One of the most beautiful film I've seen. - Wu ji (2006) Discussion

[–] RyuuKanshin 18 years ago

The sounds and sights were (really) great, but until you start actually think about the plot... that's where the problem is.

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[–] minjietong 18 years ago

I am sorry, but it is really really bad. Everything was bad. yes, the colors may be pretty. but the graphics and special effects are AWFUl. it is like a movie sequence out of some cheap RPG game. and I have to agree, the plot makes no sense whatsoever. the dialogue was innane. I saw the chinese version and I could only handle about 45 minutes before I want to throw something at my tv. I am disappointed. this is not what I want the world see as an example of a good Chinese movie.

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[–] RiverWraith 17 years ago

Plot? What plot? This movie has a plot?

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[–] astroboy83 18 years ago

Actually in spite of beautiful scenary taken in national scenary spot of China and some nice music of Chinese style, there's nothing more that could be recommended, especially that the story itself is just ridiculous.

The film is widely unacceptable in China, still more, in Cannes not a single award is given to WuJi(The Promise), this really embarrassed the ambitious director.

Kaige Chen, the director, was once an honorable and famous director in China and had really directed some pretty good movies that won international award. It's just incredible that this 'thing' is from him ~~~

By the way, the beauty of the film scene is at great cost. One great beautiful scenary spot(Xianggelila in Yunnan) has been greatly destroyed. He drained the beauty and left only rubbish and useless prop.

If anyone knows Chinese, I really suggest he go to some main websites in China and read relative news, finding that all the above about WuJi is exactly true and 'is worth listen to'.

Anyway, for someone that is interested, just watch it first, maybe it so happen that you actually enjoy it!!
hoho :)

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[–] lemonleaf 18 years ago

The film is widely unacceptable in China, still more, in Cannes not a single award is given to WuJi(The Promise), this really embarrassed the ambitious director.

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This film was not in the competetion group at Cannes. I don't see why the director felt really embarrassed.

As for the film, it's just a movie. Not a bad one, but the special effect is terrible.

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[–] nvcameron 18 years ago

This film looked sooooo cheap that its nearly impossible to believe that this was the most expensive film ever made in China. Where did all the money go? The silly roadrunner effects thru-out the movie! This film was terrible from begining to end & 2 couples walked out of the theater I was in i just wished I had done the same.

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[–] sonnythefat 12 years ago

I love it, if only just for the "feather" scenes.
one of the most enjoyable fairy tales I have seen in a long time

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[–] jimbobjoegin 18 years ago

the only best shot is the opening when the goddess is talkign to the little girl

after that none of th shots are good

they are harsh and dull

dont watch it

its a very bad written story that has no fluency

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[–] Man-Thing 18 years ago

I will check it out when it comes out on DVD(I wouldnt have the choice to check it out in theaters anyway). I won't pass up some great visuals. Hopefully the story at least makes sense somewhat.

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[–] Katiedot 13 years ago

The visuals are absolutely stunning and I came here to post exactly what the OP has posted: that this is probably the most beautiful film I've seen.

As for the plot . . . it works in a kind of non-linear way if you're willing to suspend disbelief and really go with the magical reality.

It reminded me a lot of an early 80s (late 70s?) TV series from Japan called 'Monkey' which is the retelling of a famous story. The Promise has the same attitude to reality (gods just drop out of the sky, suspended on an invisible wire) and you just kind of have to go with the flow.

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[–] silentsipher 18 years ago

It may have had good visuals, but when you compare it with Crouching Tiger or Hero, I think its easy to see that this movie falls way short of what it could've been.

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[–] bluenooky007 18 years ago

The movie just felt really cheap, despite it's big budget. The battle scene were the general is twirling around what appears to be two K mart rubber balls was just bad.

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[–] beglobetrotter 18 years ago

One of the most ridiculous films i've ever seen!

Well,my conclusion is hate is baggage...

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[–] jenniferlianne 18 years ago

I loved the movie. I thought it was utterly stunning.

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[–] lyons55954645 18 years ago

it seema that you haven't seen so many better movies...

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[–] miakami 18 years ago

I've seen bent on well over a hundred films in the same genre, and while, yes, the graphics were a bit cheesy, the movie was nowhere near as bad as some people here make it out to be. To all their own I suppose.

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[–] banshee-liam 13 years ago

Dear lyons, etc.,

Evidently you are either blind or a nincompoop. Other than that, I'm sure you're a fine fellow.

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[–] tupelogirl2000 18 years ago

i liked it too. people always pick apart movies til they are nothing. i may not have seen all sorts of 'good' movies that other people say, but i hold to my own opinion. who knows, maybe these 'good' movies in my mind, i hate. *shrugs* i did like it though, i loved the costumes. ^ ^

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[–] Li-1 18 years ago

I have to admit I enjoyed the movie quite a bit. Yeah, there were plenty of eye-rolling bits (the buffalo stampede) and the storytelling could have been less stilted, but there were so many things I liked about Wu Ji, particularly the cinematography, the costumes, the locations, the music, and even the cast, which admittedly has a tough time meshing together given the fact that the leads are Korean and Japanese, but it was nonetheless a joy to see a lot of my favorite Asian actors in the same movie.

I guess as Krull is to Star Wars, this movie is to Hero and House of Flying Daggers, in the sense that both were fantasy flicks that definitely wanted to replicate what it was that made its predecessors such successes, and even when the movie doesn't succeed in emulating that success, I can't help but enjoy the fact that it tried anyway.

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[–] TeeWee30 17 years ago

I just saw it. I enjoyed the Starcrossed lover's triangle. It was a different take on your classic love story. I completely got it.

Sure the CGI wasn't the best. I totally MST3K'D that running of the bulls and the obvious green screen Planet of the Apes running but overall the movie still had a lot of visual crack. Considering what I have paid for a 45 min Anime' this movie was worth the $19.95.

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[–] suzyray 17 years ago

I thought it was a beautiful and sad film. I agree the effects were strange etc but despite all its failings its still an amazing film that I liked enough to buy.

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[–] ThunderInParadise 17 years ago

Yea, I don't know why people expect Episode III VFX from every movie that comes out. Not even close to LOTR special effects? Yea, that's cause LOTR had 10x the budget retards!
I'll agree the bull running scene was a little sketchy, but the majority of the other scenes were very good. In particular, the scene were Snow Wolf "disintergrates" after taking off the feather cloak was done VERY well, and the "Wall of Time" was also done well. As always with fantasy asian cinema, the costumes are fantastic. Kinda makes American films seem bland, since they tend to focus on stupid romantic comedies and cheap ass horror remakes. Cinematography was really good. Stop bashing it people, and watch it for what the vision was.

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[–] joseph1 17 years ago

"The is one of the most beautiful film I have ever seen. It is worth every penny of the DVD I bought". Yes!! I can't agree more!!! Though I wish the DVD could show more clear picture,neverthless "The Promise" was one of the most beautiful mythical epic film I ever watched!!!

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[–] sarah_collinsondean 16 years ago

I know what you mean!
I don't understand why people hate this movie so much, it's beautiful!

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[–] J_Charles 15 years ago

CGI was pretty bad - esp the running of the bulls scene.

Sure the backdrops were nice but that's the physical landscape of parts of China. See Croching Tiger or Hero if you want amazing camera work and landscapes.

The plot was pretty dumb. No twists and turns. No real storyline. No main driver for the action (or what action there was)

Seeing Cecilia Cheung half naked was nice but after Edison Chen's photos, we can see all that and more now.

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[–] 15 years ago

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