Let's see what we have here: a buddy comedy, an action adventure, a road movie, a historical war movie, a story about a little soldier who turns big, and a meaning about the necessity of peace. Just WAW. Pure WAW!
The greatest thing about this movie is being solid and entertaining while delivering a substance as well. The genre movie always, and maybe forever, is described as a way to make you enjoy, however I believe that with the right hands, it can make you think as well. This is perfection in my book. And this movie beautifully did it.
The storyline of that old, clumsy and kindhearted foot soldier fascinates me. He's originally a poor farmer, who dreams of having money, land, kids, and respect, though his dreams turn usually into nightmares. Someday he found himself in conscription during a long war, hoping to get out of it unharmed, so he avoided fighting to the extent of feigning death while the battles. But, he got through the journey which proved that he could be a hero; as a soldier and human being, even if he eventually had none of his dreams fulfilled. I loved the way of transforming into the very general he saw dying at the start, to end up exactly like him; dying with his flag up. I loved how he trades 10 years of peace for his captive's life. I loved his wise-cracking lines, and dad's sayings. And I loved how Jackie Chan surprisingly didn't play him as Jackie Chan's familiar persona; the martial arts expert, and the unbeatable hero.
The endless problems, that the 2 leads get into during the difficult road, made worthy action comedy. Yet the drama of them as from-enemies-to-fellows, then the conflict of the title character to be brave and successful, besides the conflict of the second character, the general of Wei, with his own brother--all enriched the movie to be such a delight satisfaction on many levels.
Did you notice smart touches along the way; like how the 2 leads have no names, or the consecutive dreams of the foot soldier which are colored with darkness, and predict his final fate, or Lin Peng as the singer who sings for peace and life, or a sorrowful line such as "Sorry dad, I will never have children." when the soldier is dying, or even how that character loses his fortune / the gold of the Wei general; as if to assure that he has nothing at the end but himself, and his proved success. Ahh, this is more than enjoyable, and makes this movie suitable to be watched for more than once. I'm confident that, within a few years, Hollywood will remake it in let's say a western movie; just remember that you heard it here first!
I was astonished when knew that Jackie Chan wrote it; I guessed it needed at least a professional playwright to master. Undoubtedly this is the best of Chan ever as a writer. Director Ding Sheng made an impressive world of a movie, where all the aforementioned genres were very well served. Leehom Wang was keen as the little general. And the cinematography did something to be proud of; aside from picturing the exotic backgrounds mostly ravishingly, it sometimes mounted the character to raising skies, to be like abstract symbols in a folk story.
Now to the problems. I thought that the pace of the second half was more fast, less sane than the first half. The final battle was sure less powerful than the one before it; where Chan rode a bull to break a wall. The matter of the general's brother killing himself to save his brother was melodramatic and forced. At times, I got the feeling of more than enough action, and not enough drama. And it was wrong to have the bloopers right after the tragic ending; for one reason, it somehow weakened the serious effect of the movie's end, and for another, it was like compulsory Jackie Chan move; which while belonging to, and fitting more, his pure action comedies, it represented sort of dissonance this round.
This is unique Jackie Chan movie. Suffice to recall that he isn't the usual Jackie Chan in it; however succeeds. And as a genre movie, it reaches really high top that not a lot of genre movies can reach. It is more like its own metaphor about the little soldier who could be big; a sparrow that could be a phoenix.
The greatest thing about this movie is being solid and entertaining while delivering a substance as well. The genre movie always, and maybe forever, is described as a way to make you enjoy, however I believe that with the right hands, it can make you think as well. This is perfection in my book. And this movie beautifully did it.
The storyline of that old, clumsy and kindhearted foot soldier fascinates me. He's originally a poor farmer, who dreams of having money, land, kids, and respect, though his dreams turn usually into nightmares. Someday he found himself in conscription during a long war, hoping to get out of it unharmed, so he avoided fighting to the extent of feigning death while the battles. But, he got through the journey which proved that he could be a hero; as a soldier and human being, even if he eventually had none of his dreams fulfilled. I loved the way of transforming into the very general he saw dying at the start, to end up exactly like him; dying with his flag up. I loved how he trades 10 years of peace for his captive's life. I loved his wise-cracking lines, and dad's sayings. And I loved how Jackie Chan surprisingly didn't play him as Jackie Chan's familiar persona; the martial arts expert, and the unbeatable hero.
The endless problems, that the 2 leads get into during the difficult road, made worthy action comedy. Yet the drama of them as from-enemies-to-fellows, then the conflict of the title character to be brave and successful, besides the conflict of the second character, the general of Wei, with his own brother--all enriched the movie to be such a delight satisfaction on many levels.
Did you notice smart touches along the way; like how the 2 leads have no names, or the consecutive dreams of the foot soldier which are colored with darkness, and predict his final fate, or Lin Peng as the singer who sings for peace and life, or a sorrowful line such as "Sorry dad, I will never have children." when the soldier is dying, or even how that character loses his fortune / the gold of the Wei general; as if to assure that he has nothing at the end but himself, and his proved success. Ahh, this is more than enjoyable, and makes this movie suitable to be watched for more than once. I'm confident that, within a few years, Hollywood will remake it in let's say a western movie; just remember that you heard it here first!
I was astonished when knew that Jackie Chan wrote it; I guessed it needed at least a professional playwright to master. Undoubtedly this is the best of Chan ever as a writer. Director Ding Sheng made an impressive world of a movie, where all the aforementioned genres were very well served. Leehom Wang was keen as the little general. And the cinematography did something to be proud of; aside from picturing the exotic backgrounds mostly ravishingly, it sometimes mounted the character to raising skies, to be like abstract symbols in a folk story.
Now to the problems. I thought that the pace of the second half was more fast, less sane than the first half. The final battle was sure less powerful than the one before it; where Chan rode a bull to break a wall. The matter of the general's brother killing himself to save his brother was melodramatic and forced. At times, I got the feeling of more than enough action, and not enough drama. And it was wrong to have the bloopers right after the tragic ending; for one reason, it somehow weakened the serious effect of the movie's end, and for another, it was like compulsory Jackie Chan move; which while belonging to, and fitting more, his pure action comedies, it represented sort of dissonance this round.
This is unique Jackie Chan movie. Suffice to recall that he isn't the usual Jackie Chan in it; however succeeds. And as a genre movie, it reaches really high top that not a lot of genre movies can reach. It is more like its own metaphor about the little soldier who could be big; a sparrow that could be a phoenix.