A Promessa

The Promise has delivered the message to the audience, ie, live life full , bravery to pursuit our love, and our ability to change our fate by choice.

The west have "superman" and "fantastic four". No one commented the movies are illogical. This promise has combined Chinese myth and faith. In such contact, it is unkind to comment the abilities of the slave to fly, run and step into another realm of time and life. Do not apply double standard in evaluating and judging the movie with our limited perspectives. The important thing is the message the movie trying to express to the audience.

The movie captured many beautiful moment, from flowers to sky, from facial expression to non verbal language.

The conversation among the cast are remarkable. It made us think of our own life. The Chinese language fully exploited to deliver the complexity of ideas and thought.

The concubine has made the choice to love the general. She even decided to pour her heart out to the "slave". At the end, she is the one decided to ignore the warning of the "goddess".

A movie worth watching again!

SPOILER: In 'The Promise' Cecilia Cheung plays Qingcheng, an orphan girl trying to survive. While on a battlefield, she tries to find scraps of food from the dead soldiers to bring back to her sick mother. While trying to escape the son of one of the generals, Qingcheng runs into the goddess Manshen (Hong Chen). Manshen informs Qingcheng that her mother is dead and strikes a deal with her. From this day forth Qingcheng will always live in luxury, but every man she falls in love with she will eventually lose. Qingcheng agrees to the bargain.

This movie is a combination of 'Hero' and 'Bulletproof Monk'. This is another Chinese legend epic that really fails as a movie. The moral of the story is hard to follow and takes forever to get its point across. On the plus side, it is a very visually stunning movie. It better be since it is the most expensive film in Chinese history with a budget of $35 million.

If you like 'Hero' and 'House of Flying Daggers', you might like this. Else, don't go see it.

When I was a kid, going to the movies gave me a rush like nothing else, but for the last few years my movie-going experience has been one disappointment after another. "The Promise" was a very rare exception.

I'm not saying this movie is for everybody. It's heavily stylized, and the mythical nature of the story requires a certain suspension of disbelief. BUT, if you crave stimulation for your eyes, your ears, and your imagination, this movie will deliver. The score is incredible, and every frame is stunning, visually. The story is a fairy tale. If you let yourself get lost in it, the experience will be magical. If you spend your time analyzing, breaking down the laws of physics, and worrying whether you're getting all the intended messages, you will most likely come away unsatisfied.

When I saw the trailer for The Promise, it didn't look too impressive to me, but I noted that it is a Chen Kaige film, and Chen Kaige is reason enough to watch a film that might not look so good.

So I watched The Promise (or Mo Gik), and I must say that it is not often I watch a film with my jaw down most of the time in reaction to the visual majesty of the film.

When I watch movies, the first thing I look out for are the new things to see, more so than the stories. That's the whole point of the cinema, right? To use our eyes. The Promise delivers full marks on that front, with precise and unique cinematography that captures and compliments the breathless and mystical elements of the film in dazzling colors and sweeping scenery.

At this juncture I must note that The Promise is shot digitally, and employs a wide range of digital effects to create the semi-fantasy world of fluorescent colors and out of this world settings. One of the common complaints about this film is that the CGI, as well as the set decoration in this film looks highly amateurish despite it's grand setting. I have to agree that it's not the finest looking visual effects in the world, but I'm proud of it nonetheless. For a budget 4 times less than movies like Star Wars and King Kong (despite it being the most expensive film ever made in China), the effects are pretty darn good to see. Watch it in context, and it'll be the finest thing that China has ever seen.

As for the acting, I can't say too much about it. A Korean and and a Japanese take up two of the four lead roles, and both of them speak mandarin well enough to pass off as Chinese characters. Cecilia Chung dazzles the screen not only with her beauty, but simple gestures of seduction that would capture any man's attention in an instant. Nicholas Tse, whom I personally consider as someone who cannot act for nuts, manages to act a little bit this time as the cunning Duke.

Action, romance, and dialogue mesh together happily and consistently throughout the film, accompanied by the epic score by Klaus Badelt.

A dazzling experience in the cinema. The film is not without it's flaws, with plot holes occurring every now and then, and moments of extreme cliché. But before these moments shame the film, the next moment of visual cuts in and saves the day.

8/10

The 'promise' of 340 million yuan (Chinese dollar) turns out to be CGI, CGI, CGI. Kind of hard to believe that Kaige Chen would want to make a film like this. Many of Kaige Chen's former fans are probably appalled and disappointed. As for me, I bought the ticket for sheer entertainment, spectacles, and visual delight. Plus I like Nicholas Tse and Cecilia Cheung (and they're finally married, hurray!). I know the plot is weak, but that's fine with me. Just maintain an open mind, and see how 340 million yuan was lavishly spent- the film certainly contains magnificent spectacles, and the costume and makeup are eerie but beautiful. The film is pure fantasy; don't let logic ruin your viewing experience. To appreciate this film, you can't take it too seriously. And don't compare it with previous works of Kaige Chen... just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.