Oct 06
20090
commentsTagsAction/Adventure Chen Chang Epic Fengyi Zhang Foreign John Woo Red Cliff Takeshi Kaneshiro Tony Leung Chiu Wai War
Movie Review: Red Cliff (Chi bi)
Red Cliff
This review is for John Woo’s original 4 hour vision: Red Cliff parts 1 and 2, NOT the butchered 2 and a half hour Western release.
Rating:
Directed By: John Woo
Starring: Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Fengyi Zhang, Chen Chang
Plot Synopsis:
After directing stylish action films such as The Killers and Face-Off, director John Woo turns to Chinese history for inspiration with Red Cliff. The Han Dynasty is facing its death in third century China, and the emperor raises a million-man army against two kingdoms that are hopelessly outmatched. This war film stars Tony Leung, reuniting with John Woo since Hard Boiled.
Review:
John Woo can be considered a legend of Asian Cinema. Unfortunately, his dive into Western Cinema was more of a splat. After the awesomeness of Hard Target and the success of Face-Off, he delivered clunkers such as Windtalkers, Mission Impossible II, and Paycheck. People wondered where the magic went. With Red Cliff, John Woo proves that his magic lies in China. Red Cliff is John Woo’s most ambitious and visually stunning film to date.