An interesting Hong Kong historical set in the 4th Century BC where a small
kingdom is under attack from a much larger one and is saved by a warrior
philosopher. The film is based on a Japanese manga but there is no
indication of the origin as there has been in some manga based adaptations. A number of set piece battles with real people rather than CGI dummies are excellently staged and filmed both in longshot and in close-up, including one anachronistic attack with manned balloons. Andy Lau in the lead role underplays which adds to the realism of the story - a more flamboyant approach would have been very offputting - and the other leads are well-
played apart, I thought, from the king. One reason I had for going was to
justify my membership of the ICA and I am glad that I did as I might well have
missed this first rate film otherwise.