Let the Bullets Fly (2012)

81% of critics liked it
(26 reviews)
80% of users liked it
(3,072 ratings)

Since its release this year, Let the Bullets Fly has been lauded across the globe for its stunning mix of dark comedy and eye-popping violence. In China, this action-comedy starring Chow Yun-Fat has become the highest-grossing domestic film of all time. Set in 1920s Sichuan, the film tells the tale… More Since its release this year, Let the Bullets Fly has been lauded across the globe for its stunning mix of dark comedy and eye-popping violence. In China, this action-comedy starring Chow Yun-Fat has become the highest-grossing domestic film of all time. Set in 1920s Sichuan, the film tells the tale of the bandit "Pocky" Zhang Mazi, who poses as a local governor in a dusty town- but finds himself at odds with the local mobster, who is not eager to share his turf with another drifter. A complex and deadly series of mind-games ensues between the two crooks, which are as violent as they are hilarious. The rare foreign-language comedy that translates without a hitch, Let the Bullets Fly will have you falling out of your seat with laughter. -- (C) Variance

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 12 min.
Directed By: Wen Jiang
Written By: Guo Junli, Wen Jiang, Li Bukong, Shu Ping, Zhu Sujin
Genres: Action & Adventure, Comedy

In Theaters: Mar 2, 2012 Limited
On DVD: Apr 24, 2012
Studio: Variance Films

Critic Reviews

Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader
This period action comedy by Jiang Wen is great fun in the Shakespearean tradition, stuffed with lively characters, dramatic stand-offs, and stolen-identity subplots.
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
After watching it, I was as confused -- and giddy -- as if I had been rolled down a hill in a rain barrel. For unmitigated insanity, this is a hard film to beat.
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger
See it now, uncut and in widescreen, before it disappears - and then reappears, years later, referenced in some Quentin Tarantino picture.
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
Along with the familiar East-meets-West elements derived from Akira Kurosawa and Sergio Leone, Jiang offers cleverly choreographed action scenes and fun-house mirror complications.
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Word is that Jiang went though 30 drafts of the script before he was satisfied. Perhaps he should have gone for 31.
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times
Not exactly a western, barely an action film and hardly a historical drama, the Chinese saga "Let the Bullets Fly" promises genre pleasures it routinely leaves un-triggered in its chamber.
Paul Chambers, CNNRadio
Fans of the genre may enjoy the bizarre humor. But, the story seemed never-ending to me.
Beth Accomando, KPBS.org
The real pleasure is seeing Chow and Jiang square off. Chow mugs for the camera with the same finesse as he handles guns in Woo's films.
Shawn Levy, Oregonian
The film offers real fun, particularly in the early going, when the energy and enthusiasm recall Stephen Chow's "Kung Fu Hustle."
Soren Anderson, Seattle Times
Jiang directs with great vigor, serving up plenty of blood and a lot of laughs as he turns his picture into a propulsive blast.
Todd Jorgenson, Cinemalogue.com
The stylish direction of Wen Jiang helps to overcome some flaws in his convoluted screenplay.
Kurt Loder, Reason Online
Director Jiang is also an effortlessly charismatic actor. And the film is elevated by its epical widescreen cinematography, which is purely gorgeous.
Daniel Eagan, Film Journal International
Rival crooks battle for control of a beleaguered town in 1920s China in a fast-paced and surprisingly layered adventure.
Alison Willmore, AV Club
Chow and Jiang having an especially great, crackling chemistry based off surface agreeableness, hidden aggression, and below that, an almost-fond recognition that they're all just crooks.
David Fear, Time Out New York
It's best to just let the silly-to-spectacular set pieces fly by you and-tastes permitting-enjoy the Karo Syrupped ridiculousness on display.

Read all 15 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Al S

An outragious, high-octane and uproarisly entertaning action-packed comedy. A stylish, superbly crafted and brilliantly performend movie that has lots to offer. An utterly hilarious and fun movie that combines incrediable comedy, sensational action sequences and great set pieces. A… More
An outragious, high-octane and uproarisly entertaning action-packed comedy. A stylish, superbly crafted and brilliantly performend movie that has lots to offer. An utterly hilarious and fun movie that combines incrediable comedy, sensational action sequences and great set pieces. A Shakespearean tradition, stuffed with lively characters, dramatic stand-offs and a great story. A masterpiece. A true work of insane remarkable art. An bullet-blasting, two hour roller-coaster ride of undeniable fun and excitement. I loved this movie. A spectacular and really funny action movie thats fierce, really cool and wildly epic. Chow Yun-Fat is truly brillant and hilarious. Jiang Wen is outstanding. Ge You is outragious. You, Wien and Yun-Fat play each other off wonderfully and shine with magnificent chemistry. They give some very impressive and damn near perfect performances. It`s almost too much fun to handle and even then you cant help but enjoy it. An instant classic.
Tsubaki S

A big sack of fun is this one, clever, funny and always enjoyable. The story comes and goes a bit too much around the middle, but the final act wraps everything so well. The commie-oriented message, our hero taking away goods from the evil capitalist bad guy and giving them to the… More
A big sack of fun is this one, clever, funny and always enjoyable. The story comes and goes a bit too much around the middle, but the final act wraps everything so well. The commie-oriented message, our hero taking away goods from the evil capitalist bad guy and giving them to the people, acquires a more complex structure thanks to a solid script. The "people" are just as greedy as the bad guy, if not more.
Justin Y

Jiang Wen's Let the Bullets Fly thinks outside the box when it comes to comedic action films and that works in its favor.Bandits taking on bandits sums up this film's story, and while it easily pushes out past 2 hours, the eccentric style and… More
Jiang Wen's Let the Bullets Fly thinks outside the box when it comes to comedic action films and that works in its favor.Bandits taking on bandits sums up this film's story, and while it easily pushes out past 2 hours, the eccentric style and swift pacing help move this thing along. The subject matter isn't hard to follow, but the constant deception that occurs throughout the picture requires attention to keep up with what's going on. It also adds to the fun.Let the Bullets Fly has a title that makes it sound like some sort of ultimate shooter. Well, it isn't. Yes, there are bloody moments and quite a number of guns going off, but this isn't a film that thrives on its action. If anything it is just as memorable for its witty and nicely executed dialogue.Jiang Wen pulls double duty as director and starring as one of the main characters. Wen, along with Chow Yun-Fat, put together some solid performances as the film's leads. Chow Yun-Fat is really an enjoyable person to watch in here.It's easy to see that time and effort were put into Let the Bullets Fly, and that's why it is a recommendable film.
Donnie D

Let The Bullets Fly is unusually complex for a comedy, but it's also one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time. With a great cast of characters and lots of funny jokes it was all around just a fun experience. Let the Bullets Fly is set in China during the… More
Let The Bullets Fly is unusually complex for a comedy, but it's also one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time. With a great cast of characters and lots of funny jokes it was all around just a fun experience. Let the Bullets Fly is set in China during the warring 1920s, notorious bandit chief Zhang descends upon a remote provincial town posing as its new mayor, an identity that he had hijacked from Old Tang. Hell-bent on making a fast buck, Zhang soon meets his match in the tyrannical local gentry Huang as a deadly battle of wit ensues. I really enjoyed complexity in movies, especially when it's this much fun and enjoyable. I don't think I've ever seen another comedy with so many funny and smart characters. There fun, smart, brutal, and they add more fun to the movie with each character having there own personality. Now one thing I think audiences will be disappointed in is that there isn't much violence, but I don't they'll mind with the fun they'll have watching this. The cast of this movie is well put together and they deliver great performances to get behind. Each actor felt so perfect and fit perfectly into there character and they got great comedic timing. My favorite of these performances is Yun-Fat Chow as he's pretty effective and fun in a comedic role. I will praise the few scenes of violence even though they're not long, what come afterward are always some smart humor. Now I don't know about other reviewers, but I just love the location where this was filmed. It's a beautiful country and I can't think of a better place they could have shot it. Let The Bullets Fly is a smart complex comedy with tons of hilarious jokes and tons of fun. It's a comedy unlike anything you've seen before and it'll definitely will bring enjoyment for anyone looking for a laugh.
Panta O

Let the Bullets Fly is one of the better Chinese comedies I've seen. This action full film is written and directed by Jiang Wen, based on a story by Ma Shitu, a famous Sichuanese writer. The film is set in Sichuan during the 1920s when the bandit Zhang (Jiang Wen) descends upon a… More
Let the Bullets Fly is one of the better Chinese comedies I've seen. This action full film is written and directed by Jiang Wen, based on a story by Ma Shitu, a famous Sichuanese writer. The film is set in Sichuan during the 1920s when the bandit Zhang (Jiang Wen) descends upon a town posing as its new mayor. The film also stars Chow Yun-fat, Carina Lau, Ge You, Chen Kun and Zhou Yun. Casting was so well done that I thought that roles are just made for those actors! The film's script went through over thirty drafts before Jiang Wen was happy with it, and you can see it in the final cut: almost everything was done perfectly. With its two versions (one in Mandarin and one in Sichuanese), the film broke several box office records in Mainland China and Hong Kong, and has received critical acclaim, when it was released. I enjoyed most of it (it had subtitles :-) ) and if you love to experience rollicking Chinese western directed with cinematic gumption, it's your turn!
Lane Z

I was so confused by the end of this film about exactly how many times the plot twisted and turned from beginning to end that I had to close my eyes and think about what just happened scene by scene. And then I thought to myself...screw it, I laughed and enjoyed this dark action… More
I was so confused by the end of this film about exactly how many times the plot twisted and turned from beginning to end that I had to close my eyes and think about what just happened scene by scene. And then I thought to myself...screw it, I laughed and enjoyed this dark action adventure comedy. The acting is pretty solid. Many people won't know who any of the main guys are outside of Chow Yun-Fat, but this harkens back to the days of Kung Fu Hustle and Stephen Chow. If you've ever seen that (I recommend it highly if you haven't), it has that same kind of feel; Silliness and absurdity with touches of great writing and dialogue. It's stylish environmentally and touching emotionally in certain moments, but it always ends up making you laugh when the scene finishes. Like I said earlier though, my main gripes that knock this down to the score I gave it have to deal with the terrible CGI and confusing journey to get to the conclusion. I'm a big fan of foreign action/comedy films and this one did its job of keeping me interested through the entire 2 hour run time.
Jonny C

Entertaining Chinese western with Asian superstars Jun Hu and Chow Yun-Fat. Let the Bullets Fly has so many twists and turns that your almost left dizzy at the end, but it's good fun and worthwhile in the end