Warlords

[doug maverick]

okay lets talk about this pink elephant jet li's next period martial arts film warlords, starring himself andy lau and takechi kaneshiro. yes jet li said he wouldn't do those movies anymore but come on lets face we're glad he is. well the plot of this film goes something like this:


It's a heroic tale of three blood brothers and their struggle in the midst of war and political upheaval. It is based on "The Assassination of Ma," a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) story about the killing of general Ma Xinyi.




The story was filmed by Chang Che in 1973 as The Blood Brothers, here is the original plot for master changs film:


The story follows three men--Chang, Huang and Ma. The former two are good friends and partners in crime, who make a living stealing from travellers, but Ma is a refined man with great ambition and a desire for power and fame. Chang and Huang, despite having different goals to Ma, become his close friends and join forces with him to conquer a rebel outpost, receiving the surrender of a small army of warriors. All seems to be going well, until an affair starts between Ma and Huang's wife, but is cut short by his decision to join the army, where he can finally make a name for himself. Ma's success in battle leads him to fame and he requests the aid of his two good friends, Huang and Chang, in crushing rebels. But power proves more important to Ma than friendship...

The fight choreography is consistently outstanding, from the lighthearted opening fight scene to the stunning, emotionally charged finale. Weapons are put to good use, Chang's use of the three-section staff stands out in particular. Slow motion is also used well, especially in the last battle.

Production values seem surprisingly high, with thousands of extras, weapons and costumes on display. The sets are well made, although some outdoor scenes are obviously filmed inside a studio.

Despite some minor flaws, THE BLOOD BROTHERS stands out as a highly memorable martial arts epic, with a more involved plot than the usual kung fu movie. Chang Cheh was a talented director and the THE BLOOD BROTHERS is one of his classics.


because jet is the only martial artist on board i don't expect the action scene to come close to changs movie but i'll see it anyway.

[doug maverick]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txyBNd25JmA

[PangQuan]

im with you. glad its being made.

i think andy lau is da bomb actor too so it should have some decent acting in there. mix up andy lau and jet li. good acting and some good action should follow.

thanks for posting this, i had no idea this was being done.

[GeneChing]

They're calling it WARLORDS? Oh man. :rolleyes:

So let me see if I got this straight. Jet has WAR (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46416) coming out September 14, 2007 and now WARLORDS coming out December 2007. I'm so glad Jet got out of the martial arts movie biz. (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37638) He was starting to get typecast. :D

[PangQuan]

They're calling it WARLORDS? Oh man. :rolleyes:

So let me see if I got this straight. Jet has WAR (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46416) coming out September 14, 2007 and now WARLORDS coming out December 2007. I'm so glad Jet got out of the martial arts movie biz. (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37638) He was starting to get typecast. :D

rofl...so true.

well i guess at the end of all that he wasnt suppose to make any more martial art epics

so i guess warlords wont be an epic :p

[doug maverick]

and i think he said he wouldn't do any folk hero movie's. which doesn't matter cause this movie is a folk hero movie and an epic

[GeneChing]

I have carefully reviewed my interview with Jet (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=670) on the subject and I have discovered the loophole:


GC: FEARLESS is billed as your "final martial arts epic," but the buzz is that you're doing ROGUE. Why isn't that a martial arts film?

JL: I think (the) martial arts have two parts. Usually, when we talk about the physical, one is external, one is internal. But whatever is external or internal, they are both the physical part. If you want to be a martial artist, we talk about the mental. Through martial arts, you learn how to be a nice person.

We see a lot of action films – waaah! – they only use the physical part on the film. You can make all kinds of action films. You can use martial arts to talk about your own story. That story doesn't talk about how to be a nice person. I think (this is) a big difference if you want to be the martial artist. FEARLESS talks (about) this very deeply: how to learn martial arts, why learn martial arts, how to use martial arts, how to be the martial artist. Not so many movies can talk about that subject.

Unless the movie has the word WAR in the title. If it has the word WAR, then I will still do it, whether it is a martial arts movie or not.

[doug maverick]

so he's he's saying that the subject matter is not about kung fu but it just has kung fu in t. well thats what i figured he was talking about, but he's doing that journey to the west film with jack and thats about kung fu the subject matter is kung fu here is the plot:

A discovery made by a kung fu obsessed American teen sends him on an adventure to China, where he joins up with a band of martial arts warriors in order to free the imprisoned Monkey King.


so that throws that theeory out the window well, i said this in another post and outline how the conversation would go when he went to those hollywood execs and talked about not doing actions movies anymore. to quote myself:


jet li: i don't want to do martial arts films no more i want to do regular acting!

producers: B!tch you can't act you better stick to kicking and punching thas what you do.

jet li: but i'm tired of it and my knees hurt!

producer(pulls out contract): well this here says we got five more film out your ass, and trust me there not going to be no romance comedy with, jennifer aniston. hey don't you wushu guys have a saying "eat bitter"

jet li : yeah and?

producer(whips out lemon): chow down cause ur not going anywhere.



so in the end money talks and bullsh!t walks, so we should just forgive jet li like hop heads forgave jay z when he said it. and be done with it

[jethro]

and i think he said he wouldn't do any folk hero movie's. which doesn't matter cause this movie is a folk hero movie and an epic


Jet has downplayed this ever since it came out that Fearless would be his last martial arts film. Then it was his last epic. I still say that it was just to promote Fearless. If the right movie came along, I doubt he would pass it up.

[GeneChing]

It's the revenge of Hero for the Jetster...:(


Investors' Disputes Keep "Warlords" Away from Oscar (http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/09/18/1261@275384.htm)
2007-09-18 21:10:59

Shortly before the October 2 deadline for submitting Oscar entries as a foreign language film, the Chinese heroic tale "The Warlords" was dropped from the bill.

Hong Kong-based Media Asia Films, one of the film's Chinese investors, announced the decision on Monday, citing disagreements among investors as the reason, Guangzhou Daily reported.

The Peter Chan film, starring Jet Li, Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Xu Jinglei, was jointly backed by a number of companies, among them Morgan Chan Films, led by Hollywood producer Andre Morgan.

The report says Morgan strongly opposes the film's Oscar application as a foreign language film. He has bigger plans in mind, to help the film gain nods for more coveted awards, after it hits American theaters early next year.

That means "The Warlords" will miss February's Academy Awards and have to wait another year.

Given the film's upcoming China release date in December, Chinese investors insist that an Oscar entry would greatly boost box-office ratings.

According to the rules of the Academy Awards, a film can only be submitted once.

Previous reports suggest that other two Chinese-language films, namely Ang Lee's "Lust, Caution" and Jiang Wen's "The Sun Also Rises," will compete to be named final nominees for best foreign language film.

[doug maverick]

its good to wait till next year cause angs new film is going to smoke the competition. his new one is amazing.

[GeneChing]

According to this Lust Caution is Taiwan's submission.


China's entry for Oscar undecided after 'Warlords' pulled out (http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/009200709251756.htm)
Beijing, Sept. 25 (PTI): China's movie mandarins are keeping mum on the possible entries for the best foreign language film at the next Academy awards.

With the highly anticipated battle epic "The Warlords", officially withdrawn from the competition, China's hopes for a blockbuster candidate appear to have been dashed, Xinhua news agency reported.

However, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), which has the final say on the selection, said it was determined that Chinese mainland films would still be in the running.

"We won't let this chance go by. There will certainly be a film selected to compete for the award," it quoted an unidentified SARFT official as saying.

Chinese blockbusters have been submitted as entries for best foreign language film, but Ang Lee's Golden Lion-winning thriller "Lust, Caution" will represent Taiwan and Jiang Wen's "The Sun Also Rises" has been put forward as a Hong Kong offering.

According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, only one picture will be accepted from each country.

"Every year we set up a special committee to vote for the candidates recommended by mainland film companies, and we will do so again this year," the SARFT official said.

The withdrawal of "The Warlords" has prompted speculation as to what films might be contending for the mainland entry.

Director Peter Chan's "The Warlords", starring Jet Li, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro, had been announced as a possible candidate for best foreign language film, but was withdrawn after opposition from US investor Morgan Chan Films.

[doug maverick]

it is but warlords is not going to compete with that. cause the academy likes ang. because of broke back. so any thing he does they're gonna be salivating over it

[GeneChing]

It really goes back to CTHD. Ang is a great filmmaker. He's just should stick with Green Destiny swords instead of green superheroes. ;)

[@PLUGO]

I enjoyed HULK btw.

while it certainly could've used more HULK SMASH moments (and maybe more Betty Brant in a bikini) the psychedelic qualities of the film where quite true to the Hulk comics circa 1980's.

Big green dogs . . . er. I guess that's better than a hulk mobile.

and Nick Nolte, er . . . . I guess I'll stop now.

[GeneChing]

But I watched the Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno show. Does that count? :rolleyes:

Are there any green swords or gay cowboys in Lust Caution?

[doug maverick]

whats up with all the ang hate gene. lust has a great story and its a very original spy drama, about a women who joins an acting troupe, who are really a group of revoulationaries and hatch a plot to kill a japanese supporter during world war 2

official synopsis:


Shanghai, 1942. The World War II Japanese occupation of this Chinese city continues in force. Mrs. Mak, a woman of sophistication and means, walks into a café, places a call, and then sits and waits. She remembers how her story began several years earlier, in 1938 China. She is not in fact Mrs. Mak, but shy Wong Chia Chi (Tang Wei). With WWII underway, Wong has been left behind by her father, who has escaped to England. As a freshman at university, she meets fellow student Kuang Yu Min (Wang Leehom) Kuang has started a drama society to shore up patriotism. As the theater troupes new leading lady, Wong realizes that she has found her calling, able to move and inspire audiences and Kuang. He convenes a core group of students to carry out a radical and ambitious plan to assassinate a top Japanese collaborator, Mr. Yee (Tony Leung). Each student has a part to play; Wong will be Mrs. Mak, who will gain Yees trust by befriending his wife (Joan Chen) and then draw the man into an affair. Wong transforms herself utterly inside and out, and the scenario proceeds as scripted until an unexpectedly fatal twist spurs her to flee. Shanghai, 1941. With no end in sight for the occupation, Wong having emigrated from Hong Kong goes through the motions of her existence. Much to her surprise, Kuang re-enters her life. Now part of the organized resistance, he enlists her to again become Mrs. Mak in a revival of the plot to kill Yee, who as head of the collaborationist secret service has become even more a key part of the puppet government. As Wong reprises her earlier role, and is drawn ever closer to her dangerous prey, she finds her very identity being pushed to the limit...

[GeneChing]

...I just think any discussion of Ang needs to include the Hulk. I was really hoping he would succeed with that film. It would have demonstrated an amazing virtuosity on his behalf.

Anyway, back OT...

Politics stall China and Taiwan's Oscar (http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/4563/1/)
Written by Patrick Frater & Clifford Coonan
Sunday, 07 October 2007

Selecting which film to submit for the foreign-language Oscar category has become part of the political quagmire engulfing China and Taiwan.

If indeed "The Knot" (for China) and "Lust, Caution" (Taiwan) emerge as the respective candidates, it won’t have been without plenty of twists.

At one stage it seemed as if China might have named Ang Lee’s "Lust, Caution" in a move to frustrate Taiwan — a territory that China regards as a rebel province, not a sovereign nation.

But, according to sources at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, Taiwan's Government Information Office submitted "Lust" in time to meet the Oct. 1 deadline.

The same sources were unclear whether China had submitted a picture in time, but told Variety that they like to be "as flexible as possible."

Given the total shutdown of China for the Golden Week holiday, repeated phone calls to the Film Bureau seeking clarification have gone unanswered. Strong rumors now have it that "The Knot" (Yun shui yao), a period melodrama by Yi Lin, is China's choice.

The situation once again underlines the t***** problems of assigning nationality to movies — especially co-productions and especially in Asia.

Taiwan’s claim to “Lust” already has proved controversial. During the recent Venice Film Festival, where “Lust” premiered, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council made an official complaint about the festival’s website, which listed the film as originating from “Taiwan, China.” The council said that looked too much like “Denver, Colorado,” and gave the impression that Taiwan is part of China. Venice caved in and amended the site.

Apart from being the place of Lee’s birth, Taiwan had little to do with the film. Its story is set in Shanghai and Hong Kong and filmed in China and Malaysia. It was made with coin from China, Hong Kong and Focus Features of the U.S. Lead actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai is from Hong Kong, while Tang Wei and Joan Chen are both from China. Highest ranking cast member with a Taiwan connection is Wang Lee Hom, a New Yorker who now has a decent Mandarin pop music career.

While China’s claim to “Lust” may be considerably stronger, pic did not play commercially there before the submission deadline. Its sex scenes were partially trimmed and were nevertheless deemed too provocative to screen before this month’s upcoming Communist Party Congress. The film opened in Taiwan on Sept. 24, giving it exactly the minimum required seven days of commercial release necessary to qualify for the Oscars.

China’s film industry honchos may have felt the red carpet being pulled from under their feet. Not only did “Lust” not screen in China, Jiang Wen’s “The Sun Also Rises” was both too arty and too public a box office flop to enjoy a decent Oscar run. Peter Chan Ho-sun’s “The Warlords,” which the local press talked about as the strongest candidate, will not emerge from post-production until mid-November ahead of its Dec. 13 commercial release.

Industry gossip says that there might have been another political dimension, too. Some say that China backed down over “Lust” and appeased Taiwan in the hope that Taiwan may reverse its objection to next year’s Olympic torch relay traveling through the territory.

That leaves China with “The Knot,” an undistinguished period melodrama. The irony is that the pic was very carefully constructed to have a multi-territory Chinese-Hong Kong-Taiwanese production pedigree and a heartwarming pan-Chinese, cross-strait theme.

[doug maverick]

also johnnie to's exiled is going to be te selection for hong kong. i saw tis film recentl not bad but certainy not to's best.

[jethro]

I heard Chin KAr Lok has a nice little part in Lust Caution. It sounds interesting, though I heard the sex scenes are really weird.

[doug maverick]

read my review ofthe film lust caution (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48284)

[jethro]

Now it sounds even more interesting to me. Good review. Is there just one action scene in the movie? I heard Chin Kar Lok has a small part. And does it star Tony Leung Chiu Wai or Tony Leugn Ka Fai?

I just looked at IMDB. It is Tony Leung Chiu Wai.

[GeneChing]

This should ad to the box of Warlords.


Andy Lau Crowned Most Bankable Actor (http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/11/07/1261@292178.htm)
2007-11-07 20:56:49

Who has contributed the most to Hong Kong's box office in the past decade? It's not Jackie Chan, nor is Tony Leung or Chow Yun-Fat. It's got to be Andy Lau, says a film magazine.

Since 1997, prolific Lau has helped generate a total of 570 million Hong Kong dollars (US$73.39 million) in box office, making him the most bankable local actor, China News Service quoted statistics from an unnamed magazine.

Sammi Cheng tops the actress list with HK$360 million, while Johnnie To is the most bankable director with HK$350 million.

Versatile Lau is currently touring the mainland promoting his new album, "Miracle World." He said he was thrilled to hear the ratings, and that he would continue to work for another profitable decade.

Lau's crime thriller, "Brothers," which was invested by his own company, hit theaters in mid-October and has so far won rave reviews from both critics and fans.

Another touted epic, "The Warlords," featuring Lau, Jet Li and Takeshi Kaneshiro, will open around the Christmas holidays.

[doug maverick]

andy lau is the man, he is an amazing actor and i guess he is the matt damon of asia in terms of bankabillity since matt is the most bankable actor here. can't wait to check out warlords even thou the trailers are un inspiring. he but the trialer for forbidden kingdom look awesome

[GeneChing]

... after you make your final martial arts epic. :p


Jet Li breaks record with $13 mln paycheck (http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSPEK27542620071126)
Mon Nov 26, 2007 7:51am EST

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese action star Jet Li is set to rake in 100 million yuan ($13 million) for his latest movie, a record for an actor in a Chinese-language film, state media reported on Sunday.

Nearly half of the $40 million budget for "The Warlords" went to the cast, among whom were Hong Kong heartthrob Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Beijing-based actress and director Xu Jinglei, in addition to Li.

"Without Jet Li, we would not dare to invest $40 million in a Chinese-language film," Xinhua news agency quoted director Peter Chan as saying. Li was a "guarantee" for global sales, Chan said.

Chinese-language movies have registered a string of hits in the past few years, from Ang Lee's martial arts tale "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", to Zhang Yimou's ancient history epic "Hero".

The earlier salary record was held by Li himself for his role in "Hero", for which he earned 70 million yuan.

Li, 44, a childhood martial arts champion, has also broken into English-language films, featuring in action pictures such as "Romeo Must Die" and "Lethal Weapon 4".

"The Warlords", a war epic based on a Qing Dynasty story, is slated for release in Asia in mid-December and in North America from next March.

(Reporting by Lindsay Beck; editing by Jerry Norton)

[doug maverick]

**** thats more then what he makes in american films. thats alot of money for a fading wushu star. and they should know that the west generally doesn;t like to be lied too. and lets face it everyone thinks or thought he lied no matter what he said or what he meant. it was advertised as his last film. so he has a moral obligation to either state he was lying or retire. if this film comes out here i think its gonna flop. better take it straight to dvd. where it has a better chance.

[GeneChing]

...why do you think we have the government we do? We love lies. Sweet, sweet lies. ;)

I think the whole 'final martial arts epic' was something Jet learned from working with hip hop stars during his Romeo/Cradle period. It's not at all uncommon for musicians to claim a 'farewell tour'. Jet just tried to use it for action films - sort of a crossover marketing strategy. Depending on the success of Warlords/Mummy 3/Forbidden Kingdom, it might have worked. Fearless didn't do too badly for a subtitled film in a major theatrical release. It was no CTHD, but it still enjoyed some success.

Here's another article, more of the same really, but I get all these news feeds and love to share them.


Jet Li 李连杰 (http://edu.sina.com.cn/bbc/takeaway/JetLi.shtml)

Actor Jet Li has hit the headlines this week because he has broken the record for the highest salary earned by a Chinese film star. China’s highest-earning star will receive 100m yuan (£6.5 million) for his latest movie, 'The Warlords (投名状)'.

The film, directed by Peter Chan is a martial arts drama, telling the story of three brothers) who turn against one another over a beautiful woman. It is set in the 1860s, during the Taiping Rebellion. The other two brothers are played by Andy Lau, and Takeshi Kaneshiro.

As a teenager, Jet Li was a Wushu champion, and won many medals for his martial arts. His fame from martial arts led to his film debut in 1982 in 'Shaolin Temple', having acquired the screen name Jet Li as a change from his real name Li Lianjie.

He has an extensive filmography of Chinese and Hong Kong cinema, including the famous series of films 'Once upon a time in China', about the legendary hero Wong Fei Hung.

However, Jet Li has also in the last 10 years become a Hollywood star, in films such as 'Lethal Weapon 4', 'The Kiss of the dragon', 'Romeo must die', 'The One' and 'Hero'.

Next year his film catalogue will increase again, with his next two films both coming out in 2008. One is the second sequel to The Mummy – 'The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor'. The other, 'The Forbidden Kingdom' will see Jet Li teaming up with the renowned kung-fu and film star Jackie Chan.

'The Warlords' will be released across Asia on 13th December, and hopefully we’ll see it in Britain next year. Although Jet Li has now sworn off doing any more Wushu epics, I'm sure we'll continue to see his work in Chinese and Hollywood films in years to come.

[doug maverick]

now here is my gripe for forbidden kingdom, jet and jackie said don;t expect much from the fights. i wonder if their down playing it trying to be humble because from what i saw in the trailer the fights look pretty **** good.

[GeneChing]

I have it in my calendar as premiering on Dec 13, 2007. That's the same that I see on IMDB. Anyone know for sure? If so, it's next week.

[doug maverick]

That looks like the date from what i'm hearing. a friend of mine who lives in hong kong told me theres a dvd screener floating around, he doesn't know if he wants to get it what with all the piracy going on in hong kong.

[GeneChing]

I suppose this could have gone on the the Lust Caution thread (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48284), but Warlords needed the ttt.



Film Stars Donate Props for Charity (http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/12/11/1261@303383.htm)
2007-12-11 09:06:38 CRIENGLISH.com

Entertainers joined hands to raise money for a poverty relief foundation in Beijing on Monday night.

The event, organized by the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation and the movie channel of China Central Television (CCTV), raised 29.71 million yuan (US$4.01 million) through donations and an auction of artworks and some props used in blockbuster films.

"Lust, Caution" actress Tang Wei, who won the Best New Performer Award at the 44th Taiwan Golden Horse Awards, donated one of her character's signature qipao (cheongsam). Actor Ren Quan won the costume, presented by Tang Wei, with a bid of 50,000 yuan. He joked he was too manly to wear the qipao, but just wanted to contribute to the cause.

A prop sword from Peter Chan's martial arts epic, "The Warlords," was bought by action star Wu Yue for 41,500 yuan.

All proceeds will be donated to a foundation jointly spearheaded by the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation and CCTV's movie channel.

Since the movie channel has strong ties to the film industry, in only a few months the new foundation has had several film stars show up to donate or promote the foundation.

[GeneChing]

Anyone make the premiere?


Peter Chan says 'Warlords' grounded, realistic Chinese epic (http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/12/arts/AS-A-E-MOV-Peter-Chan-Chinese-Epics.php)
The Associated Press
Published: December 12, 2007

HONG KONG: Hong Kong director Peter Chan, known for his subtle, sensitive love stories, hopes to give Chinese epics a makeover with "The Warlords," a gritty film about three 19th century mercenaries, being released across Asia on Thursday.

Historical epics are the black sheep of Chinese cinema. Although top Chinese directors have had box office success with the genre, critics say they lack artistic value.

One of the major Chinese films of the year, "The Warlords" — starring Jet Li, Andy Lau and Japanese-Taiwanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro — is about the breakdown in friendship between three mercenaries during civil unrest in 19th century China.

Chan said in an interview with The Associated Press late Tuesday that the US$40 million (€27.3 million) production, a remake of a 1973 Chinese film, is different from previous epics like Zhang Yimou's "Curse of the Golden Flower" (2006) or Chen Kaige's "The Promise" (2005) because there are no glittering gold costumes, no gravity-defying kung fu fights — just the gritty, cruel reality of warfare.

"It's not romanticized. The characters don't fly around. It doesn't sugarcoat human nature. It just gives you raw and blunt reality," Chan said.

The 45-year-old director said he has a more grounded approach to Chinese epics.

"I did not set out to make a big movie," he said. "I set out to make a movie that is about something."

Indeed, Chan does not hesitate to show the brutality of warfare.

Li's character, Ma, is a pragmatist who advocates joining the imperial government so his soldiers have better resources. He slaughters hundreds of defeated enemies to conserve food supplies, to the outrage of Lau's character, Cao Erhu.

Still, Chan gives Ma a softer side by having him fall in love with Cao's beautiful wife.

Although the director successfully tackles the complexities of human nature — Li delivers a surprising performance as the ruthless, yet emotional Ma — the nuances are overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the two-hour film.

Chan said he had to lobby investors to keep key details in the film. He said Chinese investors frowned on the ragged clothes the mercenaries wore, while American investors wanted flying kung fu scenes.

In the end, the director said he prevailed — even clearing a largely unchanged edit with Chinese censors. China doesn't have a ratings system, and all films must be appropriate for all ages.

Chan said creative interference was inevitable considering the film's large budget — and hence large financial risk for investors.

The US$40 million (€27.3 million) budget is considered huge by Chinese standards. Only a major hit in China makes tens of millions of U.S. dollars (euros), in contrast to the hundreds of millions a Hollywood film can rake in domestically.

"The Warlords" has been sold throughout Asia, but Chan said he is still negotiating deals in the U.S. and Europe.

Chan has made a name for himself as a director of romantic movies. He made "Comrades, Almost a Love Story" (1996) about the relationship between two mainland Chinese immigrants living in Hong Kong, and the 1999 Hollywood film "The Love Letter," about a woman's quest to find the author of a mysterious love letter.

He said he decided to make "The Warlords" because he felt too confident making love stories.

"You're forced to become more creative when you're a little insecure, when you're tackling something you've never done before and you don't know how to do it," Chan said.

Chan said he hasn't decided on his next movie. He said he has bought the movie rights to Ha Jin's English-language novel "Waiting" — about a Chinese army doctor seeking to end an arranged marriage — but doesn't plan to make the film in the next few years.

[doug maverick]

two friends of mine actually got to see it and they are telling me the film is pretty good. but its no chang cheh movie(this film is based on a chang cheh film) jet does a good job but is out shined by the more talented kaneshiro and lau.

[GeneChing]

Still waiting to see who is the first to get a review up on this one. Seen it yet?


"Warlords" has smashing weekend (http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/5158/1/)
Written by Patrick Frater
Monday, 17 December 2007

HONG KONG -- Peter Chan's period actioner "The Warlords" delivered plenty of action at the B.O. in its opening weekend.

In China the film quickly notched up 90 million yuan ($12.2 million), putting it deep into hit territory. The Thursday-to-Sunday weekend total includes $1.22 million of previews from Wednesday.

Released on approximately 1,000 screens, reportedly the widest-ever release in the Middle Kingdom, pic overtook "Casino Royale" to become the sixth-biggest earner of the year -- in just four days.

Pic had little competition. Foreign films are barred from releasing in December and "Warlords" saw off "One Foundation," the local pic that had topped the Chinese chart for the previous two weeks, and "Lost in Beijing" the arthouse title that topped $1.08 million in two weeks. Ang Lee's "Lust, Caution" still stands as the biggest Chinese film of the year, with a cume of $17 million, but is nearing the end of its run after a Nov. 1 preem.

In Hong Kong "Warlords" took in HK$8.5 million ($1.11 million) off four days plus previews -- a strong result but not record breaking.

Total was good enough to put pic ahead of "I Am Legend" at $977,000, and "Alvin and the Chipmunks," which gnawed its way to $168,000 and an entry in fourth place.

Hong Kong was one of the few territories where "Warlords" went head to head against "Legend" and the only Asian territory where "Warlords" came out on top -- despite "Legend" star Will Smith's trip to Hong Kong to tubthump the film.

"As a kid I loved 'The Omega Man, so for me 'Legend' was always going to be the one to beat," Chan told Variety. "Neither of them are exactly Christmas movies."

"Warlords" opened nearly simultaneously in six Asian territories with the 38 print Innoform release through MediaCorp and Shaw Renters clocking up S$1 million ($689,000) in Singapore. In Malaysia, the 50-print Grand Brilliance release thumped its way to 1 million ringgit ($304,000), while in Indonesia it took $190,000. Pic was also released Thursday in Thailand, but weekend figures were unavailable.

Weekend cume of $14.2 million in five territories left it behind "Legend" in Asia, which clocked up $20 million at 1,300 sites in eight Asian markets -- but those included releases in Japan ($6.4 million), South Korea ($6.3 million) and Taiwan ($2.4 million) which the local title did not have.

"Warlords" will open Dec. 28 in Taiwan. In South Korea, where it was acquired jointly by producer BOM and indie distrib Sponge, it will be put out through Lotte Entertainment on Jan. 31.
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 18 December 2007 )

[GeneChing]

...all of the instructors at the O-Mei Kung Fu Academy HQ (http://www.usaomei.com/) saw it. They all seemed to like it. The comments were that the combat was really gritty and realistic, no flying about on wires - sort of a bloody war epic.

[doug maverick]

thats awesome. hopefully it could live up the original.probably gonna get this in chinatown after the new year

[GeneChing]

I'm resisting the temptation to abbreviate this as 'ass' vs. 'war'...

Asian 'Private Ryan' moves audiences to tears (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/26/content_7319032.htm)
www.chinaview.cn 2007-12-26 23:50:10

BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Instead of a conventional happy holiday theme, this year's offering from director Feng Xiaogang is a sorrowful tale of war that offers a rare insight into the minds of obscure common soldiers -- the kind of men who can end up in anonymous graves.

"The Assembly," by bankable director Feng, was a box office hit at the end of its first week. The film, released nationwide last Thursday, had sold 70 million yuan (9.6 million U.S. dollars) worth of tickets by Sunday, according to its distributor, Huayi Brothers, surpassing the take of last year's holiday release, also by Feng, "A World Without Thieves."

"Assembly" features real gun battles, a huge contrast with the usual depictions of war heroes, mostly generals or senior commanders, as almost superhuman or at least as brilliant strategists.

Feng's film is a human drama about a soldier of a People's Liberation Army unit during the civil war between the Communists and the Kuomintang (KMT), or the Nationalists, in the 1940s. The soldier, once a company commander, devotes his life to redeeming the honor of fellow soldiers who are declared missing in action.

The director said the film did not hide soldiers' fears about battle and death. It enlivened all the characters by truly reflecting soldiers' weakness and fear on the battlefield.

"It's normal to fear death, and not to fear is abnormal," Feng said.

The 80 million yuan (11 million U.S. dollars) film is a departure from Feng's caustic, darkly humorous tone in his previous new year's pieces. It has greatly moved filmgoers, many of whom left the theaters in tears.

A post on China's major portal website sohu.com compared "Assembly" with several modern war epics including the U.S. film "Saving Private Ryan".

"It's China's own modern war blockbuster, also in terms of techniques, which is much more meaningful than some exuberant ancient costume TV plays and kung fu movies," it says, adding that society today needed to look back on the cruelty of wars in order to cherish modern life and peace.

One of the most famous directors in China, Feng did not feature any of China's A-list actors in his low-budget film. The director said, with a humorous touch, that he himself was the biggest star. "That's enough."

According to Feng, "Assembly" wants to release an "utmost sincerity" to "make a really good movie for the audience" and that effect would not have been achieved with cinematic heavyweights.

In comparison, "Warlords", another war epic set in the 1870s, features Chinese action star Jet Li, Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau, heart-throb actor Takeshi Kaneshiro and Beijing-based actress/director Xu Jinglei.

The annual year-end movie war broke out in China last month when Ang Lee's award-winning film "Lust, Caution" was released on the mainland. But a tougher competition started last week when "Assembly" and "Warlords", among others, became rivals for filmgoers' affection and ticket money.

Even so, "Assembly" was "neck-and-neck" with "Warlords" in terms of box office on their respective opening days, although only half the country's screens were available for "Assembly" whereas "Warlords" occupied all China's screens on its first day, according to the Huayi Brothers.

The box office receipts showed that a small-name cast could generate large-scale sales. Chen Xiaoyun, a professor at the Beijing Film Academy, said that "the pathos of the movie had an attraction especially in a era full of rampant consumerism."

China Central Television (CCTV) ran an "unprecedentedly long" news item on the film the day after its release, introducing "Assembly" and interviewing audiences and cinema managers.

The piece ran 69 seconds on CCTV's prime-time news program, which is China's most-watched TV show. It was believed that state TV had never before run such a long movie news item.

Zhou Zurong, a website columnist, said the movie had achieved national influence and it was a legitimate news story.

Some netizens believe the high-profile appearance on state TV news had "elevated" the status of the film to a "principal-theme" one, a category advocated by China's cultural regulators. A movie of that kind usually reflects "social progress and era spirit" or depicts people's value system.

Rao Shuguang, with the China Film Art Research Center, said "Assembly" was a mainstream blockbuster "in a real sense", which could point to a direction for the development of Chinese movies.

Feng's previous large box office successes were films such as "Big Shot's Funeral", "Cell Phone" and "The Banquet".

[GeneChing]

I'm still dying to see this. You've all seen the new Warlords trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYaxtHMgILk&feature=related)?

"Warlords", "Assembly" top box office in China (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/03/content_7361146.htm)
www.chinaview.cn 2008-01-03 22:59:41

BEIJING, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Two Chinese popular films "The Warlords" and "The Assembly" ranked first and second, respectively, in the box office achievement, according to the report of Beijing News Thursday.

Released nationwide on Dec. 13, 2007, "The Warlords" reaped 192million yuan (about 26 million U.S. dollars) by Jan. 1. Its overseas box office was 245 million yuan (about 33.6 million U.S. dollars), said the newspaper.

One week later in the release schedule, "The Warlords"'s evenly matched rival ---"The Assembly", directed by director Feng Xiaogang, got 180 million yuan (about 25 million U.S. dollars) at the end of last year.

"The Warlords", directed by Hong Kong director Peter Chan, based on a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) story, follows the struggle ofthree blood brothers and their love entanglements with a woman during a time of war and political upheaval, while "The Assembly" focused mostly on a period of China's liberation war and soldiers' sacrifice and honor in the war.

According to the statistics collected by the newspaper, there were 10 blockbusters whose box office exceeded 30 million yuan (4 million U.S. dollars) by the end of 2007. They are "The Warlords","The Assembly", Ann lee's "Lust, Caution", Hong Kong based movie "The protege", Zhang Yimou's "Curse of the Golden Flower" etc. The box office of the top three exceeded 100 million yuan.

"The Warlords" was featured with Chinese action star Jet Li, Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau, heart-throb actor Takeshi Kaneshiro and Beijing-based actress Xu Jinglei, while "The Assembly" chose Zhang Hanyu, an unknown male actor to be the leading actor.

[jethro]

So who has seen this? Everyone is saying it is either good or great. I haven't seen anybody say its bad.

[doug maverick]

i have seen a few things that say its crap. so far people either love it or hate it its one of those films. but you know me i like to keep things up beat till i judge it for myself i can care less what other people think of a film.

[jethro]

Exactly. Can't say nothin about it till you seen it. I have seen people say the acting is great (a reason some people will like it), and I have seen people say the action isn't that great (a reason kung fu fans won't like it), but with this high of a budget and with the cast and story it has, I just can't see it being complete crap. I can't wait to see it. I wonder if it will be getting a region 1 release anytime in the near future. Dragon Dynasty maybe? They picked up that POS Rob B Hood, so maybe they will try to aquire Warlords.

[doug maverick]

You Gonna Have To Email Bey To Confirm But Yeh It Coming Dd's Way

[doug maverick]

got it will watch it and let you guys know. full review is coming. oh and gene to let you know ahead i'm gonna put it in its own thread. you can merge it if you want but i want to make sure people look at it on it own first.

[B-Rad]

Is this thing on dvd?

[ngokfei]

anybody know the name of the movie that Jet Li is in. I hear it is a remake of an old Shaw Brothers film i think was called "Blood Brothers"?

[GeneChing]

Warlords is Jet, still pushing the edge of the envelope in his own maverick way. It's a gritty film. The horrors of war. Moaning bodies on the battlefield. Flying limbs and spitting blood. Refugees in walking for miles in the dust. Trees without leaves. Medieval trench warfare. Fields of bodies. Horses taking some big falls - animals were harmed in this production. Rough hemp clothes and heavy armor. Fighting in snow, rain and mud. No make up, just roll around in the muck and drizzle blood over your face before each scene. The sets are huge and almost all sepia, black and white. Some shots echo vintage Chinese dramas. The heroes start out drained and spiral downward from there. I don't care for Andy Lau that much but he was good here. So was Takeshi Kaneshiro. It aspires to be a Shakespearean epic, parsed with big battle scenes. It echoes Kurosawa wihtout the blown out colors. There's some fine fight scenes - big battle stuff - but the martial arts aren't really showcased here like a typical martial arts flick. Don't go to see this thinking you're going to see a martial arts movie. It's more of a war flick.

Here's the kicker - Jet's acting totally outshines his martial arts. It's his best acting performance to date. He plays well off the other two actors - the bulk of the story arc goes: talk in each other's face, then big battle, then talk in each other's face, then another big battle. I was really impressed. The big battles are great but they don't culminate in stereotypic finale fight. Jet tears it up early but the martial action succumbs later to dramatic stuff. The ending is predictable, but felt satisfying. I'm eager to see it in English to get a better sense of the drama of it. Also, it'd be great on a big screen because of some massive down and dirty battle scenes. It's not as deep as Hero, nor as martial as Fearless (after all, that was his last martial arts film), nor as slimy as Danny the Dog (extra points for Bob Hoskins, of course), but it's definitely interesting Asian cinema. This is not a happy feel good film - Jet seems to have given up on that back at Cradle 2 Grave. But it worked for me. I'm not sure it'll work for everyone.

[TaichiMantis]

So, no US theater release? It's available now on dvd only?

[GeneChing]

It becomes available on Region 3 DVD on February 5th.

[doug maverick]

you did give me like three weeks(i would suck if i had to meet a deadline or something) but, i just couldn't get the time to sit down and watch this movie(you would think that since there is a strike there would be no work for me, but there is ahhh the life of an indie film maker never ends)anyway just watched the first half and i'm enjoying it. it'll be nice to see who else has seen the film so we can have a discussion about it. as for us release i'm sure there will be one the box office was really good for this film. so i'm sure someone will pick this up.

[doug maverick]

got a chance to sit down and watch this film and i have one word: Masterpeice. i think peter chn did a fantastic job on this movie the acting and action was all top notched the depiction of war was fantastic and just thinking about how he planned those battle scenes made my head ache. and i hate to admit it but jet li was fantastic as the general ma yinyi(he was called pang in the version i have) andy lau and takeshi kaneshiro both ofcourse delivered first rate performances. however i could have done with out the love traingle as i feel it was really a plot point and didn;t really go anywhere except getthe girl killed for something that really had nothing to do with her it just gave takeshi's character something to do. so hope you guys got to see it if not its a must see.

[GeneChing]

Like I said above "It's his best acting performance to date" :cool:


Martial arts star Jet Li picks up acting award (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080414/jet_li_080414/20080414?hub=Entertainment)
Updated Mon. Apr. 14 2008 8:38 AM ET
The Associated Press

HONG KONG -- Jet Li has won a rare acting prize.

Better known for his kung fu prowess, the 44-year-old Chinese action star was named best actor at the 27th Hong Kong Film Awards on Sunday for his performance in the Chinese epic "The Warlords."

Li played a 19th century mercenary who's emotionally torn about betraying one of his blood brothers and falling in love with his wife.

"The Warlords" was also a big winner, clinching eight out of 18 possible awards, including best film and best director for Hong Kong's Peter Chan. It also won awards for best cinematography, best art direction and best costume and makeup design.

Chan said he set out to make a gritty Chinese epic that focused on the cruelty of war rather than focussing on the usual glittering gold costumes and gravity-defying kung fu fights.

"The Warlords" also marks a change in genre for Chan, who is known for his romantic movies.

He made "Comrades, Almost a Love Story" (1996) about the relationship between two mainland Chinese immigrants living in Hong Kong, and the 1999 Hollywood film "The Love Letter," about a woman's quest to find the author of a mysterious love letter.

China's Siqin Gaowa, who played a retired government worker romantically involved with a suspected swindler in "Postmodern Life of My Aunt," won best actress.

Ang Lee's spy thriller "Lust, Caution" was named best Asian movie.

Veteran Hong Kong actor-singer Andy Lau won best supporting actor for playing a drug lord in "Protege" and Susan Shaw won best supporting actress for "The Pye Dog."

[doug maverick]

i think every actor no matter what genre has at least one good performance in them. i'll give it to jet that he has had a build in terms of acting. what i've observed is that he plays seriously flawed characters very well. but is that it? does he have range? but then again about 65-75% of actors walking the planet don't have the range that say- johnny depp or tony leung have. so i hope he can continue building his acting skill.

[MightyB]

I saw a trailer for the movie The Warlords http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZWHvk9-1t0

Has anybody seen this movie yet and is it available in the US?

[MightyB]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93liKX-IRR0&feature=related

[doug maverick]

we've discussed this and put it to bed a while ago. check out the four pages of post. for reviews.
http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46453

[SimonM]

But I watched the Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno show. Does that count? :rolleyes:

Are there any green swords or gay cowboys in Lust Caution?

No. Just lots of medium-core sex scenes and a long, convoluted and boring plot about students playing spy.

[Zenshiite]

pretty sure the whole movie is on YouTube last I checked....

[jethro]

Is there a wide version on youtube? All I see is full screen.

[SimonM]

Jet Li gets the nomination for best actor at the golden horse awards. (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/world/news/e3iadb60bbfae240bb7eec82a2f8b1839ff)

[GeneChing]

Nice to see Red Cliff (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46417)up there too. I'm not so into Kung Fu Dunk (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49939).


"The Warlords" leads 45th Taiwan Golden Horse Awards (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/30/content_10282388.htm)
www.chinaview.cn 2008-10-30 21:02:46

TAIPEI, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Peter Chan's "The Warlords" is leading the field with 12 nominations in the 45th Golden Horse Awards, which are decided here on Thursday.

The film is closely followed by Wei Te-sheng's "Cape No.7" and Feng Xiaogang's "The Assembly." They won nine and six nominations respectively. The three films will compete for the best picture award.

Peter Chan and Wei Te-sheng together with Ho Cheung Ping and Sylvia Chang were candidates for the best director trophy.

Jet Li and Gu Tianle were two of the four finalists for the best actor award.

"The Red Cliff" by John Woo was nominated for the best art direction and best costume and makeup design.

Jay Chou's "Hero Chou" from "Kung Fu Dunk" won the nomination for the best original film song.

The awarding ceremony is scheduled to be held on Dec. 6 in Taizhong.

The event is a much coveted Chinese-language film prize in Chinese cinema.

"The Warlords," set in wartime 19th century China and with an all-star cast, was the big winner at the 27th Hong Kong Film Awards held in April with eight awards including best film and best director for Peter Chan.


Chan's 'Warlords' top contender at Golden Horses (http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=776775)
By MIN LEE
Associated Press
A Hong Kong director's star-studded historical epic and a surprise Taiwanese hit are the top contenders at the 45th Golden Horse Awards _ the Chinese-language equivalent of the Oscars _ organizers said Thursday.

But John Woo's first project after returning from Hollywood, "Red Cliff," received only four nominations in mainly technical categories.

Peter Chan's "Warlords," grabbed 12 nominations, including best director for Chan, best actor for Jet Li, best movie, best original screenplay, best editing and best cinematography.

The film, about three mercenaries in 19th century China, also stars veteran Hong Kong actor Andy Lau and Japanese-Taiwanese heartthrob Takeshi Kaneshiro.

Wei Te-sheng's "Cape No. 7" _ a surprise hit in Taiwan that beat Hollywood blockbusters _ was the second most nominated film, bagging 10 nods, including for best director, best movie and best supporting actor.

The movie is about the romance between a Japanese teacher and a Taiwanese woman when the island was a Japanese colony in the 1940s _ and a parallel modern-day love story.

Woo's historical epic "Red Cliff," based on a famous battle in third-century China, was surprisingly absent among the top contenders, receiving only four nominations for best supporting actor, best visual effects, best makeup and costume design and best art direction.

Also up for best movie is the China's "Assembly," set against the Chinese civil war in the 1940s, Taiwan's "Orzboyz," and Hong Kong's "Ocean Flame," about the relationship between a man and a waitress.

Others nominated for best director were up-and-coming Hong Kong director Pang Ho-cheung for "Trivial Matters" and Sylvia Chang for "Run Papa Run," about a gangster torn between his family and a life in crime.

In the best actor category, Li is competing against Zhang Hanyu from "Assembly," Liao Fan from "Ocean Flame" and Louis Koo from "Run Papa Run."

Dominated by low-profile films, the best actress category was another surprise.

The four nominees are Prudence Liew from the drama "True Women for Sale," Monica Mok from "Ocean Flame," Karena Lam from "Claustrophobia" and Sandrine Pinna from "Miao Miao."

The winners will be announced in the Taiwanese city Taichung on Dec. 6.

[doug maverick]

that movie was so ****ing cornball. it sucked sucked sucked.

[Hebrew Hammer]

Now this looks better to me than Red Cliff!

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809812815/video/17448740

[Brule]

There's a thread on this already, you can check out what others thought of it. I haven't seen it myself but it looks cool.

http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46453&highlight=warlords

[doug maverick]

yeaH we put this movie to bed like two years ago...its finally getting a us release so thats good.and no its not better then red cliff...but it is really good

[GeneChing]

It wasn't as good as Red Cliff (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46417) IMO, but it was very entertaining. I wouldn't quite give it the 'masterpiece' nod that Doug did, but it's definitely worth checking out.

[Hebrew Hammer]

I thought it was odd, I didn't see a thread for it in Martial Media section...I had no idea it was that old...thanks for getting out of bed to bring it back. I'm looking forward to it none the less!

Gene did you really like Red Cliff that much? Was it the story? The epic?

[GeneChing]

We can discuss it more on the Red Cliff thread (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46417) if you like.

[GeneChing]

I'm not sure the magnitude of the release. It probably won't be that wide. Magnolia has been doing these VOD, XBOX LIVE, PLAYSTATION and AMAZON pre-releases, and then following with a limited theatrical release. The strategy must be working for them since they keep doing it.

Just posted: The Warlords Featurette Official HD (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39l3oi9OqsM)

[GeneChing]

'Warlords': Gritty epic re-creates Chinese war (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/08/NS321COP63.DTL)
G. Allen Johnson
Thursday, April 8, 2010

There have been quite a few Chinese historical epics the past decade - many with martial arts, like Zhang Yimou's "Hero," and many with computer effects that can create epic sweep, like John Woo's recent "Red Cliff."

But "Warlords," a film directed by Peter Chan that opens in the United States on Friday, is something different. There is no kung fu, despite the presence of Jet Li. There are no impossible shots that only could have been created with ones and zeros. Instead, this is a gritty film that knows that death is not pleasant and that armies and peasants alike need food and water.

Set during the Taiping Rebellion of 1850-64, it stars Li as a general who survives a brutal massacre and joins a group of bandits led by Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro.

"I was aiming for a photographic re-creation of what the past was like," said Chan, calling from the back of his ride as he was on his way to the Hong Kong airport to travel to a film set in China. "I wanted to film a war that killed 60 million Chinese over 12 years - about as many as were killed worldwide in World War II.

"We went and looked at black-and-white pictures from turn-of-the-century China, and we also looked at pictures from the last 20 years in Afghanistan. That's as war-torn as any country can get."

Chan is not the first filmmaker you'd think of to make a war film. He began during the golden age of Hong Kong movies, scoring hits in the '90s with comedies ("He's a Woman, She's a Man") and personal dramas ("Comrades: Almost a Love Story"). He tried Hollywood (1999's "The Love Letter") and has spent most of the past decade producing as Hong Kong filmmakers have integrated themselves into the burgeoning Chinese film industry. His previous film as director was a musical, "Perhaps Love," which opened the 2006 San Francisco International Film Festival.

Why would a filmmaker known for lighter fare tackle a war epic?

"I wanted to portray not only the history of China but also the history of anywhere else - greed, betrayal and how power corrupts," Chan said. "Also, we have not dealt with period film properly in Chinese films. Somehow, all our period films are derived from Chinese opera and they're all detached from reality."

Of course, any film is going to have inaccuracies. Asked what was the biggest liberty he took, Chan thought for a moment.

"The trenches were a little bit of a stretch," he said. "We couldn't find real historical accounts of trenches in 19th century China. The trenches thing really came from 'All Quiet on the Western Front' (the 1930 classic that won best picture), one of my favorite war movies.

"But there were cannons and there were guns (in 1850s China). There was not an abundance of them - guns were very expensive - so they needed arrows too. But if you have cannons and you have guns, it would be logical that you would have trenches."

Opens Friday at the Lumiere Theatre, 1572 California St., S.F. (415) 267-4893; Shattuck Cinemas, 2230 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. (510) 464-5980. www.landmarktheatres.com.

- G. Allen Johnson, ajohnson@sfchronicle.com

This article appeared on page G - 20 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Here's the release schedule from Magnet (http://www.warlordsmovie.com/):

On Screen

Santa Ana, CA: South Coast Village 3
West Los Angeles, CA: Nuart Theatre
New York, NY: Cinema Village

Opening

4/9/2010
Berkeley, CA: Shattuck Cinemas 10
San Francisco, CA: Lumiere Theatre 3
San Jose, CA: Camera 3
Washington, DC: E Street Cinema
Aiea, HI: Pearlridge West 16
Honolulu, HI: Kahala Theatres 8
Cambridge, MA: Kendall Square Cinema

4/16/2010
San Diego, CA: Ken Cinema
Philadelphia, PA: Ritz at the Bourse
Seattle, WA: Varsity Theatre

4/23/2010
Denver, CO: Chez Artiste

4/30/2010
Santa Cruz, CA: Nickelodeon Theatres
Minneapolis, MN: Lagoon Cinema

5/7/2010
Keene, NH: Putnam Arts Lecture Hall

[GeneChing]

I'm going to try to get out to see this on the big screen to support it, but I won't get the chance for a few weeks because I'm tightly booked and none of the venues are that close to me. I hope you all try to support this too, assuming it's coming to a theater near you. The big battle is definitely big screen worthy.

'The Warlords' is more than battles (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/09/MVOS1CQKGK.DTL)
Peter Hartlaub, Chronicle Pop Culture Critic
Friday, April 9, 2010

POLITE APPLAUSE War drama. Starring Jet Li, Andy Lau, Wu Yang and Wu Jing-Lei. Directed by Peter Ho-Sun Chan. (R. 110 minutes. At the Lumiere in San Francisco, Landmark's Shattuck in Berkeley and the Camera 3 in San Jose.)

The best action scene in "The Warlords" arrives less than an hour into the historical war epic. It's as good as any battle in "Braveheart" - in terms of cinematography and emotional heft - with cannons firing, arrows flying, people falling off horses and Jet Li impaling foes in multiples of five.

Director Peter Chan's Taiping Rebellion-era drama never comes close to reaching that level of rousing carnage-filled action again. But as the filmmaker shifts from battlefield heroics to political intrigue and betrayals, you'll only miss the mayhem a little bit. "The Warlords" gets a release in the United States nearly 2 1/2 years after its Hong Kong premiere, and it's a wonder it took so long.

Li is Gen. Pang Qingyun, a Chinese military leader who survives a brutal battle, becomes "blood brothers" with a pair of bandits (Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro) - one of whom is engaged to a courtesan (Wu Jing-Lei), who nursed Qingyun back to health during his post-war wanderings. After the three warriors join the Qing Dynasty army and win a glorious battle against a growing rebellion, their relationship is strained by love and constant meddling from Qing leaders.

As the story gets better, the battle scenes become an afterthought - the two large-scale battles in the movie's second half occur almost entirely offscreen (we had to imagine a lot of severed heads and eviscerations). This placed more pressure on the actors, who are capable, but never extraordinary. Hidden underneath a layer of filth for most of the movie, Li is steady but unremarkable as the lead. Kaneshiro has a meatier role as the most tortured brother, but doesn't get as much screen time.

The film has a surprising level of clarity, considering the number of different twists, turns and characters involved. (The film is in Mandarin, with English subtitles.) A smothering eight screenwriters are credited, usually a sure sign that the end result will be a mess. And yet "The Warlords" is focused throughout, up until the satisfying ending.

Fans of this film will some day wear out their DVDs and Blu-rays playing that fantastic battle scene again and again. (Does anyone even watch "Braveheart" all the way though any more?) "The Warlords" is still worth viewing at least once in its entirety.

-- Advisory: This film contains as much gore and violence as one would expect from a movie where about 50,000 people die.

E-mail Peter Hartlaub at phartlaub@sfchronicle.com

[GeneChing]

...should still support it anyway. Buy the DVD too.

I wonder if I would have noticed the edit.


‘Warlords’ missing 16 crucial minutes (http://www.nwasianweekly.com/2010/04/%E2%80%98warlords%E2%80%99-missing-16-crucial-minutes/)
Posted on 08 April 2010
By Andrew Hamlin
Northwest Asian Weekly

Peter Chan’s Chinese battle epic, “The Warlords,” opens with a creepy voice narrating, “He told me — that dying was easy and living was hard.” But who is speaking? And who is he speaking about?

The film continues with an air of mystery. Crucial elements in the characters’ war-ravaged lives remain hidden. Certain elements may seem confusing to the moviegoer. Sometimes, the mystery adds depth to the saga. Other times, it seems calculated to cover the plot’s weak spots.

The international version of “The Warlords” runs sixteen minutes shorter than the original version. In the international version, significant material seems to be left out. Characters change their minds for no identifiable reason. Some crucial battle sequences fly by with very little time devoted to their unfolding.

After the opening narration comes a massacre of the Qing Dynasty army by the Taiping rebels in China during the 1860s. General Qingyun (played by Jet Li) ends up being the only survivor on the losing side. He hides under a pile of corpses and digs himself out after the enemy departs.

The massacre occurred as a result of another general’s decision to back out last minute. He refused to aid Qingyun’s troops. We never get a firm grip on why two separate armies that are technically on the same side try to undermine one another.

A wandering and despondent Qinyun meets a rag tag bandit army led by Wuyang (Takeshi Kaneshiro) and Erhu (Andy Lau). Qingyun respects the courage and grit of the two bandit leaders. Soon, the three bind together and prescribe death for anyone who goes against the other two.

Qinyun must kill a man he doesn’t even know to fulfill the trio’s oath. He shows a slight hesitation and oddly enough, warmth and respect to his victim. In this scene, Li proves to be an impressive and sadly underrated dramatic actor. He expresses suppressed rage, futility, or deep love using only the simplest facial expressions.

Unlike many films in this genre, “The Warlords” doesn’t wholly celebrate war. Director Chan matter-of-factly demonstrates the machinations necessary to keep an army together. The blood brothers know how to spark their soldiers’ egos and manipulate their men into accepting dangerous and possibly suicidal missions. They just don’t know what to do when they lose confidence in one another.

At one point, the three fight amongst themselves to determine the fate of some captured enemy forces. Two of them prevail, but they lose confidence in the third.

Unfortunately, Li doesn’t have many chances to demonstrate his world-famous fighting skills. Li puts on martial arts moves unequaled in film history since Jackie Chan slowed down. But “The Warlords” concentrates on huge battles sequences filmed with no sense of underlying rhythms.

Li needs an up close and personal approach to best portray his skills. With the exception of one masterfully choreographed match near the end, Li is not given the opportunity to showcase his skills.

The film deserves credit for Li’s striking performance and its sobering look behind the scenes of combat. A little more footage, I’m thinking, would help it make a lot more sense. ♦

“The Warlords” opens Friday, April 16, at Seattle’s Varsity Theatre, 4329 University Way N.E. Call 206-781-5755 for prices and show times.

[brothernumber9]

I know I'm super late to the party but I just got the DVD last week with english subs. I've only watched a little more than half the movie, but I am liking it quite a bit. I have had Red Cliff (both) for a while and still have not watched it (hangs head in shame) so I guess I will build up to that after Warlords.

I really get into movies that have an extreme root in a "brotherhood" or "sisterhood" kinda theme.
I assume alot of 'dudes' feel the same. There is something to be said for films that elicit a feeling of upholding that kind of idealistic honor an selflessness especially in a battling enviroment, eventhough often made out to be far far more fantastical than it ever would be or was in reality, at least in the sense of actual warfare. I think movies of the ilk that involve less a risk of life, like sports or even hand to hand kind of fighting can still evoke the same or similar feeling.

Or it could just be that I was imbibing in something really good at the time when watching this movie and others that I think are in the same vein, which I often do.