A costume action romance directed by martial arts choreographer Ching Siu-tung, An Empress and the Warriors is the convenience store of 21st century martial arts movie essentials.
If you'd been on another planet for the past few years, this movie would serve as a crash course for catching up on the latest trends in Chinese cinema.
The movie tells the story of a princess, played by singer-actress Kelly Chen Wai-lam, salvaging her crumbling empire after her father is murdered.
Veteran action star Donnie Yen Ji-dan plays Hu, a general who falls for the princess, while Leon Lai Ming plays a warrior-turned-pacifist. A love triangle and plenty of bloodbaths ensue.
Compared to Hero and House of Flying Daggers (which Ching worked on as action choreographer), An Empress and the Warriors is more entertaining but less visually impressive.
With the emphasis on action, the movie sets out to entertain rather than to inspire. Not surprisingly, it works best when the characters use swords instead of words.