Le règne des assassins

The Dark Stone gang is tracing the remains of a Buddhist priest, because the rumour is that the person who owns those remains will rule over the kung fu world. One of the assassins kills the person who owns half of the corpse, and then makes off with it, thereby betraying her gang. She then meets Wisdom, a martial arts master turned monk, who teaches her that her deed was wrong; she therefore seeks a physician who can change her face for her, turning her into Zeng Jing (the lovely Michelle Yeoh). In her new identity, she becomes a fabric merchant in the big city, where she meets and falls in love with messenger Jiang A-sheng (Woo-sung Jung); soon they marry and appear to have a tranquil life together. But all is not as it seems; not only is Zeng Jing not who she says she is, but neither is Jiang A-sheng, and in the meantime her old gang, among others, continues to search for their erstwhile companion - and the remains of the monk....

This 2010 film was Michelle Yeoh's first wuxia film since the acclaimed "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," and she is as beautiful and graceful as ever, playing a rather complex character who is adept at hiding who she really is, yet capable of sincerely falling in love even when she's, perhaps first and foremost, a killer. The martial arts fights are amazing, but never silly-looking, and the supporting characters are all well-drawn, including a young woman brought into the gang to take Zeng Jing's place, a "magician" who uses both martial arts and magic to defeat his enemies, and the leader of the Dark Stone gang, a eunuch who wants nothing more than to be a "real man," yet who is more skilled a fighter then all of them. Must of this story takes place in city-scapes and at night, so we don't have the lovely landscapes sometimes seen in historical martial arts films, but with Yeoh illuminating the screen with her graceful presence, who needs mere trees and mountains?

This review does not contain any spoilers.

As a born and bred Chinese, I have seen my share of Chinese Martial arts movies. The Reign of Assassins gave me the feeling of watching one of the great classics. It's story is not the most original, but it gives a nice background for the viewer to see the beautiful acting and action scenes. At times it's a love story at others a suspense flick with all the intrigue. The actors do a good job in conveying their emotions to the audience. Most of the characters get fleshed out, so your not only interested in the main characters. Story wise I have to say that some of the things were a bit confusing, but if you paid attention it all made sense.

The action scenes are plenty and well choreographed. The fighting was made believable, nothing was over the top. I especially liked how the action sometimes slows down just to show the viewer how things are done. This brings the action more to life and you actually notice all the small gestures the actors need to make in order to sway or dodge an attack.

Overall I liked the movie and I highly recommend fans of the genre to watch it. I surely enjoyed it.

Reign of Assassins is a delightfully well made wuxia movie which will offer those familiar with previous entries in the genre everything they would expect; from vibrant visuals to elegantly choreographed swordplay and the fair share of melodrama which has become an integral part of this genre. I won't dive into plot details because there aren't a whole lot of them for me spend here, the plot synopsis which is provided on this site and others should give any viewer a good idea about the movies proceedings.

Director Su Chao-Pin and veteran filmmaker John Woo exhibit considerable command when juggling the films tone between dramatic seriousness and lighthearted romance whilst ensuring smooth transitions between the two and creating an equilibrium between exposition and action with none overshadowing the other. Actress Michelle Yeoh remains as charismatic as ever while playing the lead role with confidence and effectiveness and contributes greatly to the movies more dramatic scenes.

Overall, fans and familiars of the genre are guaranteed a great time with Reign of Assassins, those who do not enjoy wuxias in general should steer clear of this one as well.

Ten years ago, Lee Ang's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" breathed new life into the 'wuxia' genre and opened up the world of Chinese cinema to mainstream Western audiences. Had "Reign of Assassins" arrived ten years earlier, it could have very well have achieved the same groundbreaking success as Lee Ang's classic, for make no mistake- this dazzling martial arts epic ranks among one of the best of its kind.

In writer/director Su Chao-Pin's ancient China- as told over an enchanting animated sequence- there are different sects of assassins after the ancient remains of a mystical Indian monk. Among the most deadly are a squad known as the Dark Stone, led by the formidable and distinctively raspy-voiced Wheel King (Wang Xueqi). Drizzle (Kelly Lin) is the most powerful member of the squad, but she has had enough of her life of killing and goes under the knife to emerge as Zeng Jing (Michelle Yeoh).

Just the names of the characters will do well to convince you that this is pure fantasy, but while the world may be make-believe, the characters within them are firmly grounded. Su's script takes its time in the first hour to set up the romance between Zeng Jing and messenger boy Jiang Ah-Sheng (Korean star Jung Woo-sung)- their courtship unfolding with a gentle touch of humour and more than a hint of the film's title - as well as their subsequent married life. Audiences waiting for some action will have to be a bit more patient, as Su wants his audience to get to know his characters well and gives them time to grow on you.

It is almost a good hour into the film by the time Wheel King and his gang of assassins- Lei Bin (Shawn Yue), the Magician (Leon Dai) and Zhan Qing (Barbie Hsu)- track down Zeng Jing on their quest to find the remains. Yet the care and attention to detail that Su pays to each one of his characters pays off beautifully in the second half. Refusing to cast his characters as black-and-white heroes and villains, Su gives each a back-story that blends slickly into the various circumstances the plot throws them into. And in between the balletic action choreographed by Hong Kong's Tung Wai, Su draws on the relationships among the various characters for some intriguing drama- especially the dynamics between Zeng Jing, Wheel King and his three fellow assassins.

It is this tight characterisation that holds the second half of the film together. While the plot in the first half may seem "Mr and Mrs Smith" simplistic in its portrayal of a married couple unaware of the other's past, the second half of the film is anything but. Unfolding with twists and turns, it builds on an engaging first hour to become even more absorbing, culminating in a breathtaking and ultimately touching emotional finish that reaffirms the power of love to overcome hatred and vengeance and self-sacrifice.

Though Su's film is heavy on drama, it also delivers on the action where it matters. Tung Wai avoids any pretentious visual effects in favour of old-school wire-ful swordplay in all its grace and poeticism- though he does use modern-day technology to throw in some nifty moves like bending swords and flying needles in slo-mo. The very first confrontation between Zeng and her enemies in her house is enough to set your pulse racing, and Tung Wai tops that with another equally, if not more, thrilling fight in her house later on and a two-way fight in an open courtyard. Su is less of a director of action films (his filmography reads the 2002 comedy "Better than Sex" and the 2006 horror film "Silk"), so the fact that the action sequences in here have turned out well must have been due in part to producer John Woo's participation as co-director.

Woo's involvement has also ensured the excellent cast assembled here. Michelle Yeoh's role in this film is a welcome return to form for the actress that has not had such a meaty role tailor-made for her since Lee Ang's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". Her natural beauty and elegance complements Zeng Jing's graceful assassin perfectly and serves as a good foil against co-star Jung Woo-sung's rugged handsomeness. Yeoh and Jung also share great chemistry, and it is firmly to their credit that the film ends on a deeply poignant note.

Like the best of its genre, "Reign of Assassins" has all the ingredients for a modern-day 'wuxia' classic- tight characterisation, compelling drama and exciting action topped with fantasy elements. Su Chao-pin and John Woo have created a genre classic ten years after Lee Ang's masterpiece and it is a thrilling and poignant experience worthy of the best martial arts epics.

Excellent wuxia pan with Yeoh in top form dramatically as well as in weapons work. It was refreshing to see the pan-Asian casting done for specifically appropriate characters and acting ability, but without much overt typecasting. Wang Xueqi anchors the film opposite Yeoh more than Jung perhaps, but in the best genre fashion the villains are given gradation and more complex motive and arc than one often sees in action film.

An initial introductory sequence put me off, with a lot of intermittent cinematography and freeze-frames on specific characters. Fortunately, this device is not repeated or characteristic. Kam's score is more understated than usual, and plays well with string accompaniment to the more tightly choreographed parts. Leon Dai's assassin styles and names himself after a Taoist Magician, which initially seemed too light. However, this changed quickly, and although he lent much color to later scenes the overall tone fit well.

It's got a very classic feel, applying wirework sparingly and focusing on the intertwined dialogue and motives of a large cast within the jiang hu milieu. The fights are intricate, concentrating on exotic weapons and styles, but mixing it up with some proxy fighting and concealed technique. It neatly avoids recently popular pitfalls such as overt cgi spectacle, massing sheer volumes of Mainland extras, or lingering on glamour shots of pecs and shimmering hair weaves. Instead, we get clearly delineated spaces for a series of crafted set pieces which fit into a whole - not something to be written around by committee. Hopefully, fans will respond and more filmmakers take notice.