Red Cliff: Part I
Synopsis
The future will be decided.
In the early third century, the land of Wu is invaded by the warlord Cao Cao and his million soldiers. The ruler of Wu, Sun Quan, calls on the rival warlord Liu Bei for help, but their two armies are still badly outnumbered. However, the Wu strategist Zhou Yu sees that Cao Cao's army is unused to battling on the sea, which may just give them a chance if they can exploit this weakness properly.
Cast
Studios
Beijing Film Studio China Film Group Lion Rock Productions China Movie Channel Beijing Poly-bona Film Publishing Company Beijing Forbidden City Film Co. Chengdu Media Group Chengtian Entertainment Zoki Century International Culture Media Beijing Co. Beijing Guang Dian Film & Television Media Co. Beijing Jinyinma Movie & TV Culture Co. Emperor Multimedia Group (EMG) Avex Entertainment CMC Entertainment Showbox Entertainment Chengtian Entertainment Group (International) Holding Company Three Kingdoms
Popular reviews
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If John Woo never directs another Hollywood movie that is fine by me. None of his North American movies were as good as his Hong Kong movies as far as I'm concerned. Sure most of them had bigger budgets and were prettier to look at, but none of them had any of the heart and soul his earlier movies had. They all feel hollow compared to what Woo had done in the past.
I'm happy to say after watching Red Cliff that it blows all his Hollywood movies away. It's not even close. Comparing this to something like Paycheck might make me physically ill.
The movie is filled with great characters played to perfection. I especially liked the developing friendship…
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John Woo, I bow to you.
This is going to be a short review because words cannot describe just how massive and epic this film truly is. Everything is cranked to the max. The production values are outrageous. This movie has everything you could ever want...endless scope, gorgeous cinematography, break-neck pace, coherent/cohesive storytelling, colossal battles, great characters, great character moments, ultimate badasses, super-hot women...I can go on and on, but I'd probably be rambling for well over two and a half hours, so use that time wisely and just watch this masterpiece.
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This review refers to the 280 minute version of the film.
Part 1:
In the first minutes I was a bit overwhelmed because of the fast english-subtitles and loads of characters and names. But after short time I got into the movie and realized that it is a shame that I didn't got the chance to watch it on the big screen in a cinema.
Red Cliff provides those huge epic shots which blow you away if your screen is big enough :D
The main characters are well crafted and Takeshi Kaneshiro and Tony Leung show outstanding performances. I have to admit that I liked the non-action scenes even more than the action scenes! Even if John Woo shows some… -
I want to give this more than 5 stars. Give it ALL THE STARS. This is the most incredible, awesome, fantastic historical epic I have ever seen. Acting, stunts, combat scenes, story, direction, sets, costumes: flawless.
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Second time I saw this film. First time at a Festival (original), now the shorter version and I am still impressed and fascinated.
Even with a length of 280 minutes the film never looses the fine balance between action and the quieter scenes. The battlescenes have the typical elegance and Woo does not fail to add a spark of humor.
Do I really have to praise the cast? Takeshi Kaneshiro, Tony Leung, Chang Chen...
Short: The best way to spend a rainy afternoon
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SImplistic in its' story telling set against rich and deep cinematography. With the vast number of characters it probably wasn't viable to conduct extensive depth of background, but there is enough personality to each that can be appreciated. A good, steady pace that tells the tale and a good balance between action, landscape and character interaction.
Recent reviews
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The history surrounding the Three Kingdoms Era of China has always interested me since playing the Dynasty Warriors games growing up.
This Movie had many great battle scenes and I enjoyed the fight scenes involving the main characters. -
WOW! Great film by John Woo, who strayed a bit when he went Hollywood. The action and battle scenes are incredibly choreographed and the cinematography throughout is beautiful. In the midst of this sweeping epic, Woo is able to also tell an inspiring story of love and friendship. I wish there was a part III, IV, and...
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Dynasty Warriors: The Movie.
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AMAZ…
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The movie switches between the strategic and the combative aspect of war, resulting in a very compelling film.
It has some of the most visceral and amazing war action ever captured. And it has a very poetic feel, bringing out that spirit of China's history, of bravery and fidelity.
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A wonderful epic which it was more than about time that I got around to.
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John Woo's marvel. Excellent from start to finish. Titan of a project, reminds me why digital is still catching up to film. Watch if you ever played Dynasty Warriors, or if you've read the chinese classic, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".
Few critiques, if any.
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John Woo dreht einen Historienschinken, und zwar nicht irgendeinen, sondern den bislang teuersten chinesischen Film aller Zeiten. Das hat mich neugierig gemacht, obwohl mich das Thema nicht wirklich interessiert hat. Aber was war ich überrascht! Der beste Kriegsfilm, den ich jemals gesehen habe.
Es geht um eine legendäre Schlacht, die 208 in China stattfand. Der friedliche Süden wird vom Norden attackiert, der mit einer riesigen Kriegsflotte anrückt. Obwohl sie in der Unterzahl sind, stellen sie sich dem Feind entgegen und versuchen ihn durch ausgeklügelte Strategien zu schlagen.
Besonders dieses spannende Taktieren macht den Reiz des Films aus, denn die (übrigens grandios aussehenden!) Kriegsszenen bestehen nicht nur daraus, dass Menschen mit Schwertern wild aufeinander einprügeln. Hier wird Abwechslung geboten, und man… -
In ancient China the merciless leader of the Wei kingdom Cao Cao (Fengyi Zhang) is determined to rule the land after intimidating the Prime Minister into submission, opposing Cao Cao's plan are Liu Bei (Yong You) the leader of the Shu kingdom and Sun Quan (Chen Chang) the leader of the Wu kingdom. Together the former enemies must stop Cao Cao's army despite being vastly outnumbered.
John Woo's first Chinese film in years and a sprawling epic it is too, in fact so epic that it's been cut for the Western audience from the original 2 parts into 1 film. The result of this is a rather grating and superfluous American narration to fill the gaps. Red Cliff boasts a…