RipDelight This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Robert Joyner 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

Rio Hayward All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Asad Almond A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

gavin6942 A broken-hearted hit man moves to the desert where he finds skilled swordsmen to carry out his contract killings.Roger Ebert wrote, "If Wong Kar-Wai were a painter, he might sometimes create bold, bright swirls on his canvas, with something figurative swimming into view." Further, "I watched attentively, I was dazzled by the beauty of the palate and the fluidity of the camera." He does have a grievance, though. The plot " is somewhat confusing." Well, yes, no one seems to know the plot. Which is weird, considering this version (the so-called redux) is supposed to be an improvement from the original. How can it be improved if no one knows what is going on? Answer: plot is not important, just look at all the vibrant colors!

Thomas M ASHES OF TIME, whether in its original 1994 version or the restored 2008 one known as "Redux", is not a conventional martial arts (wuxia pian) film. Neither is it an adaptation of Louis Cha's popular novel "Dōng xié xi dú". Nor is there an actual narrative as such. Rather, it's a collection of meditations on characters from Cha's novel, captured through some of the most astonishingly original and breathtaking images in film history. Please be aware of this before you approach ASHES OF TIME (REDUX) - otherwise you might be disappointed.The "plot", if you can call it that, concerns Ouyang Feng (Leslie Cheung), who runs a dingy little pension in some unidentified Chinese desert. He recruits hapless swordsmen on the move to act as hit men on his behalf; his customers include the brother/sister "duo" Murong Ying / Murong Yang (played by Brigitte Lin Ching-Hsia in her final appearance on screen), who essentially want to do away with the other respective twin (There's a twist), but also the farmers from a nearby village who are tired of losing their hard-earned dough to a marauding band of thieves, or a young woman (Charlie Yeung) who wants to avenge her brother's death but has no money to hire a killer. Swordsmen we encounter include a melancholy, nearly blind fella (played by Wong's favorite actor, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai), his former "best bud" Huang Yaoshi (the other Tony Leung, Leung Ka-Fai) and the young, impulsive Hong Qigong (Jackie Cheung). All four men are also romantically involved with girls they left behind (Maggie Cheung, Carina Lau Kar-Wing, etc), all of these "relationships" being unhappy ones. Naturally.Now if that sounds like a lot of plot, don't be fooled. Most of this is conveyed through the narration of the Leslie Cheung character, or via dialog. Except, there is no real dialog, but rather people being at cross-purposes. The failure to communicate meaningfully is one of the themes of ASHES OF TIME. In between, there are several brief, highly stylized (with slow motion, color filters, lens flare, etc) fight scenes, choreographed by Sammo Hung - though you'd never know it. They're quite violent, too, but a world apart from your normal wuxia pian fight scenes.The concentration on just a few characters and just a few situations/confrontations adds to the substance and stature of ASHES OF TIME. The characters are better-developed than in most regular, overpopulated HK martial arts epics. And the actors of course are magnificent, especially Leslie Cheung, the different modes of expression on his face alone being worth the price of admission. Brigitte Lin has the most screen time/dialog second to Cheung, and she terrifically conveys steely resolve and vulnerability at the same time.All of this is captured in the most stunning color images you'll ever see. The BR release of the REDUX version finally restores the high-contrast pictures, over-saturated and almost surreal colors that Wong Kar-Wai and his Australian cinematographer Christopher Doyle (who won all the important HK "best cinematography" awards that year) intended. Previous home video releases, notably the original, official HK laser disc and DVD by Mei Ah, suffered from washed-out colors and low-contrast mastering which made ASHES OF TIME look like a spaghetti western. It was almost like the negative had been drowned in Worcester sauce. Here, we finally have a release that does this masterpiece proud.The differences between ASHES OF TIME 1994 and REDUX are as multiple as they are marginal. If you're looking for a detailed, minute-by-minute chronology of the different/cut scenes and set-ups, there's one on the Wong Kar-Wai board. Because the negative at the time Wong decided to restore the film was in such a bad shape (because of improper storage in a damp warehouse), some material could not be saved. This is why the REDUX version is shorter by a few minutes than the 1994 cut. Wong also inserted five captions to indicate the change of the seasons in the story. None of that matters much. What DOES matter is the wonderful restoration of the images and the new sound mix, which required parts of the film to be re-scored.If you know what you are getting into, ASHES OF TIME: REDUX is a feast for the eyes as well as a challenge for the mind. Your typical wu xia pian it is not!

Martin Teller Wong Kar-Wai takes a stab at the wuxia genre, with typically Wong-ish results. Stunningly gorgeous photography (and actors) by Chris Doyle, lots of slo-mo and atmospheric ambiance, and plenty of introspective voice-over. The fight scenes are brief, which is just as well since they're easily the worst parts of the film. Messy and confusing, one can imagine that Wong -- perhaps rightfully so -- didn't really care if the audience could follow the action. The plot is a bit confusing as well, with jumps in time and actors in dual roles, but I never felt too lost. The philosophical musings are also a bit too much like something from a fortune cookie... they sound good, but aren't really imparting any great wisdom. Like a lot of Wong, it traffics in a weightiness that its depth doesn't merit, but is so effective at establishing mood and tantalizing the senses that it feels like something special. Vaguely unsatisfying, yet entrancing.

dbborroughs This review is of the original cutMartial Arts film as spaghetti western.Wong Kar-Wai makes a martial arts film that is a visual wonder-though its mostly close ups-and a bit hard to decipher because the story is told in what could be generously said to be a fragmented style (and has a great number of close ups). Its has something to do with two friends who meet every year to drink, wine that makes you forget your past, revenge, another swordsman and some other things that I didn't quite pick up. I'm not sure what to make of the film. The dialog is really great, but at the same time walks that knowing sort of edge that makes me wonder what Kar-Wai was up to. Apparently breaking down since in the middle of making this he wandered off to clear his head by making Chungking Express. I liked it as pieces because I can get my hands around the pieces but as a whole I'm not to sure of the plot-if its good-if it means anything.Kar-Wai has cut the film once more which from reports seems to be close to the original cuts with a few changed shots, some image manipulation and a slight alteration in music. I have no idea if this will improve or detract from the film which some people see as a a masterpiece. Some things I've read have tried to put the film into a context based upon Wong Kar-Wai's other films, implying that if you've seen other films by the same director this film will be easier to digest. Maybe, but I'm not too sure since it plays differently than any of his other films (and I've seen most of them).I don't know. I'm going to have to ponder this.