I was actually hoping it would be really good, and went into the cinema with nothing but optimism.
The first half an hour works. Chow Yun Fat is fantastic as Confucius, and while the plot seems a little clichéd, it at least entertains. The following hour seems to progressively get worse, and I found myself becoming impatient from watching Chow Yun Fat repeating the same motions, gestures, and facial expressions. It all becomes obvious that this "Confucius" is nothing but a 2 dimensional character. The action scenes in the latter half are largely irrelevant to the plot and rely too much on poorly executed CGI. The other characters are practically caricatures, including the disciple who is always sleeping from overdrinking - a running joke that by the end of the film became just plain annoying. Finally, the syrupy overdose of sentimentality near the conclusion is not for from vomit-inducing. What a train-wreck! What pains me so much about this film is that it could have been amazing. Think a Tarkovsky-esquire odyssey through the chaotic era of Confucius... Or at the very least an entertaining popcorn flick. But it is neither. It is just a very bad film.
I'm giving it 2/10 simply for the opening and Chow Yun Fat's brilliant acting that unfortunately was at total odds with the rest of the filmmakers total incompetence.
The first half an hour works. Chow Yun Fat is fantastic as Confucius, and while the plot seems a little clichéd, it at least entertains. The following hour seems to progressively get worse, and I found myself becoming impatient from watching Chow Yun Fat repeating the same motions, gestures, and facial expressions. It all becomes obvious that this "Confucius" is nothing but a 2 dimensional character. The action scenes in the latter half are largely irrelevant to the plot and rely too much on poorly executed CGI. The other characters are practically caricatures, including the disciple who is always sleeping from overdrinking - a running joke that by the end of the film became just plain annoying. Finally, the syrupy overdose of sentimentality near the conclusion is not for from vomit-inducing. What a train-wreck! What pains me so much about this film is that it could have been amazing. Think a Tarkovsky-esquire odyssey through the chaotic era of Confucius... Or at the very least an entertaining popcorn flick. But it is neither. It is just a very bad film.
I'm giving it 2/10 simply for the opening and Chow Yun Fat's brilliant acting that unfortunately was at total odds with the rest of the filmmakers total incompetence.