The Promise

[GeneChing]

The Promise (AKA Master of the Crimson Armor) is Chen Kaige's blockbuster wuxia. After Ang Lee's CTHD and Zhang Yimou's Hero, everyone wants to do wuxia. It's the most expensive Chinese production to date ($35 million) won a Golden Horse, nominated for a Golden Globe, and was China's submission for best foreign film at this Academy Awards (it didn't make the final five).

It's nutty. I'm not a big fan of Chen's work, only Farewell My Concubine interested me, but that was such a long downer of a film. The Emperor and the Assassin, which was parallel to Hero in plot, bored me. The Promise is classic Chinese filmmaking, lifting ideas from other films flagerantly. It's Kung Fu Hustle meets Hero, House of Flying Daggers, Lord of the Rings and Legend of Zu, plus a few more. Lots of CGI. Lots of crazy cheesy CGI. Lots of flying about. Not much 'real' kung fu really - the fights are more like Spiderman or Fantastic Four, very comic book. That being said, I was thoroughly entertained by the visual aspect of it. The plot was a bit sappy, especially the finale, but there was some fine stuff, particularly how the immortal was depicted. I liked it, but I wouldn't recommend it to most kung fu film fans. I'd recommend it more to fans of psychotropic cinema.

[jethro]

When is it coming here?
Has this person done a fu movie before?

I'm very interested in this even though I hated Crouching dragon. The martial arts were pretty good in that, but I like movies like Storm Riders better.

More info on this would be nice

[SimonM]

Maggie Cheung.

Right there is a reason to see this movie.

Gene is right, this is a Wuxia movie, not a Gong Fu movie. However as long as you go into it expeciting a Wuxia fantasy movie and not a Gong Fu fight movie it is a very satisfying film. I (personally) loved it.

[jethro]

When is it coming here?
Has this person done a fu movie before?

I'm very interested in this even though I hated Crouching dragon. The martial arts were pretty good in that, but I like movies like Storm Riders better.

More info on this would be nice

I am guessing that this is on dvd or someone would have posted when it's coming out. A confirmation on this would help.

[SimonM]

It's been out on DVD in China for months now.

[GeneChing]

But Cecilia Cheung is in it, and she's always worth the price of admission. I saw her live once. She performed at the opening ceremony of the First World Traditional Wushu Festival. For the record, The Promise is also known as Wu Ji.

[Shaolinlueb]

i watched a bit of it over my friends house. they had thios scene with all these wild buffalo or horses chasing this guy threw a canyon and then there was fighting at the end. lots of computer stuff. he said it was good, i havent watched it yet.

[jethro]

i watched a bit of it over my friends house. they had thios scene with all these wild buffalo or horses chasing this guy threw a canyon and then there was fighting at the end. lots of computer stuff. he said it was good, i havent watched it yet.

PLEASE POST WHEN THIS GETS TO LIKE BEST BUY, I DON'T WANT TO MISS IT AND THEN IT NEVER COMES BACK.

[doug maverick]

they picked this film up and then droped it, for no reason after they aske kaige to cut like ten minutes out. what the hell is wrong with these guys???????????

[Shaolinlueb]

probably to suit "the interests" of the west better.

[GeneChing]

If you can get past the buffalo scene, the rest of the movie is more amusing. The buffalo scene is total Road Runner/Wiley ala Kung Fu Hustle, and doesn't really work with the rest of the film. In fact, I question if that scene would work in any film outside of Looney Tunes. Like I said, I wouldn't recommend it to most people. Everyone else here in the office thinks it's silly - and it is - and I'm usually the most critical doesn't-like-anything type, so they're having a field day with it.

[jethro]

If you can get past the buffalo scene, the rest of the movie is more amusing. The buffalo scene is total Road Runner/Wiley ala Kung Fu Hustle, and doesn't really work with the rest of the film. In fact, I question if that scene would work in any film outside of Looney Tunes. Like I said, I wouldn't recommend it to most people. Everyone else here in the office thinks it's silly - and it is - and I'm usually the most critical doesn't-like-anything type, so they're having a field day with it.

Shaolin soccer was good, but kungfu hustle sucked. I hope this scene isn't as stupid as that movie. I would watch it over a lot of movies, but only cause stephen chow is the coolest dude on the planet.

Any one know when this comes out.

[GeneChing]

Let's see your forum fu. You got to move quick on this one because links to it are getting shut down faster than you can google Pam Anderson. It's the hottest thing in the internet in the good ol' PRC. THE BLOODY CASE THAT STARTED FROM A STEAMED BUN

p.s. jethro - for someone who posts so much on our media forum, you should know all about The Promise. I'm just saying...

[jethro]

Let's see your forum fu. You got to move quick on this one because links to it are getting shut down faster than you can google Pam Anderson. It's the hottest thing in the internet in the good ol' PRC. THE BLOODY CASE THAT STARTED FROM A STEAMED BUN

p.s. jethro - for someone who posts so much on our media forum, you should know all about The Promise. I'm just saying...

stopped at the library so i could see this gene amd didn't get a chance to figure out what to do on that site other than post if i had seen the promise, but if that picture is from the movie than I will be looking for it for a while until it just never shows up at bestbuy or a used store, i have it on my wishlis at 6 stores.

That costume alone had to cost like 5 grand.

[SimonM]

I wouldn't want to wear that helmet to a sword fight though. It'd either be so heavy you'd break your neck wearing it or so flimsy that it would be cleaved in twain by a plastic butter knife.