Movie Digest
The Han Empire, being one of Imperial China’s three kingdoms, faced insurrection from all corners of the country. Han Army and its chancellor, Dong Zhuo, were captured by the Yellow Turban rebellion. Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei are the three martial arts warriors who defeated the uprising and saved Zhuo. However, he does not recognize the warrior’s efforts and considers the Han Dynasty emperor too weak to rule. Zhou seizes control of the empire along with his General, Lu Bu. Together, the three warriors and Cao Cao, a royal loyal to the Han Dynasty, defeated Zhou and saved the empire from eternal shame.
The Feel-Good Part
The combat scenes were what you’d expect from a film that combined the wacky features of a video game with wuxia martial arts. It makes the film visually fascinating.
The Disappointing Factor
The film’s editing was blatantly sloppy, leaving some elements unresolved and others inadequately explained. The most serious flaw is that they fail to capture the spirit of the game.
In-Depth Analysis
The adaptation of Dynasty Warriors was from a Japanese video game of the same title. The climactic battle between Lu and the three blood brothers is noteworthy, as is the struggle between Guan Yu and Dong’s warlord Hua Xiong; nevertheless, the opening scene with the Yellow Turban rebels is notable. These conflicts are very CGI-heavy and filmed in the same style as the video games that inspired the film, giving the impression that the games have come to life. The film never fails to impress with its magnificent costume design, epic vistas of the North China Plain rift basin, and good character cutaways for each lead, allowing the actors to summon their best noble line reads. The tale does not come together entirely. Depending on the audience’s willingness to participate, they will find either a simple action story barely tying together great fights or an overdone operatic military drama with magical combat.
Star Power
Wang Kai (Cao Cao) is truly remarkable, and Tony Yang’s Liu Bei is noteworthy. The majority of the actors perform their roles competently and effectively. Justin Cheng has very little to do as Zhang Fei’s character was weakly sketched for the film.
Overall Opinion
As long as viewers don’t expect a serious historical drama, this film is a spectacular and exciting trip.
