Movie Review: The House of Flying Daggers (5/5 stars)
When is the last time you sat down to watch a movie expecting a pleasant distraction for an hour or two, but become so mesmerized that two hours later you end up yelling at your home entertainment center because it ended too soon? That's what happened to me while watching House of Flying Daggers.
In the interest of full disclosure, I'll admit I'm a bit of a martial arts fan. But probably not any more than the average guy. Who doesn't like to see guys fighting with big nasty swords. And let's face it, chinese women are hot. In this case, we're talking about Ziyi Zhang who is hot like a Walmart parking lot is hot at noon... on the 4th of July... in Death Valley. And yes, she's got every move I could ever imagine. If you're at all like me, you'll end up rewinding the 'Echo Game' scene a few times.
House of Flying Daggers is very similar to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. You'll immediately recognize Ziyi Zhang from her role there as the young bandit. Also, the same mystical martial arts style is enlisted. Personally, I had a hard time getting into CTHD because of the 'flying technique' that was, in my opinion, overused. This wasn't the case with Flying Daggers. Much of the action was of the mystical style that is expected of these movies, but it always added to the drama rather than distracting from it. The special effects never went over the top.
What was over the top, though, was the cinematography. And I mean that in the best possible way. I've often heard people gush about the scenery in Under The Tuscan Sun (which is good), but the use of scenery is epic in Flying Daggers. If that's what China is like, I need to call my travel agent tomorrow.
Then there is the music score, which is enhanced marvelously by the Dolby Digital surround system. If you have a state of the art entertainment center, you'll love this one. Trust me.
Still, a movie is more than just scenery and sound. Even if it has Ziyi Zhang in the lead. There has to be a believable plot. No problem here. While it might not be the most original storyline I've seen, it works quite well here. And if the ending doesn't get you misty, you better head to Oz to find the Wizard and ask him for a heart.
House Of Flying Daggers is a pleasure to enjoy for all the right reasons. Lots of action to keep your eyes glued to the screen. Not that you'll need it due to the incredible landscapes. Attractive and powerful characters. An amazingly good surround sound experience (and this coming from a guy who owned a Dolby Surround system in 1988, before nearly any video rental was available in a surround sound format). And a love triangle of Homeric proportion.
Yes, it's a martial arts movie. But it's not just a martial arts movie. I expect House of Flying Daggers will be flying off the video store shelves.
In the interest of full disclosure, I'll admit I'm a bit of a martial arts fan. But probably not any more than the average guy. Who doesn't like to see guys fighting with big nasty swords. And let's face it, chinese women are hot. In this case, we're talking about Ziyi Zhang who is hot like a Walmart parking lot is hot at noon... on the 4th of July... in Death Valley. And yes, she's got every move I could ever imagine. If you're at all like me, you'll end up rewinding the 'Echo Game' scene a few times.
House of Flying Daggers is very similar to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. You'll immediately recognize Ziyi Zhang from her role there as the young bandit. Also, the same mystical martial arts style is enlisted. Personally, I had a hard time getting into CTHD because of the 'flying technique' that was, in my opinion, overused. This wasn't the case with Flying Daggers. Much of the action was of the mystical style that is expected of these movies, but it always added to the drama rather than distracting from it. The special effects never went over the top.
What was over the top, though, was the cinematography. And I mean that in the best possible way. I've often heard people gush about the scenery in Under The Tuscan Sun (which is good), but the use of scenery is epic in Flying Daggers. If that's what China is like, I need to call my travel agent tomorrow.
Then there is the music score, which is enhanced marvelously by the Dolby Digital surround system. If you have a state of the art entertainment center, you'll love this one. Trust me.
Still, a movie is more than just scenery and sound. Even if it has Ziyi Zhang in the lead. There has to be a believable plot. No problem here. While it might not be the most original storyline I've seen, it works quite well here. And if the ending doesn't get you misty, you better head to Oz to find the Wizard and ask him for a heart.
House Of Flying Daggers is a pleasure to enjoy for all the right reasons. Lots of action to keep your eyes glued to the screen. Not that you'll need it due to the incredible landscapes. Attractive and powerful characters. An amazingly good surround sound experience (and this coming from a guy who owned a Dolby Surround system in 1988, before nearly any video rental was available in a surround sound format). And a love triangle of Homeric proportion.
Yes, it's a martial arts movie. But it's not just a martial arts movie. I expect House of Flying Daggers will be flying off the video store shelves.
posted by JoeFriday at 8:48 PM
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