Recent HK historical epics...

China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Thailand, etc
Post Reply
saltysam
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 9357
Joined: 27 Oct 2004, 19:27

Recent HK historical epics...

Post by saltysam »

Ok Red Cliff has whetted my appetite and i've probably asked this before but are the following worth picking up? i see the uk BD's can be had reasonably.

Empress & The Warriors
Three Kingdoms
Battle Of Wits

already have the hk BD of Warlords and the UK Red Cliff. any others i've missed?
working class blu-ray fan
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: Recent HK historical epics...

Post by Markgway »

Battle of Wits is good, Three Kingdoms is OK.

Haven't seen Empress yet...
Image
User avatar
Shingster
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 4140
Joined: 08 Sep 2006, 11:14

Re: Recent HK historical epics...

Post by Shingster »

Three Kingdoms isn't good, also has horribly looped Mandarin dialogue. Batle of Wits is okish, but it has the dubious honour of being the only action film with Sammo on board as action-director I've seen that has dull, edited-to-buggery fight sequences! Both films are completely disposable and unlikely to inspire you to revisit them.
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: Recent HK historical epics...

Post by Markgway »

Battle of Wits works better as a drama.

Most of these films I wouldn't watch specifically for the action.
Image
User avatar
bradavon
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 24430
Joined: 27 Oct 2004, 20:30

Re: Recent HK historical epics...

Post by bradavon »

I'm not sure if fits your critera but Assembly? I've not seen it.

I'd like to get Warlords but the HK BD is still expensive and the UK one is cut loads. I don't mind the odd second being chopped but it's loads.
saltysam
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 9357
Joined: 27 Oct 2004, 19:27

Re: Recent HK historical epics...

Post by saltysam »

Yeah it was pricey but sometimes in the absence of any decent western release you just have to pay the price.£20 isn't going to bankrupt me.Anyway if Romero shared his secret of amazing bargains with us all we'd be getting any BD we want for less than a tenner every time :lol:
working class blu-ray fan
User avatar
bradavon
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 24430
Joined: 27 Oct 2004, 20:30

Re: Recent HK historical epics...

Post by bradavon »

Every second :D. I think he gets them from www.bs.com.
User avatar
thelostdragon
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 7059
Joined: 29 Oct 2004, 23:36
Location: Basin City
Contact:

Re: Recent HK historical epics...

Post by thelostdragon »

"An Empress and the Warriors" is to me a 2.5/5. It has that dull comedy romance and over-the-top drama in it. To me the film is a mixed bag, as if it doesn't know what it wants to be, because there are also darker themed elements in it.
Image
User avatar
thelostdragon
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 7059
Joined: 29 Oct 2004, 23:36
Location: Basin City
Contact:

Re: Recent HK historical epics...

Post by thelostdragon »

You might also be interested in the upcoming film "Confucius" starring Chow Yun-fat.
Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVUDzsi4t6Y
Image
User avatar
grim_tales
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 22071
Joined: 25 Oct 2004, 18:34
Location: St. Albans, UK

Re: Recent HK historical epics...

Post by grim_tales »

That looks very well done. Cool! :D
I wonder if someone will dub the actors voices or if CYF will speak his own Mandarin.
User avatar
bradavon
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 24430
Joined: 27 Oct 2004, 20:30

Re: Recent HK historical epics...

Post by bradavon »

Didn't he in Curse of the Golden Flower? Which is an historical epic worth seeing.
User avatar
grim_tales
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 22071
Joined: 25 Oct 2004, 18:34
Location: St. Albans, UK

Re: Recent HK historical epics...

Post by grim_tales »

Yes it is :)
I can't remember BTW, I remember reading in CTHD (OK that was 10 years ago) that his Mandarin wasnt very good.
User avatar
Gaijin84
Jackie Chan's BIG toe
Posts: 33
Joined: 10 Jun 2009, 16:02
Location: NYC

Re: Recent HK historical epics...

Post by Gaijin84 »

Not so recent, but some good Gong Li ones are "The Emperor and the Assassin" from 1998 and "The Great Conqueror's Concubine (there are two parts) from 1994.
Also Tsui Hark's Seven Swords is decent.
User avatar
grim_tales
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 22071
Joined: 25 Oct 2004, 18:34
Location: St. Albans, UK

Re: Recent HK historical epics...

Post by grim_tales »

Never heard of "The Great Emperor's Concubine" but yes The Emperor and the Assassin is good and Seven Swords is very good :)

Welcome to BnB :)
User avatar
Shingster
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 4140
Joined: 08 Sep 2006, 11:14

Re: Recent HK historical epics...

Post by Shingster »

grim_tales wrote:The Emperor and the Assassin is good and Seven Swords is very good :)
Good god man, Emperor and the Assassin is sublime and Seven Swords is mediocre as hell!! It's like comparing Shakespeare to High School Musical! :icon_suspect:
User avatar
bradavon
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 24430
Joined: 27 Oct 2004, 20:30

Re: Recent HK historical epics...

Post by bradavon »

Seven Swords is okay but it feels heavily cut because it is. 6 out of 10 IMO.
User avatar
grim_tales
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 22071
Joined: 25 Oct 2004, 18:34
Location: St. Albans, UK

Re: Recent HK historical epics...

Post by grim_tales »

OK Emperor is very good :D It's been a while since I saw it, AFAIK it tells a different version of the same story as Hero.
I enjoyed 7 Swords - shoot me :D
User avatar
bradavon
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 24430
Joined: 27 Oct 2004, 20:30

Re: Recent HK historical epics...

Post by bradavon »

What's your gun of preference?
User avatar
Markgway
Bruce Lee's Fist
Posts: 20177
Joined: 18 Feb 2005, 02:04

Re: Recent HK historical epics...

Post by Markgway »

Seven Swords was quite good. Not a classic though.
Image
User avatar
Tutut
Little White Dragon
Posts: 51
Joined: 14 Oct 2009, 21:29

Re: Recent HK historical epics...

Post by Tutut »

Shingster wrote:
grim_tales wrote:The Emperor and the Assassin is good and Seven Swords is very good :)
Good god man, Emperor and the Assassin is sublime and Seven Swords is mediocre as hell!! It's like comparing Shakespeare to High School Musical! :icon_suspect:
Emperor and the Assassin is too much academic, although the acting is pretty good, not moving enough. Seven Swords is a good film, but not as good as I could expect from a big production like this.
User avatar
Gaijin84
Jackie Chan's BIG toe
Posts: 33
Joined: 10 Jun 2009, 16:02
Location: NYC

Re: Recent HK historical epics...

Post by Gaijin84 »

grim_tales wrote:Never heard of "The Great Emperor's Concubine" but yes The Emperor and the Assassin is good and Seven Swords is very good :)

Welcome to BnB :)
Thanks!

I liked Great Conqueror's Concubine quite a bit, but then again any time Gong Li is on the screen I'm captivated. It's a long, long movie (3 hours +) with a good cast, lots of huge battle scenes and conniving mistresses and warlords. Everything you'd want from a historical epic. You can find both parts currently on eBay for a relatively good price.
Post Reply