Derek Childs (totalovrdose)
From the gorgeously executed opening, you know you have encountered something special, though the film occasionally falters in its ability to constantly meet the expectations it initially sets. The visually elegant features include the brilliantly colorful costumes that demand viewer attention, alongside the picturesque beauty of the landscape that is as artful as it is pleasant, however, at the same time, obviously unrealistic, and though the grand scale of the film's ambition can be clearly realized when these elements work well, on more than one occasion, the film seems to be an example of a production studio exceeding their grasp. During one segment, there's an endless mass of troops, depicted through well used effects, however, the fight itself occurs between only a handful of soldiers, leaving those thrilled by epic battles dismayed, this contrast between the realities of the production, and its terrific execution, continuously butting heads.This aside, the stylized fight sequences are suspenseful and dashing, the characters moving gracefully through the air, however, those familiar with other like features will probably encounter little new content, despite the awe of its execution, or the significance of the entertainment. The battles are very quick, though at the same time easy to focus upon, while it is the soundtrack that is truly visionary. Although there is one track that bares resemblance to one my ears have previously been blessed by in a former film, the themes are continuously fascinating, brilliantly encapsulating the moment, from the passion to the futility, from the excitement to the grief.Zhou Yihang (Huang Xiaoming) is a newly elected Wudong leader, who is tasked with the honor of delivering Red Pills to the Emperor, to help secure the longevity of their ailing ruler, the people of Wudong renown as medical practitioners. On his trek towards the kingdom, he encounters an unnamed woman (Fan Bingbing), who, if beauty was a crime, would be locked up for eternity. Referred to by others as Jade Raksha, Zhou promises to one day give her a name suiting a woman of her unmatched gorgeousness, hoping to meet her again.Accused later of poisoning the Emperor with the Red Pills be brought, and hunted by the secret police, Zhou finds himself in the middle of a tyrannical battle, as countless treacherous war-mongers and politicians alike vie for power in this turbulent time. The first portion of the feature, in which the aforementioned story is introduced, could easily be described as difficult, the narrative being clouded by an unfathomable number of sub-plots and characters alike, where several non-important characters have their names presented on screen for the viewer, while none of the leads are ever provided such an honor.Although navigating this jumbled mass can prove uneasy, many of the plots remaining unfulfilled in their execution, the film manages to steady itself once the love story becomes a major focus. Jade Raksha, who fights to help the oppressed people, finds herself equally accused of a crime she did not commit - the murder of Governor Zhonglian. She and Zhou are forced to return to her fortress, the Lunar Kindgom, where she and many others watch over the land in their attempt to bring prosperity back to the region, while Manchurians and corrupt officials, especially the villainous Jin Duyi (Vincent Zhou), wish to cripple Jade's land, and all those who follow her.Unable to resist her beauty, grace and compassion, the relationship between Zhou and Jade contains many poetic, melancholy conversations, her view that love is poisonous being a well developed notion that continues throughout the feature. Although one particular segment of dialogue seems to copy from the Notebook, the emotion and poignancy throughout their many interactions is fantastically maintained, being, arguably, the most sweepingly beautiful part of the narrative, which is especially due to the talents of the actors.Although Ms. Bingbing receives a notable role in the feature, she deserved a much larger part, occasionally being overshadowed by her co-star, Mr. Xiaoming. This is particularly frustrating, as Jade is a far more mysterious and interesting character, with elements of her story, including the cursed affliction that causes her hair to turn white, although subtly hinted towards, never being provided a thoroughly acceptable explanation.By the time the conclusion is imminent, the number of unanswered questions is staggering, which leads this writer to wonder if the producers were perhaps planning to promulgate a sequel. If not, although the beauty of the film's ending cannot be denied, it could only be described as alarmingly disappointing, for a majority of the plots conceived within the narrative are never provided a sufficient resolution. As a love story, The White haired Witch cannot possibly be faulted, however, as an epic war feature, or a fantastical historic drama, the film significantly requires further substance.
clarkmick33
An epic alike Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon this movie is not.,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Unless you know a bit about Chinese history you are not going to know much about what is happening as the scenes and characters seem to go from one place to the next without much explanation and everything becomes a blur of narrative. There is obviously an overriding love theme in the movie but this is a major distraction from the flow - the story seems to go really fast until slow, "un-natural" and rather boring scenes of romance between the two leads. The Good - Some of the fighting scenes are done well but there are not too many of those. The Bad - The romance between the leads is quite mechanical and not very believable. The Ugly - Someone got the scissors out too many times especially at the start of the movie-making you wonder what is ultimately happening. Then suddenly someone is giving someone red pills......wait am I watching "The Matrix"The CGI is particularly awful at the last scene - which at a supposedly emotional moment I laughed my heart out. Those who watch will no doubt do the same.
tiffanyyongwt
I should be around 5 or 6 years old when I first watch the 1993 version "The Bride with White Hair" (白发魔女传) starring Brigitte Lin (林青霞) and Leslie Cheung (张国荣). I tried to find this film to re-watch when I got to know about this remake, however, I couldn't find them any where. (Someone tell me if you can find it!)The box office for the film was very good in China, but so-so in other countries. Besides the fact that the female lead's hair will turn white (duh), otherwise, it is very different from the 1993 version in terms of content. Here, it took place near the end of Ming Dynasty (perhaps the start of Qing Dynasty), something that Ronny Yu's 1993 adaptation had left out. If you don't know much about China history, reading this might help you appreciate the film a little bit more.With the historical and political context now reintroduced into the film, The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom is now more about choosing sides during one of the most tumultuous times in Chinese history. It included the infamous "Case of the Red Pills" (红丸案), the famous eunuch Wei Zhongxian (魏忠贤), bringing out the patriotism amongst the citizens back in those days.Instead of misunderstanding leading to hatred, "trust" is an element heavily played between the two lovers. Sadly, this element was good in a bad way. It's a element most audience will hope the character will have (ya know, screaming "Why don't you believe her, idiot!" during the show) especially for the 1993 version.However, that "trust" also lessen down the pain of the betrayal, making the "White Hair Turning Moment" a bit forced. Why so? The "trust" between Zhuo Yihang and Nie Nishang felt like "You-Are-My-New-Girl-Friend-so-I-Give-You-Benefit-of-Doubt" rather than the true love kind of trust. Perhaps with the R-rated kind of love scenes in the 1993 adaptation, the artistic and beautiful version in the new one paled in comparison, making the relationship between the main leads unimportant and thinly-sketched.The seniors from Wudang was disappointing too. There were many loopholes and it seemed that many scenes were cut off, making their sudden re-entrance to say ...Read on: http://goo.gl/wCWNKX
MartinHafer
"The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom" is based on "Baifa Monü Zhuan", a novel by Liang Yusheng. The story resulted in several previous films, but I have not seen any of them, so I cannot compare this new version with the old. However, I assume that these earlier films are more watchable, as they wouldn't have relied so heavily on CGI and wire stunt work--something which actually seemed to detract from my enjoying the movie. In other words, there were so many crazy stunts and magical happenings that the story itself seemed secondary--especially the crucial romance between the two main characters.The story begins in the late Ming Dynasty in China. The country is beset by foreign invaders as well as disloyal schemers within the government. However, to hide their scheming, the plotters have implicated Jade in the assassination of a governor. This is complicated because the witch, Jade, has fallen in love with Zhuo Yihang--the man who is the governor's grandson! So, Zhuo is torn between his love for her and his loyalty to the emperor-- and, for a while, he pretends to believe that Jade is responsible for the killing and no longer loves her. What is to become of the pair? See the film...though I wouldn't rush to do so. There's MUCH more to the story than this...but frankly I had a hard time following the film. Much of this is because I found my attention span drifting often through the course of the movie. Why did I find myself so uninvolved with the film? Well, it all goes back to the CGI. Too often, the director focused on stunts instead of the story. The important romance seemed to take a back seat to cool slow-motion arrows, 'wire fu' stunts (where the various characters fly about as if by magic--much like you saw in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) and an overly complicated story. The bottom line is that I have seen many Chinese epics that were satisfying and enjoyable from start to finish. This one, in contrast, left me feeling a bit disappointed and confused.
