Amazon.com: Warriors of Heaven and Earth: Wen Jiang, Kiichi Nakai, Xueqi Wang, Wei Zhao: Amazon Instant Video

Product Details

Synopsis: In the tradition of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero, Warriors of Heaven and Earth weaves a thread of battle, comradeship and honor. Set in the ferocious Gobi Desert, the story follows Lieutenant Li (Jiang Wen) and Japanese emissary Lai Xi (Nakai Kiichi), both first-class warriors and master swordsmen. After decades of service to the Chinese Emperor, Lai Xi longs to return to Japan, but is instead sent to the west to chase wanted criminals. His only passport back to Japan is to capture and execute Lieutenant Li, a renegade soldier wanted for leading a violent mutiny when he refused orders to kill female and child prisoners. Li and Lai Xi battle, but finally agree to delay their final personal fight until the caravan carrying a Buddhist monk is brought to safety. The monk, however, is carrying a sacred and powerful pagoda that attracts the attention of the region's ruthless overlord, Master An (Wang Xueqi). Lai Xi and Lt. Li, accompanied by Li's former posse of soldiers, who have forsaken their peaceful new lives to return to his side, must face the cruelty of the desert, the region's barbaric bandits and the brutality of the overlord's men before they can finally faceone another.

Starring: Wen Jiang, Kiichi Nakai

Supporting actors: Xueqi Wang, Wei Zhao, Bagen Hasi, Tao Ho, Linian Lu, Deshun Wang, Haibin Li, Yeerjiang Mahepushen, Chuangao Hou, Yun Zhou, Wei Li, Yuming Du, Handong Wang, Haiquan Yang, Tuerxunjiang Zunong, He Huang, Baozhong Sang

Directed by: Ping He

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama

Runtime: 2 hours 1 minute

Release year: 2003

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Studio required notice: Content is protected by U.S. copyright law. Learn More.

MPAA Rating: Rated R for violence

ASIN: B001JF0MNK

Rights & Requirements

Purchase rights: Stream instantly and download to 2 locations. Details

Compatible with: Mac and Windows PC online viewing, compatible instant streaming devices, TiVo DVRs. System requirements

Format: Amazon Instant Video (streaming online video and digital download)

Also available on DVD

Warriors of Heaven and Earth DVD ~ Wen Jiang

3.9 out of 5 stars (29) $8.47

Theatrical Release Information

US Theatrical Release Date: January 01, 2003
MPAA: Rated R for violence
Production Company: Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia, Huayi Brothers, Taihe Film Investment Co. Ltd., Xi'an Film Studio, China Film Co-Production Corporation
Filming Locations: Shanghai, China | Xinjiang, China | Heng Dian, China

Video Format Details

Online Viewing	PC Download	TiVo box	Portable device
View instantly from any PC or Mac with a broadband connection	Ready to watch in about 50 minutes*	Ready to watch in about 55 minutes*	Ready to transfer in about 50 minutes*

* Your download times may vary--estimates shown are for a typical DSL connection (1.5 Mbits/sec).

Customer Reviews

29 Reviews

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

Average Customer Review

3.9 out of 5 stars (29 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I was blown away....., March 31, 2005

By

Prestina Thompson "SciFi/Fantasy Addict" (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Warriors of Heaven and Earth (DVD)

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.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse | Permalink

Comment Comments (2)

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Epic in the Chinese Genre, January 28, 2005

By

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Warriors of Heaven and Earth (DVD)

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

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse | Permalink

Comment Comment

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Noodle Western!, October 17, 2004

By

Hizon "Jerry" (Makati Philippines) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)

This review is from: Warriors of Heaven and Earth (DVD)

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.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse | Permalink

Comment Comment

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 29 customer reviews...

Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Just Bunch of Fighting
The costumes are great. The photography is outstanding. The locations are very scenic. The story is mediocre. Read more

Published 15 days ago by Nate Stone

5.0 out of 5 stars IF YOUR LOOKING FOR AN EPIC JOURNEY IN A MOVIE AND A LOOK BACK AT TIME WATCH THIS MOVIE
Tired of the same old fare. I bought this movie after being thrilled by the purchase of several animated features, offered by Amazon. Read more

Published 8 months ago by 0FAME

1.0 out of 5 stars The product does not match the advertised on Amazon
I was very disappointed when I received the product and available subtitles do not match the advertised. Also the deadline for returning now turns. Failure of Amazon or Sony?