Set in China in the 1860s, during the Taiping Rebellion. Loosely based on three real warlords, who raised an army to fight against this rebellion and in the process restored the rule of the Qing Dynasty.Jet Li, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro play the leads here as the three warlords, who come from different walks of life, but who through the atrocities of war are brought together and end up swearing a blood oath of brotherhood, to stick together and end the war on their terms. The movie very heavily rests on their shoulders and they do not disappoint. The best scenes in this film are those where all three of them face one another, either in unison or in conflict.Unfortunately the script is somewhat lacking. These three actors could handle heavier stuff, but the dialogue they're given, especially in these situations they're set in, don't quite reach the level of greatness they perhaps could.The film also looks oddly drab. I guess they wanted to go for a more realistic style, compared to more usual outlandish Chinese historical films, but it still comes off as planned because now everyone is dressed universally in black, which looks outlandish as well, just in a very different way.To the film's credit, I say that the group battle scenes are really good looking. Some of the best I've seen in years. Although, on the flip side, the individual battles are jerky messes. Especially considering that you had Jet Li as the main character!Still, it is definitely a film worth checking out if you're into Chinese period war films.

I first thought this was going to be another Chinese war movie with different kingdoms fighting one another for different reasons. Mainly just to conquer and in a way that is what this movie is basically about. But it has certain attributes and direction with the story that makes it more captivating. Plus this doesn't really have over the top fight sequences or super unrealistic kung-fu. In fact the fight sequences is realistic for the most part and it has a story that is actually quite possible. It basically takes a real historical event and goes in a what if it happened this way to reach that point kind a direction. And it actually works for the most part. And the three cast members who are like the three most popular actors in china working today. Really are right for these roles. The plot is basically about three brothers, not by blood but by loyalty and allegiance fighting constant battles. And I seen a lot of these types of movies to know what is going to happen. But certain areas and direction this one takes makes it kinda new in a way. From the three brothers Jet Li plays General Pang a guy that pretended to be dead in order to survive a war. But starts to build courage and his vision. Andy Lau plays Er Hu a leader of a group of bandits that has certain codes and compassion. And Takeshi Kaneshiro plays Wu Pang, he is basically one of the brothers caught in the middle between the other two brothers. Who is both in love with a certain courtesan. But the thing is the love triangle actually is relevant in this movie and blends in with the story. Not a lot but it does have relevance. And the three actors like I said were just right for the roles in this movie, even if Jet Li's small stature makes him look awkward with all the armor he wears in this film. Although most of the way through it's a pretty generic war movie about loyalty and reasons for fighting. But the conclusion actually stands out and makes it, it's own. It's a very watchable war movie and is worth a rent.7.8/10

This is just such a great movie on so many levels. The acting is superb, the cast is wonderful, the screenplay is impeccable. But what's really striking about the movie is that it never takes the easy path, to tell an easy-cheesy hero melodrama story that seems almost guaranteed in such an "epic" setting nowadays: ancient China, blood oath of brotherhood, Kongfu and swordplay, etc. (sounds familiar?)Instead, the movie keeps hitting you with one moral dilemma after another at every turn of the plot. It not only shows you the process of General Pang losing his last shred of humanity and becoming a monster, but at the same time presents the audience with the difficult choices that drive him through it, which makes the audience can't help but somehow empathize with him and question whether he is really that wrong? That is what makes this movie so emotionally powerful and intellectually tasteful.To me personally, this is a movie of demagogues, an epitome of the Chinese politics of the last century. General Pang always reminds me of Chairman Mao. Both are great military leaders, yet greater demagogues who use war and trickery to satisfy their personal cravings for powers, and masterfully manipulate people's longing for morality and prosperity and turn them into barbarians and monsters. Maybe it's just me, but as a fellow Chinese, I can't help but suspect that Director Chen might have the same thing in mind.

Part martial arts movie, part historical epic, director Peter Chan's film 'The Warlords' recreates the Taiping rebellion in China. Unfortunately, it's a bit of a mess; both in terms of the movements in the action scenes, and in terms of the high politics, I found it very hard to follow who exactly was doing what to whom; but all too easy to get the general drift of a movie that was big on set pieces but low on subtlety. Most crucially, the film conveys no idea whatsoever of what the rebellion was actually about in its story of three "blood brothers" motivated solely by personal oath. The result: lots of blood, but not too much in the way of enlightenment.