort of childhood tie between Cao and Qiao which is stupid. It would have been nice to see Cao's flight from Chi Bi, where he shed his general's clothes, cut off his hair and beard to avoid recognition and capture, but that is left out as well and the victors just yell at him to leave, how lame!
The casting was terrible as well. The characters should have been in their mid thrities at the time of Chi Bi and these Characters are all too old. Guan Yu was cast entirely wrong, instead of a tall, strong man capable of yielding a 100lbs blade, he was a shrimp! Zhang Fei was also very unimpressive and Liu Bei a bit role.
Having said all that, if you have never read the novel, and never dreamed all the scenes while reading it, you might like this visually riveting fun movie.
2 out of 12 people found this helpful.
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In the full version, a powerful, accomplished epic...
Added 2/14/2010
This 'international version' of John Woo's RED CLIFF is the preferred edition over the previously released (and shorter) US theatrical version. Woo worked hard to shoot this epic adaption of a famous Chinese historical novel, and the final version of the movie was so long (closer to 5 hours than 4) that in Asian markets the film was released in two parts, each playing in cinemas at opposite ends of a near 12 month period. In the US, the UK and Australia, Woo tentatively gave approval for a cut-down version to play in cinemas, with both parts condensed by 50% down to a single movie. Australian critic David Stratton (a frequent reviewer for VARIETY) gave the condensed version a good, not great review, but then noted that he felt the full, uncut edition of RED CLIFF was one of the great cinema epics. And so it is.
Woo's career seemed to take a gradual downturn in the US after the peak of FACE/OFF, and it would be hard for fans of the director's earlier HARD-BOILED or BULLET IN THE HEAD (both great films) to share the same sense of enthusiasm for works like MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 2 or the aptly titled PAYCHECK. Woo reportedly wasn't that happy with things either, so when he announced he would return to Asia to shoot the biggest historical epic in Chinese film history, it was welcome news. (RED CLIFF is based on the same story that was adapted for THREE KINGDOMS, filmed not too long ago with Andy Lau and the lithe, hypnotically sexy Maggie Q). Woo regular Chow Yun Fat was in RED CLIFF, then out. Another Woo regular, Tony Leung, was in, then out, then back in (long story). Once the casting issues were resolved, Woo took his good time to shoot the movie that had apparently tantalized him for decades. The result is a real return to form and a consummate display of confidence from a director clearly passionate about the subject matter, and the movie.
RED CLIFF is epic from the get-go. In the first few minutes (of the long cut - this review deals with the 2-part extended cut listed here and will hereafter ignore the shorter version) the narrative puts events in motion for an army of thousands to commence a destructive attack across the kingdoms of China. We see thousands of soldiers (some realized digitally, others through enormous crowds of extras) and soon see a smaller band of heroes putting up a spirited defense. Characters escape the melee, seek shelter, join forces with others and prepare to make a stand against the attackers in a series of battles that escalate in size and complexity throughout the two movies. Tony Leung and Takeshi Kaneshiro are two of the main heroes. There are several other key characters fighting alongside them, and a villain of imposing stature fighting against them, determined to wipe out the heroes and consolidate his rule. Each side possesses an army, but the forces of good are outnumbered by their enemies. Interpersonal intrigue, moments of heroism and bravery, lyrical interludes where the characters philosophically ponder their situation and careful scenes where each side pragmatically plots their next movie against their opponent - these all flow forward in scenes of great beauty, warmth and power, preparing the ground for each skirmish, battle or stand-off. The opposing sides gather in numbers until, at the end of part 2, we witness a ferocious, climactic attack taking place on sea and land, with thousands determined to battle to the death.
I've generalized the story above, partly for my own sake but more specifically as I suggest you catch the various incidents of the movie fresh. The story as presented by Woo is elegant and satisfying. The devil is in the details, though, and its Woo's marshalling of texture and sound, his characteristically kinetic and mobile camerawork, and the sheer bravura of the films spectacle that make this a must-see movie. Scenes in RED CLIFF, particularly the epic destructive battles comprising much of the spectacular second part, match Jackson's LORD OF THE RINGS for effects, grandiose scale and visceral impact. (Actually, I'd clarify that statement by suggesting that the RED CLIFF films match those earlier movies visually, but surpass them viscerally, as Woo's staging of the action is more physically impactful than Jacksons). The US effects house The Orphanage provided the visual effects, and the enormous budget complements those with countless eye-opening scenes staged for real with crowds, stunt men and gargantuan sets. Woo (and his producer Terence Chang) have really pulled out all the stops. I viewed RED CLIFF on DVD but if you have the equipment and the interest, the Blu-Ray edition of this extended cut should be even more enticing. (The HK Blu-Ray of these movies received top marks for AV quality and I'd imagine the US release replicates those standards).
RED CLIFF - the full, uncensored, no-holds-barred two-part version - didn't really get the attention it deserved upon release, (at least here in the West), nor has it since. (Another fine film, Kim Je-Woon's big-budget, visionary Korean western THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE WEIRD, suffered a similar fate). Even so, a few astute critics such as Glenn Kenny put the full RED CLIFF high in their top 10 for the year. I'd argue the same (it'd be in my top 5), and months after I originally acquired the DVD's of this movie, I still return to it in admiration, luxuriating in its many moments of grace, beauty and power.
As Amazon occasionally conflates its reviews of variant products into the same listing, let me repeat that the edition of this film you should purchase is the RED CLIFF INTERNATIONAL VERSION - PART I & PART II, on either Blu-Ray or DVD. The editions labeled as featuring the `theatrical' version are shorter, inferior, and not worth pursuing over this longer, more satisfying cut.
7 out of 7 people found this helpful.
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frankly, this movie suck
Added 2/4/2010
i seriously don't know why the initial reviews for this movie is so positive here at amazon (and mirrored by major review sites all around the country). alright, perhaps the 'ancient Chinese' 'based on historical facts' and 'made by john woo' tags can hook a few people, but seriously, calling this the 'best movie' or 'most magnificent recent film' etc just shows lack of taste. Perhaps its because people are afraid of saying anything bad made by the Chinese? Or perhaps it has to do with their lack of understanding of the original material? Still, something as inane as Twilight can and did make some serious coins in the box office, so go figure.
in the tradition of recent Chinese cinema 'blockbusters', Red Cliff is an ultra shallow film that should be avoided. the acting here is uniformly cringe-inducing bad. And before you say it, no, its not some crazy language / cultural gap - the acting doesn't get any better even if you speak Chinese. The exception is Tony Leung, who is one of the best character actor out of Hong Kong, but he is totally wasted here in his role. For someone who has been in the business for as long as he is, he (and his agent) really should've walked away from this project the first time around (he walked away from the initial roll offered to him). The remainder group of... celebrity cast involved can't act their way out of a box, much less carry a 'epic' 'blockbuster'.
As the movie's plot is based on a 600 years old historical novel that itself is based on 1900 years old history, you figure it won't be so hard to make a compelling story. No luck here. There are so much 'inventive' rewrites and character 'modernizing', one wonders why they even bothered keeping the character names at all (incidentally, same atrocity happened with the recent 2010 Sherlock Holmes flick). Graphically, the set design ranges from poor to ridiculous (one wonders if the cinematographer and Woo has ever been to the real Red Cliff location). The over used CGI models are so poor, that if it were a video game, kids today would never touch it. The costume design, handled by Tim Yip, is competent, but nothing memorable. The music, while again competent, is at odds thematically with the rest of the movie.
The saddest thing about this whole fiasco of a movie is that the source material, 'romance of three kingdoms' is a great novel that deserves a good movie and a competent director. Unfortunately John Woo has no idea how to handle anything more than a slow-mo guy and two pistols - anything that's even remotely out of his usual range will and do suck (WW2 / Windtalkers, Fantasy / bulletproof Monk, SciFi / Paycheck, for example). how he got the funding and the go ahead for this project is beyond me.
unless you wanna play a drinking game along with this (a shot ever time you cringe), avoid this movie at all cost.
10 out of 50 people found this helpful.
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Marvelous, spectacular, and must see
Added 3/2/2010
I first saw this movie on cable and was Mesmerized. If you are a fan of ancient warfare, sun-tsu (art of war), Miyamoto Musashi (book of five rings) and the like then this movie is for you. The art of deception, decoy, knowing when to attack your enemy, using the environment to your advantage are all utilized in the movie. Well written and directed. The scenery and special effects are on point. I love this movie and once you start watching you will not even want to pause. I recommend it to those that are into military warfare and strategy.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
English please
Added 2/28/2010
My wife and I get tired of subtitles
you can get so busy reading them that you miss too much of a movie
if they're going to sell their movies over here in the U.S.A.
then the least they can do is get it done well in english
I've passed on at least 30 movies that look good simply because of the subtitles
which should still be included on the DVD, but be limited to it
because once you watched one with English
then you might want to watch it again later with the subtitles to pick up on nuances
3 out of 33 people found this helpful.
|
If You Read the Novel, this Movie Stinks!
Added 2/25/2010
If you have read San Guo (Three Kingdoms) you probably will be very disappointed in this movie. It strays from some very important storylines. For example in the Novel, Zhou Yu feared Zhuge Liang (Kongming) and tried to have him killed for negligence of duty. He did this by assigning him the task of making 100,000 arrows and then failed to supply him the materials. In the movie, this is entirely left out because they create a "bromance" between Kongming and Zhou. The arrow incident becomes comedy relief in the movie. In the Novel, Cao's only tie to Zhou Yu's wife is a boast that he has built two towers for Sun Quan and Zhou Yu's wives to live in. (They were sisters) The movie has some sort of childhood tie between Cao and Qiao which is stupid. It would have been nice to see Cao's flight from Chi Bi, where he shed his general's clothes, cut off his hair and beard to avoid recognition and capture, but that is left out as well and the victors just yell at him to leave, how lame!
The casting was terrible as well. The characters should have been in their mid thrities at the time of Chi Bi and these Characters are all too old. Guan Yu was cast entirely wrong, instead of a tall, strong man capable of yielding a 100lbs blade, he was a shrimp! Zhang Fei was also very unimpressive and Liu Bei a bit role.
Having said all that, if you have never read the novel, and never dreamed all the scenes while reading it, you might like this visually riveting fun movie.
2 out of 12 people found this helpful.
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