This is not your typical wuxia martial arts film. It is more of a romance drama with wuxia elements. Beautiful set pieces and design, exciting and artistic choreography, and genuine on-screen chemistry between leads Takeshi Kaneshiro and Zhang Ziyi all combine to create a tragic and heart-wrenching love story with an emotionally satisfying payoff. To that end this movie is a success and I enjoyed it. The problem however is unlike predecessors Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Hero the script lacks that suspenseful plot to drive the story forward. And when you have no plot in a love story all you basically get is two people making out the whole time which gets really dull after a while. Think about it. Would Titanic still be considered a classic if you took out the part with the sinking ship and replaced it with more Jack and Rose scenes? Could have easily been a 7 or 8 if the second act wasn't so boring.

Zhang Yimou really is one of the best directors of this genre (I also recommend you watch Hero). This is a tale of love, betrayal and, again, some damn good swordplay. We follow Mei who is a member of the Flying Daggers, a underground group plotting against the government, who gets arrested until she is freed by a mysterious figure where she soon starts to fall in love. This really was a tragic film. By the end, I was so emotionally invested that the final scenes just killed me inside. Like taking out my heart and stabbing it with a dagger...a flying dagger...*ahem*. Exploring the themes of love, it conveys the lengths we go to be with the one we truly love. Interestingly the majority of this film is actually set in a woods, varied by autumnal trees and bamboo. Both make for some great action scenes, particularly the bamboo forest ambush. Yimou's utilisation of colours creates some visually splendid landscapes, again the bamboo forest uses several shades of green, both in natural aspects and the characters' attire. The production design truly excelled within the Peony Pavilion, where the costume design was also fantastic. The Echo Game scenes were inventive and splendid to watch. Zhang Ziyi, who is one of my favourite Chinese actresses, exhumed elegance, innocence and a sense a badassery. Her choreography was already exquisite, but having to do that without actually looking at the opponent (due to her character being blind) really showcases mastery of the art. The love triangle was beautifully crafted and held a glimpse of tenderness. A few gripes, I found the CGI projectiles to be jarring and too frequent. The story is not as grand as other martial art epics so may not be particularly engaging for everyone. Also the betrayals that are revealed towards the end seemed too convenient and didn't really impact me. However, this is another solid Chinese wuxia flick with a tragic love story that definitely makes you emotionally invested.

I read a few criticisms of the House of Flying Daggers that it's all 'style over substance.' Well, it's certainly stylish, but I found there to be a fair amount of substance in essentially a kick-kicky type film.Yes, it's dubbed into English. Some will appreciate that, other puritans may long to see it in its native tongue. Either way, I don't think it will affect too many people's perception of the film. It's about a subversive organisation, known as the 'Flying Daggers' who are working to bring down the corrupt Chinese government of times past. The chief of police gets one of his best men to befriend a female member of the Daggers, in the hope that she'll lead the authorities to the Daggers' leader, in order to destroy them at the highest level.Nothing too new there and I won't give any more away on the story, as there may be a few twists and turns that you don't see coming.It is beautifully shot. Obviously too much for some, who cry style over substance. I don't see how people can't be taken with the scenery and costumes. Plus the fight scenes (of which there are certainly many!) are amazingly choreographed. The film runs for nearly two hours, but I'm pleased to say that it doesn't seem that long.There's enough drama and character development intertwined with the obligatory martial arts then mixed with a love story to give you something pretty interesting.I doubt the House of Flaying Daggers will ever become too mainstream. Ultimately, most of its audience will be those at least with a passing interest in martial arts films, but if you've watched any of them, or simply enjoyed Bruce Lee's work, then give it a go. It's good fun.

House of Flying Daggers revolves around a story where during the Tang Dynasty era, a secret organization called, "The House of Flying Daggers" is being sought after by the Chinese military. It is suspected a blind dancer is believed to have ties to the organization, so it is arranged for an officer to go undercover to befriend her and try to find a way into the organization.The main reasons to watch this movie are the for the beautiful choreographed fight scenes and the set. The fight scenes never feel rushed, and the director chose to film them in a way where you can see the entire battle unfold and enjoy it. The sets are flooded with beautiful colors, which further helps set the tones of the movie and fighting scenes.The only place where I would say the story falters slightly is in the story. The story itself is very entertaining to watch and will keep you committed to the movie when you aren't in awe of the fighting scenes, but at times the story can become predictable.Overall, this is an amazing movie. It will appeal to many different audiences with all that is offered. Fight scenes, romance, visuals, and great film making will keep you into the movie and entertained.