Jianyu (Reign of Assassins) (2010)

74% of users liked it
(1,058 ratings)

Elusive assassin Drizzle transforms herself into modest shop owner Zeng Jing (Michelle Yeoh) in order to transport the remains of an exalted Buddhist monk to their eternal resting place, but finds her mission unexpectedly complicated when she falls in love with Jiang, a fierce warrior posing as a… More Elusive assassin Drizzle transforms herself into modest shop owner Zeng Jing (Michelle Yeoh) in order to transport the remains of an exalted Buddhist monk to their eternal resting place, but finds her mission unexpectedly complicated when she falls in love with Jiang, a fierce warrior posing as a typical messenger. According to legend, the monk's remains possess untold powers. In order to ensure that they do not fall into the possession of the Dark Stone gang, the former killer goes into deep hiding. Adopting the name Zeng Jing, she marries Ah-Sheng (Woo-sung Jung) and together the couple plans to live out their days in peace. But when he Dark Stone gang turns up in search of the missing remains, the truth about Zeng's past begins to emerge. Before long, Zeng realizes that her husband Ah-Sheng also harbors some dark secrets - secrets that only begin to emerge once the battle lines are drawn and the swords start to clash. Longtime producing partners John Woo and Terence Chang reteam for this period martial arts film set in A.D. 428, and co-directed by Woo and Su Chao-pin. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 57 min.
Directed By: Chao-Bin Su
Written By: Chao-Bin Su
Genres: Action & Adventure

In Theaters: Dec 31, 2010 Wide
Studio: The Weinstein Company

Critic Reviews

Thomas Caldwell, Cinema Autopsy
Reign of Assassins offers plenty of exciting sequences, but it frustratingly never fully delivers what it promises to.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Dean M

Dazzling martial-arts epic. Mr. & Mrs. Smith meets Face/Off in this Chinese swordplay epic where killers yearn for lives of quiet domesticity. It's got a very classic feel, applying wirework sparingly and focusing on the intertwined… More
Dazzling martial-arts epic. Mr. & Mrs. Smith meets Face/Off in this Chinese swordplay epic where killers yearn for lives of quiet domesticity. It's got a very classic feel, applying wirework sparingly and focusing on the intertwined dialogue and motives of a large cast within the jiang hu milieu. The fights are intricate, concentrating on exotic weapons and styles, but mixing it up with some proxy fighting and concealed technique. The cinematography is largely excellent. There is beauty in many scenes and they capture the emotion of the characters and their circumstances very well. Michelle Yeoh's role in this film is a welcome return to form for the actress that has not had such a meaty role tailor-made for her since Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Her natural beauty and elegance complements Zeng Jing's graceful assassin perfectly and serves as a good foil against co-star Jung Woo-sung's rugged handsomeness. Yeoh and Jung also share great chemistry, and it is firmly to their credit that the film ends on a deeply poignant note.
Justin Y

The tandem of Chao-bin Su and John Woo pays off, as Reign of Assassins turns out to be a superb martial arts period piece.While starting with a pretty energetic rate to setup what is to become the meat of the story, things soon settle down for a well-paced… More
The tandem of Chao-bin Su and John Woo pays off, as Reign of Assassins turns out to be a superb martial arts period piece.While starting with a pretty energetic rate to setup what is to become the meat of the story, things soon settle down for a well-paced film. The characters are amusing despite some under utilization for a few of them, and even some major under utilization for a couple others. The story itself also has its twists and it is no surprise that it entertains from beginning to end.The martial arts sequences come in spurts and they are definite high points of this picture. The sword play choreography is superb and the camera work during these scenes is also worth noting.Michelle Yeoh has it all. She acts when she has to and fights otherwise. Both are done well. Woo-sung Jung has got a little pep in his step, while Barbie Hsu has a treacherous character to remember. On the downside, the lovely Kelly Lin, Pace Wu, and Jiang Yiyan suffer from lack of screen time.Reign of Assassins excels all around and is a film out of China to check out.
Tsubaki S

Holy shit, has wuxia cinema truly make a comeback? Reign of Assassins is a very well crafted film, with an engaging plot and well written characters. Some fight sequences could have been a bit more fluid, but i'm not complaining. It's the kind of movie we don't get very… More
Holy shit, has wuxia cinema truly make a comeback? Reign of Assassins is a very well crafted film, with an engaging plot and well written characters. Some fight sequences could have been a bit more fluid, but i'm not complaining. It's the kind of movie we don't get very often, so it's very much a welcome gift. Fantastic antagonist, and the wizard guy rocked too.
Sheldon C

A solid story with interesting characters and impressive choreography helps propel REIGN OF ASSASSINS onto a level of filmmaking seen very rarely in Chinese cinema's recent memory; it is a wuxia film that consistently includes both action and sustained drama, and succeeds in… More
A solid story with interesting characters and impressive choreography helps propel REIGN OF ASSASSINS onto a level of filmmaking seen very rarely in Chinese cinema's recent memory; it is a wuxia film that consistently includes both action and sustained drama, and succeeds in pulling off both. Avoiding cliche pitfalls or nationalistic overtones, ASSASSINS features Michelle Yeoh in star-power form as she is surrounded by a colorful cast - some who falter but not enough to deter momentum - as well as strong direction and exciting martial arts that is executed gracefully- fights range from various locales along with wide varieties of weapons. For an industry that appears too focused on quantity, it is quite a relief to see a quality film like this one get made.
Jonny C

Good martial arts movie from John Woo starring Asian Screen Goddess Michelle Yeoh. Set in ancient China, Zeng Jing is a skilled assassin who finds herself in possession of a mystical Buddhist monk's remains. She begins a quest to return the remains to its rightful resting place,… More
Good martial arts movie from John Woo starring Asian Screen Goddess Michelle Yeoh. Set in ancient China, Zeng Jing is a skilled assassin who finds herself in possession of a mystical Buddhist monk's remains. She begins a quest to return the remains to its rightful resting place, and thus places herself in mortal danger because a team of assassins is in a deadly pursuit to possess the remains which holds an ancient power-wielding secret. Even though the plot is daft it never gets silly, and the acting is solid throughout the cast. The fight sequences were exciting and looked stunning with Yeoh as graceful as ever. Overall, Reign of Assassins is well worth checking out.