Customer Reviews

Warriors of Heaven and Earth

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am a HUGE fan of martial arts films, and passed over this movie a million times at BEST BUY. I wasn't particulary impressed with the cover art and the story line involving the "supernatural" seemed uninspired as well ( I was scared it was going to be horribly cheesy). Boy, was I wrong. One night while mooning over when the House of Flying Daggers would be out on DVD I decided to order this movie through entertainment on demand. My only regret is that I didn't just buy it in the first place because it was definately worth it.
The best thing to me about the film was that it truly attained the status of being an epic adventure. You become attached to the characters, you forget that this is an alternate reality of 7th century china. The bad guys are SCARY, the good guys just don't seem to measure up to to them. China itself is at stake. The swordplay is masterful. What more can a girl ask for?
Sort of like Lord of the Rings (of course nothing compares to LOTR but you know what I'm talking about), the final battle left me breathless, I was sooo nervous that the good guys just weren't going to be able to pull it off. Now, logically I know that the good guys almost ALWAYS win, but in this movie I was able to forget that, suspend my disbelief and just go on the journey with them!
Anyway if you're looking for a Crouching Tiger that's not what it is. It's not as...Hollywoody...so you're not going to get all the flashy special effects. (Which to my mind isn't too bad as the flying through the trees bit in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was a little too much for me). What you will get is a compelling story line, characters that you admire and care about, good action, and a stellar ending.

WARRIORS OF HEAVEN AND EARTH sets out to be exactly what it is - a simple story about vengeance and action with enough narrative to justify some mighty fighting scenes. The one aspect that keeps this particular entry in the choreographed flashy swordsmanship category is the rather weak acting of most of the players. Whether it is the scripted development of the storyline or the editing or the fact that director Ping He is trying to make both an intimate and a grandiose historical epic, the flow is just so disjointed that the viewer eventually gives up on trying to figure out who is who and settles back for the visuals.
And the visuals are lovely - the Gobi Desert has rarely been captured on film with such grace, the fighting scenes are brutal without unnecessary focus on bloodletting, and the musical scoring by one A.R. Rahman is more than additive.

Recommended for escapist evenings and for the beauty of the photography. And that is enough. Grady Harp, January 2005

In the western frontier, a lawman is tasked to look for an outlaw before he is discharged of his duties and eventually go home to his family. The outlaw in question is a former soldier who became a fugitive when he and soldiers loyal to him refused an order to massacre the enemy's women and children. Wanted for mutiny, he is on the run. But rather than make his living being a bandit, he supports himself as a mercenary. The two cross roads again when the outlaw and the lawman join forces to protect a caravan against a more vicious enemy. Sounds like a plot from a typical Western? Of course, but the West in question is Western China during the Tang Dynasty. Grabbing familiar elements from Spaghetti Westerns, director Ping He managed to make an exciting and immensely enjoyable tale of honor using a slice of Chinese history framed by the beautifully-photographed vast expanse of the Chinese Wild West. Commendable performances by the actors (notably Wen Jiang in his best Toshiro Mifune impression and of course, the graceful presence of the luscious Zhao Wei) are expected but the most memorable is the deliciously over-the-top performance by Wang Xuegi as the sinister warlord. Although the ending is somewhat marred by a literal deus-ex-machina device, it is still a must-watch for all Chinese, epic and Western movie fan.

I ran across the DVD of Warriors of Heaven and Earth and as the price was right I decided to give it a shot. Having already fallen in love with Japanese films I though I could give a Chinese film a try - and I am definitely glad that I did.

Warriors of Heaven and Earth is NOT just a swordfighting action movie, nor is it a martial arts, "Wire-Fu," movie. What Warriors IS is a dramatic story with well rounded characters that has some fantastic action/fight sequences. Actually, I'd say that this movie, in some respects, reminded me of a more dramatic Indiana Jones movie. All the visual splendor is there, all the adventure and excitement and peril is there as in an Indiana Jones movie, and there's even a bit of the supernatural like an Indiana Jones movie. Where it departs from Indiana Jones is in the drama department.

The script for Warriors of Heavan and Earth is very, very good. Many characters are fleshed out and well rounded, the plot makes sense, and the pacing is excellent throughout. This is a touching movie, as the two main characters who are supposed to fight to the death learn to respect and even like each other - but it's not done in a forced or unnatural way. It's done slowly, with their actions providing the foundation for the respect and admiration they develop for each other.

The Amazon.com review mentions Warriors being a bit of a Western, showing more than a little John Ford (particularly The Searchers), and that is absolutely true. Director He Ping (or Ping, He, if you prefer) definitely channeled both John Ford and Akira Kurosawa while he was making this movie. Sure, there are bits of Spielberg and Yimou Zhang (or Crouching Tiger era Ang Lee), but those bits are kept to a minimum, and work to great effect WITH the John Ford and Akira Kurosawa elements.

Now, maybe comparing ANY director to John Ford and/or Akira Kurosawa is unfair. I don't think any director is going to live up to those comparisons, but in this case you can see the clear inspiration for He Ping's work on Warriors of Heaven and Earth.

The DVD itself is very good, with excellent picture and sound quality, multiple language audio tracks, a nice, "Making Of," documentary, and several trailers for this and other films of interest.

If you haven't seen an Asian movie, but like Westerns or historical epics, this would be a great film to start with. If you are already a fan of Asian Cinema, then I think from reading my review and the others already here you've got a good idea of what this movie is like.

Definitely RECOMMENDED.

My brother told me I should watch "Warriors of Heaven and Earth" (2003). Truth to be told, I was somewhat sceptic, as his taste in movies is somewhat different to mine. All the same, I must say that in this case he was right.

This film is quite original, due to the fact that it is set in 7th-century China, but at times seems like a Western. To make it a little stranger, there are some supernatural elements that fit the plot and make this movie something that you are not likely to forget.

One of the main characters is a Japanese warrior (Kiichi Nakai) that has been in the service of the Chinese Emperor for a very long time, and that just wants to fulfill his last task before returning home. Unfortunately for him, that implies finding and killing a Chinese outlaw (Wen Jiang) that used to be a soldier, but that was condemned to death when he refused to kill a group of women and children. The two warriors play a game of cat and mouse, but decide to make a short truce in order to defend a caravan carrying a holy object, that is being attacked by bandits that want to steal it.

There are plenty of well-choreographed fights, but also opportunity to think about themes such as duty and honour. You will also appreciate the beautiful scenery of the Gobi Desert, and the brilliance with which the director (He Ping) was able to tell this story.

From my point of view, this is not a film that will only please those highly interested in Asian cinema. I think that everybody that is fond of an entertaining movie will appreciate "Warriors of Heaven and Earth", even though those who like epic films will certainly like it more. Recommended!

Belen Alcat

He Ping's Warriors of Heaven and Earth starts off in traditional Eastern epic fashion and with a few similarities to Musa/The Warrior - one of its protagonists is a Japanese noble eager to earn the Emperor of China's permission to return home after 25 years in his service - but it soon develops into something much more satisfying: an all-out Western, and one that's played straight for once. It may be set along China's Silk Road, but the landscape is classic American Western, from pine valleys to buttes that could have come straight out of the smaller corners of Monument Valley. Even the Turks who attack the wagon train - sorry, camel caravan - at Red Rock Gorge do so with Apache war cries.

There are some imaginative action scenes, including a neat swordfight between the two protagonists on opposite sides of a log cabin's walls, and the classic Western friendly enemies archetypes transpose surprisingly well to an Eastern setting. It's a shame that the caravan's cargo has supernatural qualities, because the film really doesn't need the fantasy element, but the special effects are at a bare minimum, as is wirework for once. This made little impression at the box-office, but it's well worth tracking down. Great fun.

The extras aren't plentiful - 25-minute making of, music video and brief trailer - but are adequate enough.

If you see only one foreign film this year, make it this one. Let me make this really simple. If you like Western's you have a chance of liking this film. If you like sword fights, you have a chance of liking this film. If you like gorgeous scenery you have a chance of liking this film. If you're interested in the Tang Dynasty, you will like this film. Having said that if violence in the movies bothers you then this is not your kind of film. This film is rated R. Zhao Wei is in the film too, so if you like her, you'll like the movie. As an added bonus the soundtrack is great. So that should the all you need to know to figure out if you will enjoy Warriors of Heaven and Earth.

The idea of a Chinese "western" is appealing at face value and I certainly appreciated the fact that the warriors in "Tian di ying xiong" ("Warriors of Heaven and Earth") were of a mature age. I could easily see this being the sort of story where you had the likes of John Wayne, Henry Fonda, and Jimmy Stewart in the main roles. It was just when I though of any of those stalwarts dealing with mystical blue light that I found myself wishing this story had been a bit more straight foward. Then I remembered this was a Chinese film, which is why it is in Mandarin with English subtitles.

"Tian di ying xiong" is set during the Tang dynasty, when ancient China covered most of Asia. Lieutenant Li Zai (Wen Jiang) was a honored soldier in the Emperor's service until he refused an order to slaughter a group of Turkish women and children who had been taken captive. After escaping, the Emperor put a bounty on the head of "Butcher Li," hiring the Japanese assassin, Lai Qi (Kiichi Nakai) to finish the job before he will be allowed to return home. Li has disguised himself as a Turkish mercenary, protecting camel caravans traveling the Silk Road from attacks by bandits. While traveling through the Gobi desert, a terrible sand storm buries the caravan. The only ones who survive is a single solider, a young Buddhist monk ((Yun Zhou), and Li. Because the soldier saved his life, Li vows to protect the caravan until it reaches the capital. This is when Lai Qi catches up with Li and challenges him to a fight.

Appealing to the honor of the assassin, Li proposes a deal: Lai will make three attacks on Li, and it Li loses then they will fight there and then. But if Li wins he will be allowed to keep his vow and escort the caravan and then they can have their big sword fight. Li wins the wager, and Lai follows the caravan from a distance. When a local warlord, Master An (Xueqi Wang), starts attacking the caravan, Li and Lai become temporary allies. Then they learn the truth of what it is the young monk is carrying and the stakes become even higher.

This is one of those movies where what is arguably the best action sequence comes at the start, even though all we are talking about is a sword fight that takes place in (and through) a cabin. The key visual attraction becomes not the sword fights, but the vistas of the Gobi desert shot by cinematographer Zhao Fei ("Raise the Red Lantern," "Small Time Crooks"), accompanied by the music of A.R. Rahman and Qu Lixin. Most of the characters reflect well-established types, which explains why "Old Diehard" (Wang Dehun), ends up stealing a lot of the scenes. The main female character, Wen Zhu (Vicki Zhao), seems like she is going to be Li's love interest or perhaps another sword by his side, but neither pans out significantly.

He Ping ("Pao Da Shuang Deng") directed the film and co-wrote the script with Zhang Rui ("Dao ma zei") and he is clearly trying for something big. That is commendable, but there are just too many moments where he associates taking things slowly with making things great. Ultimately "Tian di ying xiong" relates better to the works of George Lucas than John Ford. Given the characters, the situation, and the locations, the net effect really should have been a lot more impressive.

I'm a huge fan of Chines/Japanese films and in the last 10 years, or so, the Chinese have gotten very slick in their film making techniques. This film is excellant on every level and is well worth the money. The only (repeat only) criticism I would make is that the editing on the fight sequences is too choppy. Such editing is used to enhance the chaotic effect of violence and allows actors with no martial experience to seem proficient; which is a good thing most times. Violence is usually an incoherent emotional jumble of images. However, I miss the Shaw Brothers old school technique of letting the actors work through extended choreographies and can't help but think even a movie as fine as this one is would have been helped a bit by one such scene. That said, this is a great film. Buy it, you won't be disappointed.

The movie was easy to follow plot-wise and also impressive visually. I recomend it. It achieved a certain legitimate air that is forsaken by wire-flying films like Hero or Once Upon A Time in China... Rent it, buy it, whatever, it's worth it.