A lot happens very quickly, and it is very hard to care for anyone but Lau's Ge Li. The source manga has very rich, complex characters, and while it is unfair to condemn a film under 3 hours for failing to capture the wealth of a 400+ page graphic novel, one wonders why the filmmakers did not cut content for the sake of depth rather than the opposite. Where things begin to go sour is in the characterizations. Technically, the film is of course very competently made, the period and city are created to perfection, even if the visual style is never more than generic.
But even that film belies a worrying trend in mainstream Chinese film: ideological bullying. "Hero" comes to mind of course, probably as the pinnacle of the genre. Chinese filmmaking often draws upon that nation's very rich literary heritage, and it's often exciting to see the best it has to offer when that heritage blends with great aesthetics backed up by an important budget. Ge Li has to fight enemies from within and without.
Apart from him, we get epic battles with twists, a couple of very nifty strategic ideas, and all the grievances and politics of the besieged city of Liang come to a boiling point. Andy Lau here plays the main character, effectively downplaying his super-stardom with a delicate, subdued and humble performance. This film is based on Bokko, one of the finest Japanese manga ever crafted, about one man - Ge Li - sent to defend a besieged city in ancient China.
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