- Director : Yingli Zhang, Haonan Chen
- Actors : Fengbin Mu, Yilin Hao, Qihang Zhao, Qin Chu Ming, Ruoyao Pan
- Country of Origin : China
- Run time : 1 hour and 33 minutes
- Release date : November 9, 2021
- Distributed by : Well Go USA
- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Media Format : Subtitled, Widescreen
- Number of discs : 1
The wuxia genre has devolved in recent years. While CGI has
made it possible to bring more fantastical depictions of classic narratives to
screen, this is a double-edged sword that often makes the film feel lifeless.
Add to that the new tendency to include sophomoric humor and cute creatures for
the younger audience members, and Chinese wuxia begins to look a lot like the Marvel
franchise.
The Emperor’s Sword is far from a perfect film, and still relies a little too
heavily upon CGI, but the narrative is more grounded than many recent wuxia
films. The plot involves a deadly sword that has been divided and hidden during
the Qin Dynasty due to the immense power it contains. After the emperor dies, his
daughter is hunted down when she escapes with one half of the sword. Her only protection
is seven warriors known as “The Seven Gentlemen” (The Virtuous, The Wisdom, The
Polite, The Valor, The Brave, The Vigor, and The Wise), who have vowed to protect
the sword.
There are some great action sequences within The Emperor’s
Sword, including one particularly intense showdown between archers in a
bamboo forest. But even though the film wisely keeps the action grounded in terms
of fighter’s abilities and choreography, the poor choice to rely on CGI for the
arrows detracts from these efforts towards realism. The action is still
passably entertaining, helped along with kinetic camera work, but it is disappointingly
forgettable.
Part of the problem with The Emperor’s Sword, aside
from the use of digital effects, is the number of characters introduced. There
are so many moving parts to the narrative, and it becomes difficult to care
about any of the individual elements when so little time is spent developing
any of it. While I would never advocate for less action, The Emperor’s Sword
reduces the stakes of these sequences when we care less about the characters
who are fighting.
The Blu-ray release for The Emperor’s Sword doesn’t
have special features, making the high-definition presentation the only
highlight. Although I’m sure it makes a difference, audiences may not care enough
to find out.
Entertainment Value:
6/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 5.5/10
Historical
Significance: 2/10
Special Features: 0/10
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