Dragon (Wu xia) (2011)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Dean M

  
  Not a bad action-drama with Donnie Yen and Takeshi Kaneshiro as what I thought the Chinese epic film is a version of <i>The History of Violence</i>. As the enigmatic paper-maker in a small idyllic town with the unassuming name Liu Jinxi, Yen has finally delivered a… More
  Not a bad action-drama with Donnie Yen and Takeshi Kaneshiro as what I thought the Chinese epic film is a version of <i>The History of Violence</i>. As the enigmatic paper-maker in a small idyllic town with the unassuming name Liu Jinxi, Yen has finally delivered a performance which equals that of <i>Ip Man</i>, one that showcases his best as a dramatic actor and as a martial artist. Aubrey Lam's story raises a number of moral dilemmas, in particular whether a man can truly start anew without having to atone for his past sins, and whether there is a place for humanity in a world governed by laws and regulations. This is at the very heart of the complex intertwining relationship between Liu and Xu (played by Kaneshiro), and a fascinating one which director Peter Chan explores with panache. There is no hero or villain between the two rather, both are simply pushed up against each other by their past and the circumstance by which they had made their mutual acquaintance.

• Justin Y

  
  <i>Wu Xia</i>, from director Peter Chan, is part action and part mystery. Does it work well together? Indeed.<p>Running roughly around 110 minutes, <i>Wu Xia</i> successfully puts much needed emphasis on story. The pacing isn't exactly snappy, and… More
  <i>Wu Xia</i>, from director Peter Chan, is part action and part mystery. Does it work well together? Indeed.<p>Running roughly around 110 minutes, <i>Wu Xia</i> successfully puts much needed emphasis on story. The pacing isn't exactly snappy, and with little in the way of martial arts in the first 2/3rds of the film, <i>Wu Xia</i> flourishes on the mystery behind one of its title characters.</p><p>The action, while limited in the early going and maybe even in the latter portions, contain excellent choreography thanks to the brilliant mind of Donnie Yen. The resulting martial arts fights are quickly paced and visually pleasing, leaving the want for more.</p><p>Takeshi Kaneshiro takes charge when it comes to the acting, as he should when Donnie isn't displaying his martial arts skills. Wei Tang ends up as a lovely innocent house-wife, while Kara Hui is amusing with her double swords.</p><p><i>Wu Xia</i> does have the potential to be an all out martial arts action adventure, but instead elects to become a more well-rounded picture. In this instance it works out nicely.</p>

• Panta O

  
  I watched this movie in the cinema at the opening night in Xi'An in China and I can tell you that Hong Kong director Peter Chan surprised me with the ability to involve the audience in the tale of Detective Xu Bai-jiu (Takeshi Kaneshiro) who tries to unravel the mystery of how an… More
  I watched this movie in the cinema at the opening night in Xi'An in China and I can tell you that Hong Kong director Peter Chan surprised me with the ability to involve the audience in the tale of Detective Xu Bai-jiu (Takeshi Kaneshiro) who tries to unravel the mystery of how an unassuming paper maker Liu Jin-xi (Donnie Yen) managed to slay Yan Dong Sheng, a murderer on a killing spree. [img]http://i1.ambrybox.com/080711/1310143836235.jpg[/img] Slowly revealing piece by piece of the puzzle that Liu may not be who he claims to be he inadvertently puts Liu and his family on a collision course with the leader of the 72 Demons, a clan of vicious killers. My favourite scenes were the ones where director Chan melds science and martial arts showing blood vessels being constricted and hearts stopping within the human body when precise martial arts strikes find their mark! Some of my friends thaught that these sequences are little more than a gimmick to capture our interest early in the film, for me they were a novel touch and give the film a refreshing visual style and I loved them (even when they break up the flow of the fighting in certain action scenes). If you like movies with strong dramatic elements "Wu Xia" is a film for you! Everything has been lovingly crafted to make audiences care for the characters, and amplify their emotions when traumatic events befall their favourites. Melodramatic portions are fluid and realistic. Yen's decades of experience in the martial arts film genre shows in the way he devises the fight scenes, with every punch and bone-crunching kick clearly presented to the audience but his acting performance was very plain. In this film Kaneshiro was close to be the acting star with his convincing performance as the decidedly offbeat Detective Xu but at the end that title belongs to Wang, the oldest member of the crew, who as a vilain was unmatched and viewers squirmed in their seats as he stalked onto the screen exuding malice with each step near the end of the film. One of the better Chinese movies with not too many fighting scenes!