Bodyguards and Assassins DVD review

            Bodyguards and Assassins builds from a historical drama into an all-out action epic easily compared to some of the best. The ambition of the film’s tale alone is worthy of praise, and the action at the end is magnificently presented with characters that have been wonderfully developed in the patient beginning of the film. The pacing may be a problem for some, but this is part of the plan in creating characters and scenarios which matter beyond just how good the fight choreography is.

            Set in Hong Kong during 1905, the film follows the efforts of a revolutionary movement to stop the corrupt Qing dynasty from assassinating one important man. As Sun Yat-Sen visits Hong Kong in a significant meeting about the revolution, a group of assassins overtake the city in an attempt to kill him. Fortunately, there has been an effort to prevent this. With the sacrifices of many good men and women who have joined the fight, bodyguards protect and distract the killers from their target.

            The DVD includes a bevy of special features, which makes sense when considering the scope of this picture. Although the splash in Hollywood for this particular foreign film has not been impressive, it stars some of the top names (including Donnie Yen and MMA fighter Cung Le) and was the winner of eight Hong Kong Film Awards. There are five behind-the-scenes featurettes, extended interviews with cast and crew and an international trailer.