Starring: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Fengyi
Directed by: John Woo Yu-sum
Category: IIB (Putonghua)
The conclusion of John Woo Yu-sum's epic take on one of the most celebrated military campaigns in ancient China fulfils the expectations that left audiences dangling last summer when Red Cliff 's finale stopped just short of the climactic battle.
With a visual sweep as grand as its budget, this tale of the Three Kingdoms is more engaging than the first instalment but similarly suffers from miscasting and excessive length.
As the personages and events are already familiar to east Asian audiences, the filmmakers' task is made all the more difficult in treading the fine line between over explanation and keeping viewers unacquainted with Chinese history in the dark. However, Woo and co-scriptwriters Chan Khan, Kuo Cheng, and Sheng Heyu rise to the task.
The movie makes the political complexities in the war waged by the most powerful figure in the Eastern Han court, Chancellor Cao Cao (Zhang Fengyi), understandable. His attempt to conquer southern realms headed by warlords Liu Bei (You Yong) and Sun Quan (Chang Chen) was far from a simple case of Side A versus Side B.