House of Flying Daggers

The latest flick from the guy who made Hero.

Just finished watching it. 😉
Seriously, go check it out. 🙂

The movie was absolutely spectacular—a total blast from start to finish. It manages to dodge those messy historical or political power struggles you see in films like House of Flying Daggers (you know, that whole heavy dynamic between the ruler and his warriors), focusing instead on a pure love story. Sure, it follows that classic trope of star-crossed lovers from opposing sides, but when you pair that with such breathtaking action effects, it works perfectly.
Honestly, that fight sequence through the bamboo forest? That was hands down one of the most incredible things I’ve seen on screen in a long, long time.👍

Takeshi Kaneshiro 😍

Zhang Ziyi isn't half bad either, if you ask me.

Great film. Fantastic ending.

Does anyone have any idea when this hits theaters?

I actually really enjoyed the movie, though there was one specific thing that bugged me... I'll hold off on mentioning it until you all get a chance to watch it so I don't ruin the experience for anyone. 😁

The plot was engaging, the cinematography was stunning, and the special effects were top-notch...
And honestly, it was nice to have a change of pace with such a handsome lead actor to look at. 😁

Jack Harris3 said:And honestly, just for a change of pace, he’s a total knockout to look at. 😁

ah, Takeshi Kaneshiro 😍

casualbadger64 said:Does anyone actually know when this hits theaters?

It looks like this Thursday, March 31st...

Sophia Evans76 said:man, Takeshi Kaneshiro... 😍

Exactly. 😍
Even if the movie itself was a total disaster, I still would've sat through it just for the view. 😁
But honestly? Between you and me, the girl was absolutely stunning too (I can never remember her name for some reason...) and I found myself staring at her just as much as everyone else... 😁

I just can't get into these movies, period. Look, they look amazing—the cinematography is stunning and a total feast for the eyes—but the actual plot? It loses me. To me, those classic Hong Kong films had much stronger storytelling. A teacher gets killed, the student goes on a mission, and that’s it. Simple, but engaging. With these newer ones, nothing really happens. They just travel around, fight, kiss, and then die. I don't know... it's just not my thing.

Sean Lee7 said:I just can't get into these movies, period. Look, they look amazing—stunning cinematography, a total feast for the eyes—but the plot? It's a mess. To me, those old-school classics had way better stories. A master gets killed, the student goes on a revenge mission, boom, done. But these newer ones? Nothing really happens. They just travel around, fight, make out, and die. I don't know... it's just not my thing.

Idk, maybe just focus on the visuals instead of the story.😁
Might be more your speed then.

Noah Harris50 said:Look, I don't know... just focus more on the photography rather than the action.😁
It might work better for you then.

Maybe. I'll give it a shot and let you know.😁

It’s true that directors in this genre certainly know how to turn up the intensity, especially this particular filmmaker.
While I usually find myself sitting through Hollywood blockbusters where you can practically predict the ending before the opening credits even roll, this feels like a refreshing departure from that predictable formula.
Every Eastern production I’ve sat down with lately has managed to catch me off guard in the best way possible—films like Mus, Tiger and Dragon, and Hero have all been genuine surprises, and I’m cautiously optimistic that this one will follow suit.
What we're looking at here is top-tier production value, stunning cinematography, and, most importantly, a sense of novelty that's sorely lacking elsewhere.

Noah Harris50 said:I don't know, I think you should focus more on the cinematography rather than the actual plot.😁

Haha, fair enough. If that's the case, feel free to just take a few screenshots and spend a couple of hours struggling through it. I’m with you—those kinds of movies are pretty pointless for me too. Like, sure, the visuals are stunning, but there's zero substance. They just fly around, clash swords, and have some wordless romance... Blah.

ruggedmarlin15

P.S. By the way, I really can't stand those Hollywood "actioners" like National Treasure (just to get ahead of the inevitable 😉 comparisons).

ruggedmarlin15 -> So, what movies actually land for you?

Every single movie has a story as deep as the viewer can wrap their head around or philosophize about. 😎

Jesse Ortiz4 said:The new flick from the director of Hero.

So, I just finished watching it... 😉
you guys should definitely check it out 🙂

Aha, sounds like that movie might end up in that Asian cinema festival... the one that was supposed to happen this week, but I think they pushed it back?

Caught this at the local cinema yesterday.......
My thoughts.....

I usually get hyped for kung fu movies and high-octane action, but House of Flying Daggers... just didn't do it for me..

Here’s why......

It tries way too hard to be a romance, and it completely misses the mark..
Zhang always comes across as cold to me....
That ending where she sacrifices herself for him....(I actually burst out laughing when I saw Zhang getting up from the snow... honestly, what kind of overacting is that?) Like, seriously, don't scrape your knee or you might bleed.......👎 👎
That bamboo fight scene? Meh. Not my thing.
The drum dance.....absolute snooze fest.
So many plot holes.....
And way too much fighting piled on at the very end....

There were some good parts, though.......

Takeshi was easily the best part of the movie, playing the lead role perfectly.
Those opening fights (unarmed, just hands) were solid.
The use of bow and arrow...
🙂

All in all, I won't be watching this again.

Watched it.
It’s like staring at this gorgeous, absolutely stunning woman where nothing—and I mean nothing—actually turns you on.
🙄
I felt way more intense emotions watching The Machinist, whereas this just left me feeling... "whatever," though I can't say I didn't give it a fair shake.
Okay, obviously I get that you shouldn't take certain displays (or exaggerations) literally since it all fits within that Japanese "vibe," but there's just zero magic here, even if everything is technically designed to manufacture it.

It's a beautiful picture, sure, but I found myself mostly admiring how cute her face was and breaking my own bias that Japanese guys aren't attractive, rather than actually being elevated by that little extra step that defines true cinematic art.
Basically, a collection of magical elements doesn't automatically make something magical. Sometimes even a totally banal movie—something raw and real—can create these spaces through filmic expression where you get to discover things for yourself, or at least catch a hint...

But here, everything is just handed to me on a silver platter, and I hate that.👎
God forbid I be blasphemous now, right?!🙄

I really hope the next big Japanese film won't involve fighting in trees (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon😉 ), flying swords (😁 ), and a mistress with a baby face.
Honestly, let those two directors fight over whose idea came first, but like people say: He who strikes first, gets the girl.
You feel me?😉

northernfalcon30 said:Of course, I get that you shouldn't take certain exaggerations or flashy displays literally, since they all just fit within that specific Japanese cultural setting.

Well, you definitely get it... and honestly, you really do too. 😂 🙂

northernfalcon30 said:It’s such a beautiful shot, where I found myself mostly just admiring how lovely her features were and realizing my own silly prejudice about Japanese men not being attractive was totally wrong.

Are you talking about those samurai in the movie? 😂

northernfalcon30 said:Everything feels a bit too suggested here, which isn't really my thing.👎

Especially considering it's a Japanese film. 😂

northernfalcon30 said:I just hope the next big Japanese film doesn't feature a fight scene up in the trees.

Or Mandarin. 😂

northernfalcon30 said:Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

😂