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If you're expecting an action film, then you'll be disappointed. If you'd like to experience a different type of war film, then you're in for a treat. The premise is simple, a junior officer is sent on his first posting to a distance fort on the outskirts of the empire. With the isolation goes promotion opportunities and perhaps imminent glory. The problem is that no one has seen the "Northern Kingdom" soldiers for sure, but signs of advanced scouting parties keep the men's hopes up and helps to alleviate the daily grind of training and preparation. The belief that a border incursion is pending has kept some of soldiers at the fort for their entire careers. The cinematography is spectacular and works hand in hand with the tension of anticipation. The viewer is effectively drawn into the stiff military culture and the mentality of the soldiers, but like them you have a sinking feeling that although the day of reckoning is very close it may never come.

If you're expecting an action film, then you'll be disappointed. If you'd like to experience a different type of war film, then you're in for a treat. The premise is simple, a junior officer is sent on his first posting to a distance fort on the outskirts of the empire. With the isolation goes promotion opportunities and perhaps imminent glory on the battle field. The problem is that no one has seen the "Northern Kingdom" soldiers for sure, but signs of advanced scouting parties keep the men's hopes up and helps to alleviate the daily grind of training and preparation. The belief that a border incursion is pending has kept some of soldiers at the fort for their entire careers. The cinematography is spectacular and works hand in hand with the tension of anticipation. The viewer is effectively drawn into the stiff military culture and the mentality of the soldiers, but like them you have a sinking feeling that although the day of reckoning is very close it may never come.

If you are a fan of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Hero" then you will likely enjoy this film as well. Like its predecessors, this movie is heavy on style, costumes, cinematography, and impossible martial arts combat, bow and arrow, and knife throwing sequences. The more combatants in a scene (say the bamboo grove fighting scene) the more special effects seem to take over. On the other hand the one on one combat scenes were fairly realistic and riveting (the fight during a blizzard comes to mind). Unlike it's predecessors, there is more stress placed on the love story and character dialog then on martial arts action and large epic type scenes, likely as a result of a much smaller budget.

Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro), our hero, is tasked with infiltrating "The flying daggers" an anti-government group, with the help of one it's members, Mei (Ziyi Zhang). A good deal of the film consists of Jin and Mei making their way thorough the country, which develops into a love interest. In fact the movie revolves around the relationships between the three main characters, with intrigue, deception, and double crossing thrown in. There are many love scenes (nothing memorable), which seems to detract from the expectation of a martial arts film, or maybe the intent was to make a love story with a martial arts back drop.

If "Crouching tiger..." and "Hero", which were epic martial arts films, then "Flying Daggers" is a smaller more intimate martial arts love story.