On Wings of Eagles

We had to drive 1.5 hours to see this film, as it was only in one theater in our state. The drive was totally worth it!!! On Wings of Eagles is a very high quality film, with production value, sets, acting, and special effects that could compare to most Hollywood flicks. Joseph Fiennes' performance was very strong and believable. His acting talent carried this film, just as it did in Risen. The story is very moving and inspiring, and is a great sequel to Chariots of Fire. I was very excited to see this on the big screen and hope that many people will be inspired by it. Several scenes with blood give it its' PG-13 rating, but the violence is not disturbing or overly graphic. This is a great film that is worth watching! My rating: Excellent!!!

My wife and I watched this movie at home on DVD from our public library.

In 1981 was a movie "Chariots of Fire". The IMDb synopsis is "Two British track athletes, one a determined Jew, and the other a devout Christian, compete in the 1924 Olympics." That Christian athlete was Eric Liddell (lid-uhl) who set a record but refused to compete in trials scheduled on a Sunday.

This movie "Wings" is a continuation of that story some years later as Liddell has returned to China, where he was born to British missionaries, to teach. Joseph Fiennes plays the role of Eric Liddell and most of the movie is during WW2 when the Japanese have imprisoned many of them.

It is a good study of who Liddell was and how he likely sacrificed himself to provide freedom for others. Not a pleasant movie but a meaningful one.

I would like to be the first person to review this movie, given that IMDb is a wonderful platform that i always visit.

This is a semi-biographical story about Eric Liddell, the runner in the Chariots of Fire. It centred on his last days spent in China during the Second World War. As the HK director Jacky Shin lacked the promotional funding, his feat is all the more commendable, having spent ten years on investigative research; even going thru the pains of interviewing survivors from the War. He lacked promotional funds, so the showtimes were short. That said, this movie was built on an extremely concrete plot. Although it would not build towards a climatic ending like most Hollywood movies, it remained an extremely high quality movie to capture the audience.

First, the wonderful script was supported by sturdy acting from Fiennes, and also the supporting cast. Although at times, i found it a bit too tear jerking, the movie remained captivating as this icon was larger than life. This movie transcends creed, nationality nor religion as it centres on the boundless themes of love, hope and humanity. One just marvels at the courage he faces under suffering and tyranny. One can also share in the sheer joy of victory and determination.

One more credit goes to the soundtrack by Chris Babida. The sacred hymns were interspersed with original soundtrack sung by HK singer Francis Yip. Her singing blended neatly with the opening as well as the closing. Even after the movie ends, her angelic voice continued to resonate in one's ears. During the race, the original soundtrack managed to capture the audience with gripping focus, none less successful than Vangelis was for Chariots of Fire.

i don't believe many people would have seen or have planned to see this film, but i'm sure it should not be disappointing. Having seen so many bad films in 2016, this is refreshing indeed and a salute to HK Director. Every Chinese should go see it and pay tribute to this man who gave his life for China.

This was a highly watchable film with good performances from Fiennes and the supporting cast. I know it's a small quibble, but I had an aunt who spent some of her childhood in a Japanese internment camp and these actors were simply too well fed. I'm not asking for the kind of extreme method acting that Chris Bale goes in for, but a loss of condition and a bit of weight loss would have added to the authenticity a little. The conditions in these places were atrocious and there just wasn't any non-make up suggestion of that. I don't know how close to the story this was but apart from my rather mean quibble, it was a good film. A couple of collar bones from naturally slender guys does not starvation show!

This film picks up where "Chariots of Fire" (1981) leaves off with the Olympic champion Eric Liddell (Joseph Fiennes) now a missionary in the land of his birth - now war-torn - China. When the Japanese invade, he is initially fêted - well fed and looked after, but that is all part of the ultimate game of humiliation as he is basically being groomed for a race against "Xu Niu" (Shawn Dou). This is quite an interesting depiction of just how this man's Christian faith and sense of decency were pitched against the ruthlessness of his captors who used both physical and psychological methods to reduce their captives to jelly. Whilst this certainly hints at those atrocities, the whole look and feel of the film is just a little sterile and Fiennes isn't really up to much in the lead. Somehow his strength of faith and purpose is lost in a really mediocre production that never quite gets going properly. Based in fact, it does offer us a truth about the truly shameful ending for this man of principle, but perhaps a remake with a better cast, writing and more vision from a director who understands how to better deliver a story of a complex individual would leave us feeling better fulfilled. Watchable, but forgettable I am afraid.