The basic plot is the evil eunuch desires a magic red pill created to heal the emperor and grant him immortality. In the process of stealing it and securing his position he secretly pits the Wu Dang clan against the Lunar clan. The white-haired witch belongs to one clan and the impetuous fighter who falls for her in the other. A few misunderstandings and an astonishingly high body count later and you've got the gist of the story.
The acting was fine for what was required of the actors. Most weren't on screen long enough to form any real bond or hatred of. The actual running time was probably closer to an hour, making it shorter than some drama episodes which means there was a dearth of character development. At one point I wasn't really sure who belonged to which clan because there hadn't been enough of an introduction for me to identify the characters in even the most vague way. Not to give too much away, but by the time I figured out who belonged to which team it was pretty much irrelevant anyway.
The CGI was good for a film that felt low budget and the fights were entertaining. I'm always happy to see a strong female protagonist who can wield a sword and long, lethal hair. There were some creative fight elements and magical weapons and abilities which kept the fights interesting.
I wouldn't put this movie high on a kung fu watchlist but it was an entertaining hour of CGI fights, betrayals, and a little romance thrown in for good measure.
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It went beyond my expectations
I love watching costume dramas, and over time my standards would rise and I would be critical of every aespect of the drama/ movie, be it the costumes, the scripts, the acting and the props. Since this is a movie and not a drama, I have low expectations for it. But it exceed my expectations and I'm very pleased about it.Bad things about the movie:
There are a few things that irked me. I understand that given the time contraints, it is impossible to hope for any satisfying chemistry. Especially with that arrogant disciple of Wudang sect and Lian Nichang. Ok I thought Nichang would be super badass and ruthless, but then she saw that disciple's hand and then thought of a guy in her childhood that saved her and then she fell in love with him. It's just too quick that I don't know how to process it. She had kept the bamboo flute from him given to her years ago and part was alright, but I don't understand why that guy love her too. And how Nichang just abandon all hostility when it comes to him. I thought her heart would be as hard as iron, but no. But clearly their love wasn't deep enough, so I was quite satisfied when he didn't believe her and ended up betraying her. At least the screenwriter has common sense. But I don't know why Nichang would play the flute before engaging in a fight with Wudang Sect disciples. What significance does it hold? Does it magically increases her prowness? Does it raise people from the dead? Other than doing it to look cool and mysterious, it is absolutely unnecessary and let me tell you: if you're writing something, anything, be it novels or stories or movies or dramas, do not include anything that doesn't drive the plot. Nichang playing the flute at that time to announce her arrival is just...hilarious given that there's no reason to announce it like that. But her playing to her little sister was sweet though, and at least in that segment it shows how good her relationship is with her sister.
Good things about the movie:
One line from Nichang that I remembered. She quoted her master, something about how having a name means you're free from all bad things. That line is just so powerful! I absolutely love the solemnity that line holds! If you've watched it, the scene starts with a battle between Nichang and the other handsome guy whose name I've forgotten, but I remember his face and he's gorgeous. That is an excellent job of the screenwriter, because if you show your viewers some action at the start, they will feel intrigued, they will feel the need to continue watching. And afterwards we're thrown into a funeral scene. THAT WHOLE PART WAS MY FAVOURITE, ESPECIALLY WHEN NICHANG JUMP OUT OF THE COFFIN (or was it a casket, I don't remember too clearly)! The tense atmosphere, the detailed set, the impression Eunuch Wei gave off, and how that scene alone tells us the power Eunuch Wei holds, it's all so perfect I couldn't get enough of it. This is something like in The Untamed, where the first scene we saw is Wei Wuxian falling from a cliff. The fighting scene was alright, no awkward movements or anything unnatural. All in all, there's more good points than bad points. And theres that jealous disciple, I just love his character. Well, I don't love a character based on how they benefit the main leads, or hate a character because of what evil deeds they've done, but how well their character is written. And there's this part where Nichang stabbed her lover's shoulder when she protected that jealous disciple, and saw that the jealous disciple was pulling out his sword. She just stabbed through her lover's shoulder and stabbed directly at the jealous disciple and killed him then and there. That move surprised me, I'll give this movie points for that. And when Nichang pushed away that disciple when he tried to hug her, I was just like...WE LOVE A BADASS QUEEN! And the ending was the best, like it wasn't a happy ending where the couple got together, but was separated for at least a year. Even when they reunited, they weren't actually together; Nichang just met that disciple at the sect (apologies for the constance reference to him as THE DISCIPLE, I really forgot his name). That ending satisfied me, how the screenwriter wasn't so simple that he/she wrote that they lived happily ever after.
IN CONCLUSION, I wished this movie is a drama. That way, the screenwriter could properly develop NIchang and that disciple's relationship so that it didn't seemed rushed. The ending was nice and calls for a sequel!
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