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The Warlords (2007)

Director: Peter Chan

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2 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

It begins in the aftermath of battle. Lone survivor General Pang (Jet Li) staggers from the wreckage a changed man, vowing to conquer China and end centuries of bloodshed and infighting. For Western audiences, the popular rebirth of Eastern cinema has been eye-opening. This represents another peak in that development, taking a familiar lust-for-glory narrative and investing it with boundless energy and drive.

Side-stepping the cold-steel visual perfection of ‘Hero’ and the fairytale detachment of ‘Crouching Tiger…’, the film hews closer to ‘Spartacus’, revelling in gloriously directed slash-and-burn battle sequences as Pang and his bandit ‘brothers’ cut a gory swathe across the continent. But the film becomes more pensive and emotionally rewarding in the final act, shedding the mythic trappings and becoming a tragedy, as our broken heroes learn the corrupting influence of power.

Author: Tom Huddleston

Time Out London Issue 1994, 6 - 12 November 2008

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User reviews of this film

tango1321 said...

Posted on Apr 24 2011 06:20 comparing the blood shed to Spartacus, seriously? Spartacus is great but the violence in that is almost comedic. This movie in a whole different level,

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Arunaras said...

Posted on Nov 19 2008 16:10 nice movie, emotions were well portrayed. u might be disappointed if u expect action packed acrobatic stunts.

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