House of Flying Daggers

Starring: Ziyi Zhang, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau, Song Dandan, Anita Mui

Directed by: Zhang Yimou

RS: 3.5of 4 Stars Average User Rating: 3.5of 4 Stars

2004 Sony Pictures Classics Action

Forget Hero -- that cult hit was just Zhang Yimou's warm-up for this martial-arts fireball that throws in a lyrical love story, head-spinning fights and dazzling surprises. Two Tang Dynasty officers -- pretty-boy Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro) and rough-hewn Leo (Andy Lau) -- try to trick Mei (Zhang Ziyi), a blind dancer, into leading them to the Flying Daggers, a group of insurgents. Jin and Mei fall in love while Leo simmers with unrequited lust. The director of Raise the Red Lantern, a former insurgent himself in China, proves himself a poet of bamboo-forest fights and duels in the snow that could make a tiger crouch. Prepare your eyes for popping. And don't be fooled by Zhang Ziyi's delicate beauty -- this babe can kick your ass.

PETER TRAVERS

(Posted: Nov 17, 2004)

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House of Flying Daggers

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4of 4 Stars

I was surprised how much I liked this. I expected it to be all flash and no substance, but the plot was much more subtle than I expected and the character development went well beyond what I expect from the typical action movie.

Dec 5, 2005 08:25:53

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