Product description

Warriors Of Heaven And Earth [2003]

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Average customer rating: 4.0

Binding : DVD
EAN : 5035822302839
Label : Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Manufacturer : Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Publisher : Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release date : 2004-12-13
Title : Warriors Of Heaven And Earth [2003]
Actor : Array
Audience rating : Suitable for 15 years and over
Format : Array
Languages : Array
Number of items : 1
Original release date : 2003-01-01
Region code : 2
Running time : 110
Studio : Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Theatrical releaseDate : 2003

Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
Anybody hungering for a good old-fashioned Western needs to check out Warriors of Heaven and Earth, which--although it's set in 7th-century China--has all the valor and spectacle of a John Ford picture. It also has a goofy supernatural streak, for the chopsocky crowd. The opening 10 minutes or so offer an alarmingly convoluted plot, but it swiftly settles down. What's going on is that a long-exiled Japanese hit man (Kiichi Nakai), hired to kill a renegade Chinese warrior (Jiang Wen), temporarily teams up with his quarry in order to escort a camel caravan along the Spice Road. Of course, they are menaced by a brutal warlord, and beautiful Zhao Wei (So Close) is mixed in there too. Director He Ping (Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker) captures some magnificent vistas in the Gobi Desert, but more importantly he sketches the codes or honor and behavior essential to any such tale. --Robert Horton

Synopsis
He Ping, the director of the cult classic SWORDSMAN IN DOUBLE FLAG TOWN and the better-known RED FIRECRACKER, GREEN FIRECRACKER, enters the big time with WARRIORS OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, an epic battle between two heroic figures fighting for themselves and for their countries. When Li (Jiang Wen) refuses to kill innocent women and children, he becomes a rogue soldier without a land. Master swordsman Lai Xi (Nakai Kiichi) is ordered to assassinate him if wants to get back to to his home in Japan and see his mother before she dies. But first they must join together to help a caravan with precious cargo make its way safely across the desert--with a beautiful woman, Wen Zhu (SHAOLIN SOCCER's Zhao Wei), caught in between them. The gorgeous cinematography is by Zhao Fei, who shot such Asian epics as RAISE THE RED LANTERN as well as such Woody Allen films as SWEET AND LOWDOWN and SMALL TIME CROOKS. The lush look of the film is echoed by A.R. Rahman's marvelous score and outstanding costuming and set design. Ping masterfully recreates seventh-century China as horses and camels lead the protagonists down the famous Silk Road during the time of the Tang Dynasty.

Customer reviews

review by: date: 2007-08-08 rating:

What can i say...
Hmmmm... I have alot of asian movies (alot), you could say im an asianmaniac. But what can i say about this movie. The action and special effects, to be honest, are quite lousy. And thats a bit of a shame knowing that this movie could have been awesome with such a story line.
Judge for yourself, just see it, its not a total waste of time.

review by: Yuusuru date: 2007-06-30 rating:

Not bad. Not great.
I purchased this film based on the reviews below. I do not regret buying it as its one of a kind with an interesting story line. Yet the ending left me feeling like i wanted more from this film. However, i will be watching it again soon so it cant be that bad!

review by: date: 2007-01-02 rating:

Honour and moral message
Nicely made and atmospheric movie, filmed in stunning landscapes.
Following the trials and tribulations of honour bound heros.Maybe giving us all a message of how we should all tolarate and respect our fellows.
Worthwhile exciting action film.

review by: bel_78 date: 2006-09-12 rating:

Not only for those interested in Asian cinema..
My brother told me I should watch "Warriors of Heaven and Earth" (2003). Truth to be told, I was somewhat sceptic, as his taste in movies is somewhat different to mine. All the same, I must say that in this case he was right.

This film is quite original, due to the fact that it is set in 7th-century China, but at times seems like a Western. To make it a little stranger, there are some supernatural elements that fit the plot and make this movie something that you are not likely to forget.

One of the main characters is a Japanese warrior (Kiichi Nakai) that has been in the service of the Chinese Emperor for a very long time, and that just wants to fulfill his last task before returning home. Unfortunately for him, that implies finding and killing a Chinese outlaw (Wen Jiang) that used to be a soldier, but that was condemned to death when he refused to kill a group of women and children. The two warriors play a game of cat and mouse, but decide to make a short truce in order to defend a caravan carrying a holy object, that is being attacked by bandits that want to steal it.

There are plenty of well-choreographed fights, but also opportunity to think about themes such as duty and honour. You will also appreciate the beautiful scenery of the Gobi Desert, and the brilliance with which the director (He Ping) was able to tell this story.

From my point of view, this is not a film that will only please those highly interested in Asian cinema. I think that everybody that is fond of an entertaining movie will appreciate "Warriors of Heaven and Earth", even though those who like epic films will certainly like it more. Recommended!

Belen Alcat

review by: date: 2006-04-02 rating:

The best Western in years - even if it is from the East!
He Ping's Warriors of Heaven and Earth starts off in traditional Eastern epic fashion and with a few similarities to Musa/The Warrior - one of its protagonists is a Japanese noble eager to earn the Emperor of China's permission to return home after 25 years in his service - but it soon develops into something much more satisfying: an all-out Western, and one that's played straight for once. It may be set along China's Silk Road, but the landscape is classic American Western, from pine valleys to buttes that could have come straight out of the smaller corners of Monument Valley. Even the Turks who attack the wagon train - sorry, camel caravan - at Red Rock Gorge do so with Apache war cries.

There are some imaginative action scenes, including a neat swordfight between the two protagonists on opposite sides of a log cabin's walls, and the classic Western friendly enemies archetypes transpose surprisingly well to an Eastern setting. It's a shame that the caravan's cargo has supernatural qualities, because the film really doesn't need the fantasy element, but they special effects are at a bare minimum, as is wirework for once. This made little impression at the box-office, but it's well worth tracking down. Great fun.

There are slight censor cuts totalling 7 seconds in one action sequence, although otherwise the 2.35:1 widescreen transfer is superb, with both original Chinese and dubbed English soundtracks available. The extras aren't plentiful - 25-minute making of, music video and brief trailer - but are adequate enough.

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