Movie Digest
Chief of Thieves: Chu Liu Xiang is a Chinese movie that was released in 2021 and was directed by Dong Wei. The film has been adapted from the series of novels ‘Chu Liu Xiang’ written by Gu Long. The plotline revolves around Chu Liu Xiang (played by Dylan Kuo), a newcomer in the realm of martial arts with the power of magical spells. Chu Liu Xiang is a handsome man with a habit of hard drinking and possessing the extraordinary talent in martial arts he aspires to be a thief and rob the rich, though with a noble cause of redistributing the wealth among the poor. Chu Liu Xiang finds himself in the Divine Water Palace ruled by the new ruler, Mu Qian Yu. Chu Liu Xiang mistook Mu Qian Yu for a hard-drinking womanizer, though it is revealed that Mu Qian Yu is a woman pretending to be a man to gain the position. The two team up to fight evil forces, gradually falling in love with each other. However, they get separated. They find themselves together after a few years, with each of their personalities changed. However, the evil forces don’t let the two be at peace and strike the couple.
The Feel-Good Part
The film has incredible cinematography and the fighting and action scenes were choreographed correctly, which was pretty interesting to watch on-screen. The actors justified their characters and did an excellent job in their portrayal.
The Disappointing Factor
The pace of the unfolding of the storyline was pretty fast, which might be difficult for some to keep up with. The storyline heavily depends on the plot of the love story. However, not much screen timing has been given to the romance, which is pretty disappointing.
In-Depth Analysis
Chief of Thieves: Chu Liu Xiang revolves around the titular character of Chu Liu Xiang, a talented martial artist. He becomes acquainted with the new ruler of the Divine Water Palace, Mu Qian Yu, who has her secret. The two of them share the same goal, team up to assassinate a culprit. While fighting the evil force, they bond more and fall in love with each other. Though they were in love, and love doesn’t come so easily. They get separated and reunite after a gap of 12 years; even then, there are hurdles that they need to pass through. The screenplay is good, and so is the execution of the story. The acting has been decent from the end of the actors. Though, there was still scope for better implementation of the narration.
Star Power
Dylan Kuo plays the titular role of Chu Liu Xiang. Connie Kang plays the role of Mu Qian Yu, Joyin Cai plays the role of Su Rong Rong, Zhou Xiao Fei plays the role of Shuimu Tai Ji, Yue Dong Feng plays the role of Su Bu Fan, Li Mu Yun plays the role of Ling Er, Chen Yi Ying plays the role of Song Tian Er, and Sun Bao plays the part of the Butler.
Overall Opinion
Overall, Chief of Thieves: Chu Liu Xiang is an entertaining film that offers a wide range of genres. The film binds different genres into one movie and manages to keep the viewers hooked on. Though not extraordinary, the movie is decent and makes up for a one-time watch. The fans of martial arts especially would incline towards this film.
