Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon is a movie based on the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong. The film is directed by Daniel Lee, starring Andy Lau, Sammo Hung and Maggie Q.
Three Kingdoms occurred during 220 - 280 A.D. when the country is split into three kingdoms namely Wei (also known as Cao Wei), Shu (also known as Shu Han), and Wu (also known as Dong Wu or Eastern Wu) Kingdom. When Shu Han needs a hero, Zhao Zilong (Andy Lau) joins them and he meets a senior soldier named Luo Ping An (Sammo Hung) who gives him a map. Zilong acknowledges Ping An as his “brother” since Ping An has joined the armies for five years. In the initial battle in the battlefield, Zilong does not take any credit by helping Ping An to kill one of the enemies’ leaders. When Luo Ping An and his comrades are out of ideas as Wei armies prepare to invade, a man named Zhuge Liang (Quanxin Pu) join them as a war adviser. Zhuge Liang’s brilliance in the art of war helps Shu Kingdom to win many battles.
When Wei armies are invading, the Shu kingdom plans to close the main gate. Somehow, due to carelessness of Ping An, the royal families including the emperor’s son are left outside the gate which later on become the victims of Wei relentless armies. Somehow, Zilong manages to save the emperor Liu’s son from the armies of Wei. He manages to fend off, escape and even steal Cao Cao’s (Damian Lau) sword despite being trapped by hundred of Wei armies to become the hero of Shu Han.
After many years of battles, Zilong is finally promoted to the rank of General to join the other four as one of the infamous Five Generals. As the other Generals perish in battle, Zilong becomes the only one left standing, winning battle after battle. After more than 35 years in the armies, Zilong and Zhuge Liang have reached old-age. Zilong’s so-called brother, Ping An is always watching him and they fight in the battlefield together.
One fine day, the ceaseless armies of Wei Kingdom has a final plan to invade Shu, it is up to Zilong who takes a last stand against the invading forces from the Kingdom of Wei. Cao Ying (Maggie Q), the granddaughter of Wei warlord Cao Cao leads the battle for Wei Kingdom. Both Zilong and Cao Ying try to outsmart each other but in the end, it is revealed that Zilong’s so-called brother Ping An has betrayed him as Cao Ying promises to recruit Ping An as Wei’s General. All these years, Ping An is envied of Zilong’s success as a top general while he feels he gets nothing by going into the battlefield.
The movie ends as Zilong charges into the battlefield all by himself, as all his armies are already dead before fading into the credits.
Overall, the movie is intriguing and comparable to The Warlords despite the controversy caused by Andy Lau’s costume and the casting of Maggie Q because of her non-Chinese and Eurasian appearance.
About 20 people who had bought tickets for the weekend show (March 22-23) protested Monday outside the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, which issued the order to cancel the Divine Performing Arts troupe performance.
The ministry revoked the show’s permit because the Chinese Embassy complained that the organizers — U.S.-based New Tang Dynasty Television station — were supporters of Falun Gong, a spiritual movement that Beijing bans as a dangerous cult, said a ministry official.
“We have to take care of our relationship with China. It’s very important,” an official, who declined to be named
The Chinese Spectacular show which was originally scheduled to run from April 7 to April 30, 2008 is also canceled. The cancellation for the March 22-23 show cost organizers about $31,800 as at least 2,000 tickets were sold. The organizers is refunding the tickets, but people from Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan and Singapore, who had already booked their flights, had still traveled to Kuala Lumpur.
What’s your say on Malaysia’s bowing down to China?
Children of Huang Shi (also known as Escape from Huang Shi) is a movie the occupation of Japan in China in the 1930’s. Starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Radha Mitchell, Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh.
The Warlords, previously known as The Blood Brothers (Ci Ma) is a martial art film directed by Peter Chan and starring Jet Li, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro. The film was influenced by the late Chang Cheh’s 1973 film The Blood Brothers but it’s not a remake. The film is set in the 1860s, during the Taiping Rebellion in the late Qing Dynasty in China. The story tells a tale of three sworn blood brothers.
In the 1860s, during the late Qing Dynasty, as one of the darkest periods of Chinese history, the country is suffering under the rule of the corrupt Manchus who invaded China from the North and established the country’s last imperial dynasty, the Qing. Natural disasters are wreaking havoc in the countryside, and in the midst of this chaos, the Taiping Kingdom, one of the strongest rebel groups ever to rise up in China, is overrunning the country and staging battles with the Qing army threatening the throne.
Jet Li, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro in The Warlords
In a war between the Qing army led by General Ma Xinyi (Jet Li) and the Taiping Kingdom, General Ma’s army is overpowered by the rebels as Ma’s allies back out in the last minute causing a slaughter of Ma’s army. Every army of Ma’s is dead except General Ma, himself as he has feigned death. Though he is able to escape from the masses of dead bodies, he faints in the middle of nowhere due to hunger. There, Lian (Xu Jinglei) has saved him and brought him to a deserted house. She cooks porridge for him in order to revive him. Ma gobbles the porridge before he breaks out and tells Lian about the slaughter of his army. Lian consoles him and before long, they both ends up in the bed.
Later on, while resting in a village after having his armors and weapons sold in order to buy food, the village is attacked by bandits led by Cao Erhu (Andy Lau) and his trusted Lieutenant Zhang Wenxiang (Takeshi Kaneshiro). Zhang quickly tests the ability of Ma after he sees Ma still wears boots that only the ranks of General wears them. Ma easily fends off Zhang’s attack and Zhang straightaway recommends Ma to join the bandits.
When Ma saves Cao in a furious battle, the three swear blood brotherhood. When Lian returns home after running away from Cao, Ma realizes that Lian is Cao’s wife but what already happened has happened.
Besides Lian, Ma’s dream is to get rid of the rebels and the corrupted Qing officials and he manages to convince both Cao and Zhang and their troop of bandits to join Qing army instead of robbing to survive. Easily fooled by the cunningness of Ma, Cao and his men join Ma and many dangerous battles are engaged. Ma’s become more and more ambitious as he wins every battle despite having less men than the enemies. Ma soon became obsessed with power.
The complication between the blood brothers and Lian have worked out in favor of Qing’s ruthless Empress and her highly ranked officials. In the end, the assassination of Ma takes place during the day he is supposed to be sworn as The Governor.
Overall, The Warlords show a more ruthless side of Jet Li as he plays his role well to his USD $13 million paycheck while Andy Lau plays a tragic hero torn between different factions. Takeshi Kaneshiro, meanwhile, plays a second fiddle to both these actors with his innocence overshadows the elements of being a bandit but his years of acting his Hong Kong movies have somewhat improved. The talented Xu Jinglei plays the beautiful Lian well to every bit, as Cao’s wife and even better as Ma’s woman.
Note: In Malaysia’s version, General Ma is known as General Pang, Cao Erhu is known as Zhao Erhu, and Zhang is known as Jiang.
My ratings: 7 out of 10, could be 8 out of 10 if only Lian shows more flesh.
Malaysia’s Wong Mew Choo won the China Open Super Series’ women’s singles in Guangzhou, China by defeating world No. 1 Xie Xingfang of China, 21-16, 8-21, 21-17. Mew Choo, who is ranked 8th has earlier slayed Zhang Ning and Zhu Lin of China in the semi-finals and quater-finals respectively.
It was Wong Mew Choo’s first Open title in her badminton career. She pocketed USD $17,250 (MYR 58,650) for her historic feat on Sunday.
Underdog, released in theater nationwide today is a show about a hound named Shoeshine that gain some serious superpowers from a lab accident — a secret that the dog eventually shares with the young boy who becomes his owner and friend.
Somewhere in China is the story of the real superdog. Dog mom Hua Hua swam about 2 kilometers to an island daily to feed her newborn babies. Hua Hua, the new mom of four dog cubs, was regarded as a hero mother by many locals in flood-struck Chongqing city, for one brave deed and for her unbeatable love for her children.
Malaysia’s Wong Mew Choo won the China Open Super Series’ women’s singles in Guangzhou, China by defeating world No. 1 Xie Xingfang of China, 21-16, 8-21, 21-17. Mew Choo, who is ranked 8th has earlier slayed Zhang Ning and Zhu Lin of China in the semi-finals and quater-finals respectively.
