Mehdi Hoffman There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

Roxie The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Phillida Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Brooklynn There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

WILLIAM FLANIGAN Viewed on DVD. Subtitles/translations =ten (10) stars; production values = nine (9) stars; Action Director Yimou Zhang takes his hand off the throttle to deliver a change of pace drama with essentially two stars: a small Chinese boy and the spectacular scenery of (then) remote Southwestern China. He conjures up an interesting tale, but it is far from an audience magnet. The photo play probably looked better in Preproduction (script, storyboards, casting, etc.) than it does on screen. This may be due to prosaic, by-the-book editing; but it seems mostly the result of lethargic acting by professional actors/actresses (the rural-area non pros out perform the pros in the majority of scenes). Nicely captured and delineated by the Director are the different levels of behavior from business dictates to cultural conditioning to the real feelings of Japanese and Chinese as individuals (perhaps you have encountered these dichotomies in your travels). Cinematography (wide screen, color) and scene lighting are excellent. So is set design. Score is fine, but the surround sound field is not there yet. Subtitles/translations are a pure pleasure to behold. Not only are near simultaneous line readings in Japanese and Mandarin translated well, but the name of every film contributor listed in the opening and closing credits is translated into English from Japanese or Mandarin (even those with English-lettered names are translated into Mandarin!). Rarely (make that just about never for Japanese films) is credit given where it is due in movie translations. Well worth watching. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.

Eric Mejia Yimou Zhang can be best remembered for his critically acclaimed and visually poignant films like "Hero" and "Curse of the Golden Flower," but once he stepped into the realm of drama, he went with no doubt into great new territories. "Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles" is more of a personal film for Zhang about a father seeking the forgiveness of his dying son. Beginning in Japan, Tataka, an elderly father, comes to visit the bedside of his dying son who has estranged him for quite some time. It is vaguely believed that the son has withheld speaking to him for years, and in part to Tataka leaving his wife. What he discovers is a deathly ill son, (who is never shown) forbidding himself to see his father before death. But in order to regain his son back, Tataka goes on an extraordinary journey to film the last portion of a video he never got to film, the dance sequence from the Chinese folk dance, "Riding alone for thousands of miles." Tataka's journey sends him into a foreign culture, still in the aisle of his well known Asia, into the heart of China where he hires an interpreter to exchange words with some of the people he meets. Although a language barrier exists, those who come to meet him in China, know his sorry and regret for his son, and can't help but to feel compassion for a man who tries to accomplish the mission of fulfilling his son's final wish. What gives Zhang a great kick is to see how he manages to direct a cast of unknowns and unprofessional actors. This is the kind of film that manages to take you into one direction, and spin you into a complete different ending where the realization comes that the journey wasn't to find what was originally intended. It has the doppelganger effect in that it focuses on the quest for one thing, and expels you into a self-discovery about the precious meaning of life and the worth to take better care of it, in a life of forgiveness and ultimate redemption.

r-amaya0724 Zhang Yimou, mostly known for his martial art and SIG films, takes on a different approach to his film Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles. It tells the story of a Japanese fisherman, Takada, who's son has an incurable disease. Takada wants to redeem himself and receive forgiveness from his son. He sets out on a journey to China to film a Chinese folk Opera, Riding Alone for thousands of miles, which his son wanted to go back and film. On his journey Takada learns about his son and about himself. He realizes that although he is in a different culture, everyone is connected, which helps him understand the love for a child. In this film we see that Zhang Yimou films both China and Japan different. The different textures, and color tones distinguish both cultures.

kandylova19 In this film, Zhang Yimou portrays the stark difference between Japanese and Chinese culture without succumbing to biased tendencies. Among the numerous cultural differences, perhaps the greatest visual distinction would be the colorful masses of China against the gray, solitude of Japan. The audience becomes aware of these contrasts as Takata, a Japanese father sets out on a journey to China in hopes of improving his estranged relationship with his son who is dying from liver cancer. Through his travels Takata comes to a greater understanding about life, himself, and his son's interest with the Chinese culture, especially the folk operas.