Wu xia (2011) Reviews

• Simply Put: Amazing. Glued to my seat.

  michael-kordus2011-10-17

  Awesome choreographed fight scenes, rich & deep characters and a great cast to boot, this is a must watch for any fan of the martial arts genre. Donnie Yen has yet another spectacular performance from the acting to the action. But I must say, Takeshi Kaneshiro does some show stealing of his own in his role as the sagacious detective. Suffice to say, both actors delivered riveting performances that kept me glued to my seat. What else can I say about this movie? Just watch it already. It's an entertaining take one man's desire to leave his violent past behind, and start anew. If you want drama, build up and great action then this is the ticket.

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• One of a Kind Wushu film...

  A_Different_Drummer2016-11-18

  Simply put: It is hard enough to find a really spectacular film, one that stands out above the others. It is even harder to find one which, the moment you see it, you know there will be never be anything like it again because it is a "one of a kind." This is the real deal. The opening scene is the eastern version of the opener in A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE 2005 (also, not by coincidence, one of my all time faves) and the remainder of the arc is very similar, allowing for the cultural variations. Donnie Yen arguably gives one of the most nuanced performances of his career, Takeshi brings back memories of Peter Falk in Columbo, and the beautiful Wei Tang remains one of the most overlooked Asian actresses. A caution: if you go on a Wushu binge and approach this as just another Kung Fu spectacular, you will get annoyed and confused. If you take the time to savour the plot development and the subtle performances, you will have the time of your life.

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• Intrigue and action along with magnificent martial arts and breathtaking combats

  ma-cortes2013-05-12

  One of the best modern Wu Xia movies with overwhelming combats and spectacular scenes . Being well set during China's Imperial dynasty , and spectacular and colorfully directed by Peter Chan . It deals with a sinful martial arts expert called Liu Jin-xi (Donnie Yen) wants to start a new tranquil life, only to be hunted by a determined Detective called Xu Bai-Jiu (Takeshi Kaneshiro of House of flying daggers) who investigates his dark past and his former master (Wang Yu) . Liu lives almost anonymous until two robbers enter their village to rob a provision store and defends himself and kill them . Later on , the village is attacked and in order to seek vengeance Liu uses his extraordinary martial art skills . This classic Wu Xia flick displays lots of violence , action filled , thrills and fierce combats . This luxurious martial arts film was marvelously filmed with good production design , colorful cinematography and breathtaking scenes . The flick displays lots of violence, action filled , thrills and fierce combats . This is a colourful, China set and quite budget movie ; leave no cliché untouched , though the fighting are magnificently staged . The picture is full of tumultuous sequences with frenetic action , surprises , fierce combats and groundbreaking struggles . Amid the grandeur of the scenarios and impressive fights is developed an intrigue about a villager who bears dark secrets and stubborn Detective exploring his hidden side using C.S.I methods . The picture is starred by three myths of Wu Xia and Chinese martial arts such as Donni Yen who starred "Seven Swords" , ¨Hero¨ , ¨Yip man¨ saga , Takeshi Kaneshiro who acted in ¨Warlord¨ ¨Chungking Express¨, ¨Red Cliff¨ and Wang Yu who starred classic Kung-fu movies for Shaw Brothers as "The Chinese Boxer" , the 1st real movie non-swords, only bare hand and kicks fighting, a new genre in HK action movies , he gained super stardom status as the "One-armed Swordsman" and ¨ Master of flying guillotine¨ ; Wang paved the way for the future Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan for such a genre. The motion picture was compellingly directed by the Chinese Peter Ho-Sun Chan who has established himself firmly as a distinguished filmmaker/producer whose last 4 films have generated millions in China box office . In as early as the nineties, Chan already scored a string of critically acclaimed box office hits, including his award-winning directorial debut ¨Between Hello and Goodbye¨ (1991) and following ¨He's a Women, She's a Man¨ (1994) and ¨Comrades, Almost a Love Story¨ (1997), those produced by his own United Filmmakers Organization (UFO), among which Comrades has won a record 9 Hong Kong Film Awards and was named one of the Ten Best Movies of 1997 by Time Magazine. In 1998, Chan directed his first Hollywood picture ¨The Love Letter¨ for Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks SKG and starred by Spielberg's wife : Kate Capshaw. In 2000, he established Applause Pictures dedicated to quality co-productions aimed at audiences across Asia. In 2005, foreseeing the ever-growing market in China and its fast expanding audiences, Chan decided to take on the China market with the musical extravagance Perhaps Love (2005), Shot entirely on location in Mainland China, it became one of the year's top-grossing films in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and received a record 29 awards. Chan next directed ¨The Warlords¨ (2007) with Takhesi Kaneshiro and produced Derek Yee's ¨Protégé¨ (2007). The two films were the two highest grossing Hong Kong-China co-productions of 2007. And of course , this successful ¨Wu Xia¨ (2011) . Rating : Above average . The motion picture will appeal to Donnie Yen fans , he's a complete show .

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• Almost a Masterpiece - thanks to Donnie and Takeshi

  changmoh2011-07-20

  "Wu Xia" may not be the martial arts flick in the "Ip Man" vein but it grips us right from the start with an intriguing plot, rich characterisation, breath-taking locales and top class performances. This combination is rare in a Chinese movie, let alone a kungfu flick. But then again, "Wu Xia" is not just a kungfu flick. It is also a detective mystery with CSI elements, and a family/clan drama with well-developed characters. The one downside to this effort by director Peter Chan is its supernatural ending that borders on the absurd. The plot is set in 1917, and Liu Jinxi (Donnie Yen) is a paper-maker in a small village where he lives with his wife Ayu (Tang Wei) and their two sons. However, when a couple of bandits try to rob the local store, Liu intervenes and accidentally kills them in self-defence. Or so it seems until detective Xu Baijiu (Takeshi Kaneshiro) investigates the botched robbery. While Liu claims to be just the average guy, Xu (who is also a physiology expert and acupuncturist), suspects that he is hiding a deep secret, and goes all out to uncover the truth behind Liu's identity. Xu's dogged persistence threatens the peace of the typical clan settlement and even his own life. The first thing that grabs us is the movie's detailed setting - in an idyllic valley with quaint thatch-roof homes that have cattle grazing on its roof. Scripter Aubrey Lam defines the social structure of the times in a scene when Xu asks Ayu to show him the back door. "There is no need for doors in a village like this," she replies. The movie's 'CSI touches' are intriguing and even educational. As Xu probes into the deaths, we get replays of the action with illuminating insights into Xu's detective powers. There isn't much wushu-tye action in the early segments but the probes are nevertheless fascinating as Chan adds narrative details and character backgrounds to story. The cast is top notch, with Donny Yen and Kaneshiro verbally sparring against each other. One can safely say this is one of Yen's best portrayals as a caring husband and father trying to escape a sinful past. Kaneshiro gets our sympathy as the obsessive cop who will risk anything to find truth and justice. His demeanour reminds me of Peter Falk's Columbo. Tang Wei (of "Lust, Caution" fame) personifies the rural housewife who is fearful that Jinxi would abandon her - just as her first husband did years ago. And of course, it is nice to see veteran Wang Yu (of "One-Arm Swordsman" fame) in a cameo as a crime boss, and fighting another one-arm swordsman himself. All in all, Wu Xia, which was one of the highlights at the 2011 Cannes Fest, is a refreshing change to the usual kungfu thrillers. Now, if Chan had rendered a more credible ending, it would have been a masterpiece. (limchangmoh.blogspot.com)

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• Absolutely delightful!

  junktrashgarbage2012-07-19

  I loved this! Kara Hui, Jimmy Wang Yu and Donnie Yen all give absolutely terrific performances, with Yen's perhaps being the best of his career. Lots of wire assist in the martial arts, but it works in the context of the film, and besides... Hui and Wang aren't exactly spring chickens, so its great to see them in anything, much less doing such fine work in such a fantastic film! Plus, as one or two others have noted, though there are martial arts in this movie, I would not exactly call this a martial arts film. Regardless, it is easily among director Peter Chan's best, Chan - of course - also being responsible for HE'S A WOMAN, SHE'S A MAN / COMRADES: ALMOST A LOVE STORY / the GOING HOME segment from THREE / and Jet Li's THE WARLORDS). The film also stars Takeshi Kaneshiro. He portrays an investigator who humorously refuses to believe that it was simply accidental, bumbling, good luck that allowed Yen's country bumpkin, Jinxi (intentional wordplay?), to win out in a battle with two notorious murdering thugs. Instead, he believes Jinxi is hiding his martial arts skill (much as TV's Columbo would hide his intelligence), though each time he puts Jinxi to a cruel and painful test, the result is the same... Jinxi proves to be less than he seems, not more. But that's when Kara Hui and Jimmy Wang Yu enter the picture, and they too think that Jinxi is hiding his true identity, and they're willing to murder or maim his loved ones in order to force him to reveal his hand. And speaking of hands, there's a very nice homage to Wang Yu's ONE ARMED BOXER and ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN in the final chapter of this funny and dramatic film.

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