This is my second Chinese film after Mulan and I picked it up to see more of the actress Wei Zhao. But I am warming to this genre - yes simple (but reading subtitles the screenplay could not be too complicated or it would be exhausting!). Again I am struck by the superb sets - breathtaking country. This time the similarities with Westerns are palpable - the characters, lines ("Something doesn't feel right"), behaviour all reek of the 'Wild West' and serve to remind us that we humans are basically the same everywhere - and so are our stories - despite superficial variations. But my biggest impression is how the lead hero played by Jiang Wen is so like our own dear Russell Crowe! Deep voice, flat expression, speaking eyes , unflappable calm and stocky build - it's uncanny. Mind you I'm not sure whether RC can wiggle his ears like Jiang! Recommended.

Very similar in theme to a Western, including absolutely stunning scenery of Chinese desert mountain ranges and lush pine forests like those often seen in cowboy movies. A bunch of retired war buddies loyally follow their ex-commander on one last mission to protect a mysterious caravan journeying to the capital. The positive points about the film include the charming performances from Wen Jiang as the leader, Kiichi Nakai as the Imperial agent and Deshun Wang as 'Old Die-hard' who really lend the picture some gravitas and show total commitment to their performances. Xueqi Wang is especially good as an arrogant villain, his dead blue-eyed stare evoking cold menace. As others have mentioned, the scenery is stunning, with lovely shots of camels crossing the desert and horses along rocky plateaus. The film really is a chance to see landscapes ignored by Hollywood. The religious element to the cargo so disdained by other reviewers was a nice little touch, something I did not expect - it had to be an artifact of this nature to raise the stakes and commit the soldiers to protecting it. For those with an interest in Buddhism it is a nice little element. Sadly the Buddhist precept of doing no harm is not followed by the plot when the relics kill the evildoers - perhaps not what Lord Buddha would do. I was also unsure if the monk was supposed to be Shakyamuni Buddha himself? Xueqi Wang's character seemed to recognise him at the end - was he a reincarnation? I had to watch the movie twice to fully understand what was going on - sudden cuts leave out portions of action, explained away by such narration as 'they gave up the chase and we arrived at the fortress' - there's a fair bit of telling rather than showing. The ending is particularly sudden, once the relics dispose of the baddies we aren't even sure which of our heroes are alive - we just suddenly jump to the capital. The fight scenes are frenetic but are deliberately filmed in close shots and in a rapid-fire confusing manner, meaning we are never sure who is fighting whom and who is winning. Most of these problems, I suspect are down to lack of budget or time. The film has beautiful scenery, some very nice locations at desert forts and towns, an interesting visual combination of Chinese and Arab cultures, and an undemanding Western style plot with some nice tense battles and good performances. You don't really care about the characters as individuals, but you want them to succeed.

Before reviewing the film, I must point out that although I love Asian films, I generally dislike films like CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON and THE EMPEROR AND THE ASSASSIN. That's because special effects take center stage and they are, in my opinion, completely ridiculous and over-the-top. They are so unbelievable that it ruins the pictures for me. Now I know MANY like these films, so I know this statement isn't going to be too popular. But, to me there is a big difference between "suspension of belief" and "suspension of common sense and the laws of physics".That is why I really liked this film so much. While it does use some of the amazing stunt-work like the other two films, it does not use stunt-work to replace the plot AND the stunts are much more sedate in manner. Yes, they are a little far-fetched but not nearly to the same level.Instead, the true stars of the movie are the locations, camera work, acting and script. And, the overall package is great. How the movie has achieved a ranking of about 6.5 on IMDb is beyond me, as it is perhaps the best Chinese epic film I have ever seen.

I knew nothing of this movie before I watched it.I wish people would stop comparing every single Asian film to CTHD. The film is not trying to be CTHD or better it. It is trying to be something different from the wire-fu extravaganzas that are coming out of China.I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this film. Certainly one of the better Asian films to be released in recent years. It's not perfect but I found it to be entertaining and would recommend it to anyone who appreciates simple adventure yarns. The story is simple but why should stories be complex to be good? The best stories are often simple ones.Go and see it but don't expect a wire-fu spectacle and you won't be disappointed.