This is the first Jet Li movie I have really enjoyed in quite some time. The film is directed by Peter Chan and starring Jet Li, Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Xu Jinglei.
The film is set in the 1860s, during the Taiping Rebellion in the late Qing Dynasty in China. The story, based on an unresolved crime in 1870, tells of three sworn brothers (played by Jet Li, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro) who are forced to turn against one another due to the harsh realities of war and political intrigue.
This film is brutal. With only a 120 minute running time it packs a lot of history and battles. Some of which are truly amazing. The canon scenes are crazy ill. Jet Li is great, and really shows some serious acting hops way above of that of peer Jackie Chan. No offence JC... There is not a lot of martial arts fighting, but there is in spats. This movie worked for me on a dramatic level, an action level, and a historical level. So it clicked in my head as one of the better Hong Kong films I've seen in quite some time. In fact as a result of this film I am curious to get back into that old Hong Kong movie binge I used to have back in the college days.
This film has not yet been released in the states. Its been out in Asia and Europe i think since 07. Not sure what the hold up is. If your looking for an alternative to overly stylized films like Crouching Tiger and Hero, then this gritty action flick will leave you wanting more. The cinematography is also top notch. If you want to score a copy of it, try HKFLIX.COM. They have it in SD and HD. I want Jet and Jackie to stay in HK! No more bad US movies...
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