Jet Li's "The Warlords" - 6/29/10

[TwoTwo]

Available from Amazon UK for less:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Warlords-Blu...4915288&sr=1-1

[Lincoln6Echo]

Well, when I said "his last martial arts film" I was using that term loosely...what I meant was last "asian-style epic". But I guess that's not what Jet-Li meant.

Well anyway, I do like these Asian war dramas. I couple good ones that I wish would hit BD is the Korean film "Musa: The Warrior" and some more of those Dragon Dynasty titles of the same genre.

[Snake Plissken]

Originally Posted by Lincoln6Echo

Well, when I said "his last martial arts film" I was using that term loosely...what I meant was last "asian-style epic". But I guess that's not what Jet-Li meant.

When the term "wushu/wuxia epic" is used, think "Once Upon A Time In China"

[Tony208]

I thought it was good but there's just something missing that I can't put my hands on.

[Gannet]

Originally Posted by Lincoln6Echo

Well, when I said "his last martial arts film" I was using that term loosely...what I meant was last "asian-style epic". But I guess that's not what Jet-Li meant.

Right, Jet Li was going to focus strictly on romantic comedies. Fearless wasn't an "asian-style epic" either, whatever that means.

I thought it was good but there's just something missing that I can't put my hands on.

Good acting and script? China really only has a handful of well-known actors that are repeatedly stuffed down people's throats and none of them really can act.

[Squall835]

Originally Posted by Gannet

Good acting and script? China really only has a handful of well-known actors that are repeatedly stuffed down people's throats and none of them really can act.

I totally disagree. Takeshi Kaneshiro, while totally underused in this film, was fantastic in Red Cliff. You must be watching the wrong movies. Anyway, I thought The Warlords was a great film. The first 45 minutes or so aren't very impressive, but it picks up dramatically after that.

[Gannet]

Sorry pal, Kaneshiro's effeminate Mandarin accent kills about any role he does where he's not playing an effeminate Taiwanese guy. Chinese actors generally have poor control of accents but that does lend to the greater complexity of Chinese dialects when compared to English.

To put this into perspective, Kaneshiro's Mandarin is as far from the standard Mandarin accent expected in Chinese historical dramas as Christoph Waltz's English in Inglourious Basterds is from Tom Brokaw. Possibly even further as he typically feminizes any character he plays. Him playing Zhuge Liang would be like Robert Pattinson playing General Patton. He was one of many many miscasts in Red Cliff.

[drobswim13]

Originally Posted by Gannet

Sorry pal, Kaneshiro's effeminate Mandarin accent kills about any role he does where he's not playing an effeminate Taiwanese guy. Chinese actors generally have poor control of accents but that does lend to the greater complexity of Chinese dialects when compared to English.

To put this into perspective, Kaneshiro's Mandarin is as far from the standard Mandarin accent expected in Chinese historical dramas as Christoph Waltz's English in Inglourious Basterds is from Tom Brokaw. Possibly even further as he typically feminizes any character he plays. Him playing Zhuge Liang would be like Robert Pattinson playing General Patton. He was one of many many miscasts in Red Cliff.

I'm pretty sure you have brought this up many times before, but honestly, just lay off of it. There are some great Chinese actors out there that do a very good job. I think Andy Lau, for also being a singer, is a very good actor. I'm also to partial to Simon Yam, Maggie Cheung, and, of course, the late Anita Mui. Maybe Kaneshiro was a little miscast since I think he grew up in Taiwan and that dialect is quite different, but I also don't think that you can brand all Chinese actors as inadequate.

[lhslancers]

Originally Posted by TwoTwo

Available from Amazon UK for less:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Warlords-Blu...4915288&sr=1-1

That's what I paid and it was worth every penny. Not a great movie but I am not gonna complain about 12 bucks in my mailbox.

[hvid]

Is it going to be uncut?

I did some searching ... one guy says the HK disc is uncut and the UK, cut. The UK version is listed here as 126 min but listed at amazon.uk as 108 min. The US version is listed as like 112 min on amazon.

[Ray_Rogers]

Originally Posted by hvid

Is it going to be uncut?

I did some searching ... one guy says the HK disc is uncut and the UK, cut. The UK version is listed here as 126 min but listed at amazon.uk as 108 min. The US version is listed as like 112 min on amazon.

That's confused me too. I really want to buy the US release later this month but I'd like to know the proper running time.
Of course I'm buying this since I considered both RED CLIFF: Parts I & II the best John Woo film he's ever made. Of course which went beyond my expectations of everyone mentioning just how great it was.

[luwanda]

I have the Uk version, it has its moments, actually i like more than Red cliff 1&2, anyhow both movies are kinda slow and a bit boring for me; and i am a fan of martial art movies specially those of Jet Li.

PQ was pretty good imo, and the image has beautiful grane!

[Arkitect76]

Originally Posted by luwanda

I have the Uk version, it has its moments, actually i like more than Red cliff 1&2, anyhow both movies are kinda slow and a bit boring for me; and i am a fan of martial art movies specially those of Jet Li.

PQ was pretty good imo, and the image has beautiful grane!

is the UK version uncut or the cut version?

[luwanda]

Originally Posted by sconde

is the UK version uncut or the cut version?

It says 108 mins at the back cover
Special features:
117Days: A production Journal - 35 mins
Reflections on 'The Warlords' - 39 mins
Deleted Scenes - 22 mins
The History Behind 'The Warlords'
International Trailer
Uk Theatrical Trailer

Sorry for the late answer, i was at job when i wrote before so could not check my copy!

[xradman]

Originally Posted by sconde

is the UK version uncut or the cut version?

UK version is cut. There is some changes to the plot where Jet Li first joins the bandit gang and changes to the ending.

[ghostinflames]

thinking of adding it to my collection but will be looking for the uncut version though..

[BBE]

Here is a review of it with nice screenies

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDRe...ds_blu-ray.htm

At the end of it they rcommend the megastar version over the magnolia region free version that's coming out the 29th. Based on the PQ, now am I missing something here, or does the magnolia release look MUUUUUCH better than the megastar version. The colors are different, but they scrubbed the detail out of every face on the megastar release. Maybe I don't know what I'm looking at or something...?

[Jr7936]

it looks like from the review all the cut scenes are in the delated scenes based on the 27 min on some delated scenes and 29 min on the other deleated scenes which would be nice

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by BBE

Here is a review of it with nice screenies

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDRe...ds_blu-ray.htm

At the end of it they rcommend the megastar version over the magnolia region free version that's coming out the 29th. Based on the PQ, now am I missing something here, or does the magnolia release look MUUUUUCH better than the megastar version. The colors are different, but they scrubbed the detail out of every face on the megastar release. Maybe I don't know what I'm looking at or something...?

The detail is present in the MegaStar release, the contrast just hasn't been pushed as much making them more obvious on the Magnolia release.

IMO, the color changes are really bad. Really makes Jet Li look like a "sick man of asia," instead of the kick-ass general he should be.

[Arkitect76]

so is it safe to say if the US version has been butchered from the HK version...the UK version might be worse since its only 108 minutes long? anyon have accurate info as to whats been removed...germany and hk seem to be the only ones with the full version...I wonder if the german one is region free...