Karry Best movie of this year hands down!

Titreenp SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

Supelice Dreadfully Boring

Solidrariol Am I Missing Something?

lukechong I'm at a loss how to write a review of this movie. On one hand the technical aspects of the film is quite good, excellent in fact, especially considering the budget (it was the most expensive Chinese film ever made in its time). On the other hand the film strikes one as being overlong, bloated, stuffed with its own importance and muddled in its examination of history. Not to mention the "mannerist" (to borrow an adjective from British critic Tony Rayns) acting and the demented portrayal of Qin Shi Huang by the lead actor, Li Xuejian. Sadly, Li seems not to know where his performance is heading. Every other actor, including Zhang Fengyi, Wang Zhiwen and the gorgeous Gong Li, seems to be like mannequins attached on a string and jerked about by director Chen Kaige.It astounded me 12 years ago to see this movie, because Chen had a very high reputation then (he won the Palme d'Or for "Farewell My Concubine" and helmed two of the best Chinese movies ever made, "Yellow Earth" and "King of Children"). I found it then boring and unconvincing, with no new slant to common historiography. In fact, most of the actors seem to be acting in a mannerist theater which makes some of the performances insufferable. I revisited the movie 10 years later, only to find my earlier assessment holds.I was only convinced I was right after watching Chen Kaige's "The Promise". It seems that Chen has come to a point he is merely making a movie for the sake of doing one - and that he no longer has anything important or refreshing to say. Looking back, I would say the downward trend really started in "The Emperor and the Assassin". My 5 stars is for the technical aspects only, not for the directing or the performances.

Atavisten The Qin king wants to conquer the other kingdoms to create one big empire that we now know as China. Firstly he is nobly trying to binding the country together, but as it proceeds he turns out quite mad. Power struggles, mad war and almost a complete annihilation of a people follows.Very impressing work, the editing packs in so much information and extraordinary photography in little time that you need to keep you're eyes peeled to follow whats going on.Chen Kaige is a masterful director, but he is not the best with directing actors. Except for wonderful Li Gong, none is exceptional, not to say they are bad of course. That they are not.Whereas Zhang Yimous 'Hero' was a wonderful tale, this is more faithful to actual history.

angsmith I enjoyed the film very much, especially the performance of the exceptionally beautiful Gong Li as the concubine.It was a little distracting, however, to have Chinese dialogue PLUS English subtitles PLUS American-accented voice-over, even though the voice over was very well synchronised.Qin shi huiang di's (The First Emperor of Qin's)family name was Zheng, and his given name Yiong so in the English he should have been referred to as "King Zheng" or "Emperor Zheng", and NOT as "King Ying Zheng" as in those days the two family/given names were not used together.The State of Qin is pronounced "Chin" not "shin" - a pity the researchers didn't get this right.I forgave this but was dismayed at the end when the commentary announced that he was buried at "Zai-an" together with his terra cotta warriors. The town Xi'an is pronounced "See-an" , never "Zai-an"- surely the American voice-over speakers could have got that right !

kozaki I'm a China's culture (of which Zhang Yimou) & history fan. Despite, i hardly kept myself awaken while watching this super production. Actually I had to watch it on several evening, because i felt asleep.I could never enter (if you know what i mean by 'enter' a movie) it, because :Actor's playing very heavy. I feel like they played this as they were ordered to do so, not as if they wanted to play it. Most of the scenes make me feel like watching an official representation at a theater... Hard to believe Zhang Yimou made this movie !I watched it on a french version with awful voices, which certainly didn't help.Of course there's Gong li and some few great historical scenes with thousands of soldiers. Cool, but that'll never make a (good) movie !