The Empress and The Warriors - New Donnie Yen film

[doug maverick]

didn;t want to talk about this movie until i knew more about it. but after a trip to donnieyen.us donnies fan site i got the website and the lowdown on this film. it looks freaking awesome and is in the vein of hero.

kelly chen plays a princess who is put on the golden dragon throne after her father is killed donnie yen plays either bodygaurd or a general not to sure on that. als stars leon lai.

the film is directed by tony ching siu tung. i have a tiny fear of people flying around and not much kung fu but we'll see tony has pulled off some great masterpiece's in his time, any way here is the site:

an empress and the three warriors (http://www.anempressandthewarriors.com/en_menu.html)

[GeneChing]

I couldn't find a release date. Any clues?

[doug maverick]

well from what i know the film is wraped and well be out either before or after the new year. should know in a week or so exact date.

[Zenshiite]

Looks interesting. Seen any trailers yet?

[doug maverick]

no but i saw some behind the scene stuff that looks great.

[doug maverick]

trailer for this film has arrived. looks like tony's version of warlords honestly
check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOO_PzcckpE

[Zenshiite]

Now that looks good!

[doug maverick]

yeah it looks better then warlords actually.

[GeneChing]

And how many of us here have seen the Warlords (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46453)? I mean aside from me and doug, of course. And we have some pretty hip Asiancinemaphiles here, so that comment strikes me as an odd intro.

Maybe it's me just being an editor again... :o


An Empress and the Warriors (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/awards_festivals/fest_reviews/article_display.jsp?JSESSIONID=th4kHjMXhJyG6LMwkMH l6JmvfXTm5Ycv02pJ8PlyP4phHZkpHPp5!-403277926&&rid=10852)
Bottom Line: A soundly executed chivalric romance delivers undemanding entertainment.
By Maggie Lee
Mar 21, 2008

As the first feature since 2000 to be helmed by renowned martial arts director Tony Ching Siu Tung, this could be the most anticipated Chinese period action blockbuster since "The Warlords."

HONG KONG -- Mars and Venus fight for ascendancy as a warrior-princess must choose between personal romantic fulfillment and patriotic duty in "An Empress and the Warriors." Thematically, the film sustains this dichotomy with atmospheric alternations between a saccharine fairy tale love plot and strapping martial arts duels and battle scenes.

As the first feature since 2000 to be helmed by renowned martial arts director Tony Ching Siu Tung (who choreographed "The Curse of the Golden Flower" and "House of Flying Daggers"), this could be the most anticipated Chinese period action blockbuster since "The Warlords" aside from "Red Cliff." Although it doesn't thrill like Ching's seminal "A Chinese Ghost Story" or "Swordsman II" of the golden 1990s, it doesn't disappoint as a swashbuckling romance that puts its big-name cast to good hard work. The film already has sold to many Asian territories.

Set when China was still 10 warring states, the story has greatness thrust upon Princess Fei'er (Kelly Chen) when her father dies. She forces herself to develop martial prowess and lead her kingdom, Yan, first to repel invaders, then to squelch the mutiny of cousin Wu Ba (Guo Xiao-dong), who covets the throne. She is trained by Gen. Muyong Xuehu (Donnie Yen), who is both a big brother figure and secret admirer.

While fleeing an ambush set by Wu, Fei'er is rescued and nursed to health by forest dweller Duan Lanquan (Leon Lai). She falls for her hippie healer and becomes skeptical of her kingdom's warlike culture and her own royal destiny. Notwithstanding a flirtation with bandages and a hot air balloon ride over spectacular landscapes, the romance is like the multigrain porridge and organic yams that Lanquan prepares -- wholesome but bland.

Chen, better known as a singer and pretty face in escapist romances, takes up the gauntlet to play an Amazonian heroine. She achieves a breakthrough in image, but screen partners Yen and Lai remain typecast.

The exquisitely wrought armor forms an integral part of overall art direction in creating a sense of Arthurian majesty. The outfits' ungainly weight also means high-wire pyrotechnics are ruled out in favor of earth-bound, puissant clashing of swords. Nothing happens at breakneck speed, but there are no lulls in the succession of fight scenes.

As the spotlight is on the three leads, the best martial arts choreography is reserved for one-on-one battles set against ravishing natural backdrops, such as a floating log on the river or Lanquan's fight with some ninja-like assassins in his tree house in the film's most elaborately designed set piece.

Although the film sports fashionable anti-war jargon, it does not skimp on the body count. Battle scenes and two chases through the woods are graphic but skillfully lensed by Zhang Yimou regular Zhao Xiaoding.

AN EMPRESS AND THE WARRIORS
Polybona Film Distribution and Big Pictures present an United Filmmakers Organization production sales agent: Golden Network Asia, Mei Ah Entertainment (Asia)
Credits:
Director: Tony Ching Siu Tung
Screenwriter: James Yuen
Producers: Yu Dong, Claudie Chung
Executive producers: Yu Dong, Eric Tsang, Li Kuo-hsing
Director of photography: Zhao Xiaoding
Production designer: Yee Chung Man
Music: Mark Lui
Costume designer: Dora Ng
Editor: Tracy Adams
Cast:
Yan Fei'er: Kelly Chen
Muyong Xuehu: Donnie Yen
Duan Lanquan: Leon Lai
Wu Ba: Guo Xiaodong
Running time -- 95 minutes
No MPAA rating

[doug maverick]

i can't wait to check this one out. from the trailers and site it looks good. you know there are very hong kong stars that when they make a film aside from a chinese website they do an english one. donnie has this cult following here in the states thats growing and growing.also i'm hearing some noise about jacky wu jing, they're gonna make him the next jet li here in the states.

[doug maverick]

dissapointing,

i just finished watching this film and what can i say, it sucked horribly. for the first time i got my hopes up for a ching siu tung film but he dissapointd me yet again as he always does(sorry i'm really not a big fan of his work, except for the fight between donnie and jet in hero)th story while it did have a good idea it was extremely sappy all that love story **** between loius koo and kelly chen should have been cut in half it stops the film cold for like 30 minutes.the fight scene's plain and simply sucked no imagination what so ever. the only bright spot in the film was donnie yens murong character, his character was the most developed out of everyones even kelly chen who was suppose to be the main lead even thou donnie got top billing over her. and as for ms. chen although i liked some of her other stuff she didn't convince me as a warrior princess not one bit. i'm actually going to recommend people not watch this film cause its 100min of boredom. the only part that was hot and p[retty much outshined the entire film was donnie yen holding two sword half armor torn off and hair wild onamishi style taking on a whole **** load of soldiers. the rest was eh, who gives a ****. another thing during the triaiong sequence they had kelly chen and donnie josting, i'm like what? i'm not expert on chinese history but i doubt they were joosting back in those days in china. i give this film a 3 out out of 10 and i'm being generous.

[Shaolinlueb]

i used to be upto date with all the hk stuff. for a period i bought almsot everything coming out. now its jsut a thing i cant afford. lol

[GeneChing]

Enter now to win. (http://www.kungfumagazine.net/index.html) Contest ends 6:00 p.m. PST on 8/05/09. Good luck everyone!

[GeneChing]

See our An Empress and the Warriors winners thread (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?p=954702).