Synopsis
During the 16th century, pirates rule the Chinese coastline, pillaging the small villages and terrorizing the citizens. When maverick leader Commander Yu enlists the help of a sharp young general, they devise a plan to defeat the pirates. A violent clash of wit and weapons will decide who will rule the land.
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Cast
- Vincent Zhao WenzhuoGeneral Qi
- Sammo HungCommander Yu
- Wan QianMadam Qi
- Yasuaki KurataKumasawa
- Wu YueYang Chao
- Keisuke KoideYamagawa
- Timmy HungChen Dacheng
- Ryu KohataKohata
- Liu JunxiaoQi Jimei
- Michael TongLou Nan
Recommendations
- 70
Village Voice
The athleticism on display shames much of Western action cinema’s quick-cut hand-to-hand editing, and the final swordfight between Qi and Japanese general Kumasawa (Shaw Brothers mainstay Yasuaki Kurata) ranks as high as any in recent memory. - 70
Los Angeles Times
Chan maintains his dexterous footing whether choreographing the colorful large-scale battle sequences or the stripped-down, hand-to-hand matchups that boil the conflict down to its most basic — and personal — essence. - 63
Washington Post
As the wily leader of the Japanese forces, grizzled Kurata Yasuaki has more presence than Zhao, who’s bland in non-action sequences. But Zhao’s ability to deliver dialogue is less crucial than his skill at leading hundreds of extras through elegantly choreographed, sumptuously photographed chaos. - 60
The Hollywood Reporter
Competent on all fronts but never dazzling, it should please genre devotees. - 25
RogerEbert.com
A spectacularly miscalculated historical epic.
