A not particularly satisfying ending that involves silly CG effects. On the other hand, the acting is uniformly compelling, the fight sequences are energetic, and, as character drama, the material is especially enthralling.
A handsome although dramatically muddled Noodle Western.
50
Village VoiceMark Holcomb
Village VoiceMark Holcomb
Comfortably familiar. It lacks the tension between grandeur and intimacy that characterizes the films it apes.
50
L.A. WeeklyDavid Chute
L.A. WeeklyDavid Chute
The buildup is so compelling in this "Chinese Western" by He Ping (Swordsman in Double Flag Town) that its thunderous anticlimax of an ending can almost be forgiven. Almost.
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Impressively filmed but not dramatic enough to justify its length.