The Three Kingdoms period (168 AD to 280 AD), one of the bloodiest in Chinese history, has captured imaginations for centuries. Its warlords, heroes and battles have been romanticized in novels, folktales and, in more recent times, television series, video games and films. For his film about the period when ancient China was divided into the warring kingdoms of Wei, Shu and Wu, Hong Kong director Daniel Lee (李仁港) has gathered together yet another cast of big-name stars to tell a story not about the oft-celebrated Liu Bei (劉備), Guan Yu (關羽) or Zhang Fei (張飛), but about the dutiful general Zhao Zilong (趙子龍) from the kingdom of Shu.
The film begins when a young Zilong (Andy Lau, 劉德華) leaves home to serve in the army of Liu Bei. He and fellow countryman Pingan (Sammo Hung, 洪金寶) swear an oath of brotherhood, pledging to help unite their divided country. Clever and courageous, Zilong soon makes a name for himself on the battlefield and becomes one of the five great commanders of the kingdom of Shu.
Time passes and most of the five generals died on the battlefield. The legendary military strategist and statesman Zhuge Liang (諸葛亮) makes one final attempt to honor the dying wish of Liu Bei to defeat the kingdom of Wei, and the gray-haired Zilong volunteers to lead the troops.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SCHOLAR FILMS
Pingan’s unexpected betrayal results in Zilong’s force being besieged by a Wei army headed by Cao Ying (Maggie Q), the resourceful granddaughter of the infamous warlord Cao Cao (曹操). The aged general is grievously wounded and looks back on his life before bravely sallying forth to meet his fate.
With a joint Chinese-South Korean investment of more than US$27 million, this epic war film has all the attributes of a blockbuster in the making: a big-name cast, slick production values, and massive battle scenes said to have employed as many as 40,000 extras. Beautifully shot with an atmospheric palette of yellow, blue and green, the film effectively conveys a sense of cruelty and barrenness on a sandy plain where blood and sweat glitter under a scorching sun. Bright sunlight and shade emphasize the lines etched on the warriors’ faces as they howl and slash their way through the battlefield.
Commendable visuals aside, Three Kingdoms suffers from a linear, sometimes tedious narrative driven by fast-paced editing and a monotonous voice-over by Sammo Hung’s character.
Veteran actor and martial arts choreographer Hung furnishes the fight scenes with polished moves and kicks. But sometimes it can be too much. It is almost comic to watch Lau’s character single-handedly take Chinese heroism to another level as he successfully fights his way through a legion of armored soldiers with a crying baby tied to his back.
For those whose Three Kingdoms fix isn’t satisfied by this movie, John Woo’s (吳宇森) highly anticipated martial arts epic Red Cliff (赤壁) is scheduled to hit the big screen in July.
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