--This is the only thing I don't like about foreign films, is the cruelty to animals that some of them have, at At 44:49 they clearly bust the legs of a horse. This disappointed me as I was trying to get into it, finally found a martial arts movie with out people flying around. --I wish I could post something good, but the horse thing blinds me to any merits the movie may or may not have.The subtitles are done well, costumes look good, the gals are youngish.I just wish movies like these with killing animals in this fashion were censored or something, its not the first time i've seen modern foreign films with this kind of footage, my take is its a lot cheaper for movie makers in other countries to implement this kind of thing, instead of a lot of CGI.

Donnie Yen is really good at Martial Arts, but you already knew that. Some don't think he's a very good actor though. But the role he has on hand here, is really serving him good. He plays a loner and that suits him very well. The action scenes are phenomenal as expected and the story is good enough (while you could argue there is too much kitsch in it, I think it's the right amount).It's not a masterpiece, but I think it's a good movie overall, with great story points and turns that while you might expect them, they still come down crashing on you. What's also true, the movie does not loose much on a second viewing. I even liked it better the second time around, because I knew where it was heading and could see small touches in between the settings.

The movie has spent a lot of money like the Water World, which can be one of the worst movie even made. the story was not even true, which will mislead people who do not know Chinese history. there are some good actors who I like very much, but they did not perform in this movie.only one good thing about this movie that is not watching it.the characters in this movie have been twisted. The movie became the biggest laugh stock in China. And the movie makes (they have a lot of influence in China) try to bribe Chinese authority to arrest people who gave bad reviews. Only way I can do this is because I am in UK. To be fair, this is supposed to be one of the greatest movie, they just did not have the ability to make it right.

Historic romances under the pen of a polished novelist have an almost irresistible appeal to a certain segment of readers. When the written material is in turn adapted to the screen, it again has the potential of immense popularity. "Ivanhoe" (1952) is a case in point.GUAN Yun-chang is arguably the number one icon in China's historic heroic figures. One local columnist has pointed out that this hero is worshipped with equal fervour by both law enforcers and the criminal underworld today. With a chuckle, he further wonders aloud to himself that when there is direct confrontation between the two, whose prayers will be heard.While the novelist's depiction of GUAN in "The three kingdoms" may not be authoritative material for the scholar, it is deeply ingrained in the mass as if it were divine truth. Chong and Mak's liberal re-imagining of this and other historic figures is therefore rather gutsy as it may have traditionalist grinding their teeth. Based loosely on the set of events (popularized by the novel) generally referred to as "Clearing the 5 passes; killing the 6 warriors", the movie plot is a liberal mix of historic facts, novel-popularised heroism and the directors' lively re-imagining. It should appeal to the mass audience in general.While not particularly brilliant in any way, this movie scores above average in all the subjects on the report card. The action sequences are good and should satisfy those looking for them. The character depictions may upset hard-core fans of the novel but are generally sensible and at times even inspired. The dialogue is clever if not truly intelligent. JIANG Wen, one of the best actors in China today, adds depth to Cao Cao, whose name is almost synonymous with "vastly ambitious villain" in the Chinese language. He is a joy to watch. Donny Yen who never disappoints in the action department has recently demonstrated that he can also act. In this movie, we see him face a new challenge of carrying, as said, the number one icon in China's historical figures. He has done a decent job but what he portrays is not quite what a lot of people visualize GUAN Yun-chang to be, from the first time they hear about this hero, most assuredly when they were small kids, from their parents. But then a coin has two sides. This depiction makes the movie more interesting than following the novel's simple template.