from the moment the
"slave";
Jang Dong-Kun started
running galoping-on-all-fours down the bull-run-canyon,
i shuddered. i grimaced. i squint my disbelieving-eyes ... and that was to be the downhill-ride that was
Wu Ji / The Promise.
China Movie WebsiteTaiwan Movie Websiteto be fair:
Hiroyuki Sanada as
General Guan Ming was
praiseworthy pretty decent (altho with ever so slightly theatre-noh-ish/OTT-ism acting) and am appreciative of his "efforts" ... and even
Nicholas Tse, with both his subdued and deliciously OTT portrayal of
The Duke = was
glorious (IMHO).
while
Jang Dong-Kun could only look like a wounded and lost deer-in-headlights throughout most of his precious screentime (and eventual angst-anger-lashing out) and the uneven emotions that was
the Princess;
Cecilia Cheung - whose "promise" was
ironically basically the catalyst and originator of this whole farce, innit? *heh* :p
echoing me gf's sentiments; the visual-effects (tho acceptable and decent sometimes) were darn shoddy and uneven in alotta instances (especially with the canyon-bull-run), which left me with a slight sour taste with a tinge of disgust and disappointment; with what we saw on the big-screen. at this day and age of technological-wonderment and advances,
and this was what had awaited us? a multi-techno-coloured bile oozing forth, at times purdy like a painting, oft times vile and gaudy ... what has happened to
the man who helmed Farewell My Concubine and the excellent (IMHO)
Together?
heck, even with the exceptional wardrobe and costume design (Maximus-battle helmet-mask-lookalike; notwithstanding) and production design, it still couldn't gloss over the bad visual effects and humdrum-donkey of a story! (human kite-flying; notwithstanding)
or has the race with Zhang Yi Mou taken it's toll? much less the news of The Weinsteins
wanting to cut 20 minutes for the american release (and
calling it Master Of The Crimson Armor), the
ensuing hoo-ha and then
decided not to eventually ... oh what
trials and tribulations this movie has had to go thru ... and altho as much as i wanna say:
"at it's core, it is still a good movie" ... but i would be
lying thru my mangled-teeth ... altho "fun" would've been a kinder, more diplomatic by way of description :p
in short, without going too deep down the despair of flaming-celluloid-hades, let me just say:
dun bother watching it tis not worth the cinematic-exprience, BUT if ya watch it on DVD or even VCD? ~ please
RENT IT, for gawd's sake ~
for at least ya can switch it off if ya can't take it, yah?...................................................................................................
Review Copyrighted AndyHeng 2005
