User reviews

If you like Wuxia movies then this is definitely a good one. If you've never seen one, this might surprise you positively.

This movie sort of just is what's written on the cover so to say. It has a romance plot, increasing power levels, an avenge the father part and a loyalty between origin and education conflict.

It didn't surprise in any way, which for this type of movie is just fine. The heroes are compelling, and although the motivations for the antagonists aren't exactly clear, they make for worthy adversaries.

All in all this movie did nothing wrong and is top of the line for its genre, but also doesn't stand out beyond that.

I grew up watching Legend of the Condor Heroes and Return of the Condor Heroes from the 80s and absolutely LOVED them. So of course this movie brings back so many memories and emotions because it uses the same soundtrack.

The story is good and the acting good. My main complaint is the subtitles/translation - they are HORRIBLE. It doesn't seem like the translator is a good English speaker because it's very unnatural. Instead of saying yes, the translation is "affirmative." They also love the words "hereafter" and "nevermore" and "Ye." Honestly, if I didn't already know what was going on, I would have been totally lost if I had to rely on the subtitles.

Good movie - just wish subtitles were up to par with the rest of it.

After fleeing the Jin Dynasty and finding refuge with the Mongols, Guo Jing hopes to do what his father could not and protect the Song Dynasty. Searching the land for a teacher and a discipline he could master, he meets an eccentric girl, Huang Rong, who joins him on his journey. Along the way, tragedy strikes, and they go their separate ways.

This movie is an adaptation of a book series full of mysticism, kung fu, historical references, and a love triangle. The story is complicated, with time jumps, historical and cultural references, and being in two different languages. There is not as much action, but the action peppered throughout is the classic ku fung style. The story focuses more on politics and diplomacy than the ku fung. With two hours and twenty-six minutes runtime, a confusing storyline, and multiple languages, this movie may not be for everyone and anyone looking for a classic historical kung fu saga.

It was a feast of visual delight. From the color palettes to the dramatic lighting, no details were spared. There are new experimentation that Tsui Hark has put in, so while it brings back the memories of the peak of the Hong Kong film era, it is still fresh and dynamic. The action sequences are particularly interesting, with a mix of martial arts, wire fu and now CGI, but yet not forgetting actual real world physics, bringing us an exhilarating choreography. Kudos to the actors, who definitely put in a lot of hard work to create such fluid action sequences. As a Louis Cha fan, I am very satisfied with this adaptation.

This had great potential as a martial arts extravaganza, but it relies way too heavily on some very repetitive and not so special effects to get its story across. It's all about "Guo Jing" (Zhan Xiao) who's the adopted (Han) son of the great Mongol chief Genghis Khan (Bayaertu). He has been out on a mission when he encounters the young "Huang Rong" (Dafei Zhuang) and the two sort of fall for each other, then a serious misunderstanding drives them apart and he has a series of encounters with the menacing "Venom West" who is desperate to obtain a scroll that will give him powers to rule the Earth. Instead, though, it's our young hero who - thanks to some expert help from another constantly hungry master, secures the benefits of those teachings. On returning home, he discovers that his father has decided it's time to make war on the Jin and to do that he is going to march his formidable army through the territory of the "Song" - and the young man cannot allow this transgressions of his erstwhile homeland. Thanks to the Khan's loved-up daughter he manages to escape and take refuge in the besieged Xiangyang - but can he hope to defeat the approaching army, reunite with his gal and, don't forget, the malevolent "Venom West" is still seeking global domination. If you're looking for eye candy then Zhan Xiao does just about enough here, but the rest of the casting is pretty unremarkable and the mythology is really all rather undercooked as we lumber on for two and a half hours to a denouement that's great for the CGI-fetishists amongst us, but otherwise isn't really anything much to write home about. The story darts about too much, threads are left unfinished or simply abandoned and by the end I felt I'd got very little to get my teeth into. Visual effects technology is only going to make these kind of epic historical films easier to make, so to stand out there is going to need to be more work on the characterisations and the plot! This has the odd moment of mirth, but for the most part it's just a procedural waste of an opportunity. It's my kind of film and I do like the genre, but as the arch-ninja "Yoda" himself might have said - "an handsome man and some deft use of the computer do not a compelling story make".

This version of Guo Jing is truly a surprise! A righteous Han face, a strong Mongolian physique, riding horses and commanding eagles on the grasslands, speaking Mongolian. This is the first time I've seen Nine Yin Manual and Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms visualized so vividly-it was absolutely thrilling to watch! The entire movie can be described as an epic, immersive martial arts world! Honestly, Director Tsui Hark made the perfect choice for Guo Jing! I also teared up watching it this morning. No one else could play Guo Jing as perfectly as he did. Xiao Zhan is truly Hero Guo Jing! 👍🏼 You should watch this movie - it's absolutely worth it!

Xiao Zhan spends the entirety of the movie with a frown on his face. At this rate he's gonna have to have that botoxed soon...

Well now, in all seriousness, never seen any of the Condor Heroes movies or series and never read any of the books, nor will I. A lot of people are saying you need to have the background, didn't have any but it was perfectly fine to be honest, if you take it as it is it's easy to follow. Jin, Song and the Mongols, it's pretty clear. Wuxia and Xianxia are not my favourite thing if I'm honest and this movie did not do anything to change that. It was a blockbuster record-breaking success by Tsui Hark, as expected really so people like this sort of thing.

What I can say about it is that it looks absolutely gorgeous. Some of the landscapes are stunning and even if they are enhanced some of them are for sure real. The lighting, the colours, the composition, they are beautiful or engaging. There aren't many battle scenes per se and they're probably artificial. A lot of the fights are between people with magical powers. As such they are over the top and cartoonish to me. The characters act like that as well, it's the style. Not a fan of it. Guo Jing acts like a cartoon character most of the time. I know the guy can act, but this is how these movies are acted. Western Venom Ouyang Feng is ridiculous and annoying. A lot of this two and a half hours, which believe me it's way too long, is spent on this guy longing and looking for this girl, then two girls fighting for this guy.

What I did find interesting, at least historically speaking, was that Guo Jing was raised by the Mongols, was loyal by blood to the Song Chinese and hated the Jin, but Song also betrayed his father. For a while it looked like he would succeed the Khan, who viewed his as a son.

Rating it solely for the visuals.

A shoddy pseudo-wuxia film, claiming to be adapted from a Jin Yong novel, lacks basic story content and has absolutely no character development. Surprisingly, the only watchable element is Princess Hua Zheng of Mongolia; everything else is a complete mess. It merely borrows the name of a Jin Yong novel. While the original work doesn't focus heavily on this particular section, the movie essentially throws together fragments of the novel randomly, resembling a mashup of online short dramas. Although the subtitle is "The Greatest Hero," the film's limited runtime makes it impossible to both depict the protagonist's growth process and have him instantly become a great hero. After all, at this point in the original novel, Guo Jing's martial arts skills are just beginning to take shape, and his understanding of "The Greatest Hero" is not yet profound. This character arc of growth actually develops in the next installment, "The Return of the Condor Heroes." The director's attempt to force the protagonist into becoming a great hero in this film can only be described as 'trying to draw a tiger but ending up with a dog' - a complete failure.

Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants" is an exciting action-adventure film that follows the story of Guo Jing, portrayed by the talented Xiao Zhan. At a time when the Mongols, led by Genghis Khan, threaten to destroy the Jin Dynasty and then the Song Dynasty, Guo Jing joins martial arts masters from various schools in the Central Plains of China to defend Xiangyang. The film stands out for its impressive action scenes, costumes, and set design, as well as Xiao Zhan's compelling performance, who embodies a brave and loyal hero.

Don't miss it! The film will be released in U. S. theaters on February 21, 2025. 🎬

The plot of the movie is confusing and hard to follow, dragging on with little excitement. The story feels repetitive, with no real depth or engaging moments, making it hard to stay interested in the characters or their journey. The acting is stiff and unconvincing, lacking any emotional depth or nuance. The special effects are poorly executed, failing to create any sense of awe or immersion. The fight scenes, which should be the highlight, are lackluster and unremarkable, with no real intensity or choreography. Overall, the movie feels like a disjointed mess, lacking both substance and style, and ultimately fails to hold the viewer's attention from start to finish.

A new work directed by Tsui Hark, based on Jin Yong's famous novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes. I have watched it 4 times in these 3 days, and I have new feelings every time. Although I have read the novel countless times and watched the two Hong Kong versions of the TV series, perhaps because I was still young when I watched them, I really didn't focus on the chivalrous aspect. This time, Tsui Hark put a lot of emphasis on expressing the chivalrous spirit of the original novel through each of the main characters, and with the addition of outstanding special effects, he was able to present the martial arts described in the book in a more three-dimensional manner on the big screen. I was really moved after watching it. There are fewer and fewer directors who are so serious nowadays.

The worst adaptation of the beloved Jin Yong's work. LOTCH is a martial art/kungfu novel but here, the movie focused more on the war stories.

The characters are so two-dimensional that they seemed flatter than the pages of the book. The only saving grace is the character of Hua Zhen, the Mongolian princess which received more airplay here than otherwise in other drama adaptation.

The kungfu skills amd fight scenes are so ridiculous, heavily laden with CGI that could put any Marvel superheroes to shame.

Without the financial backing of China, Tsui Hark would have gone into oblivion long ago. With such audacious, ridiculous movie, it's time he should.

As a reader of Louis Cha's novels, this adaptation is really superb! It encapsulates the themes of bravery, sincerity and loyalty embodied in the novel really well! You can always trust Tsui Hark to bring a heartfelt wuxia adaptation to the big screen. He brought together a cast of young stars and veterans to great effect! Xiao Zhan is stunning as the young hero, he lived the character! Fan favourite Huang Rong is sweet and devoted, while being smart and sassy at the same time. The sweeping vistas are stunning, and it all combines into a convincing and realistic take of the history of that period.

The movie "Lengends of the condor heroes" is super good, worthy of being directed by Tsui Hark. The martial arts scenes are super powerful. I was moved to tears several times after watching it in the morning. The unimaginable places in the TV series were filmed. The story is really good.

It is not an empty blockbuster without any content. I feel that watching it once is not enough. I will ask my friends to watch it again in two days. There is also Guo Daxia (Xiao Zhan). No wonder so many people like him. He is really good in acting. I wonder what else he has acted in? I will pay attention to it.

As a devoted fan of Jin Yong, I was deeply disappointed when I watched this movie in China during the Chinese New Year. The storyline was heavily distorted-if not completely ruined-riddled with logical flaws and cheap special effects. The main characters' performances were unconvincing at best, often bordering on awkward, with no chemistry between the lead actor and actress. The kung fu choreography was the least impressive of any Jin Yong adaptation I've seen. Definitely not worth the ticket price.

I am trying to find something good to say about this movie but unfortunately almost none. Do not recommend it.

I am the mother of two children. In this Chinese New Year time our family with grandparents six of us went to see the legend of the Condor heroes together. This is such great choice for the family time.

After watching I was really surprised that big scene very bright screen design and this is such wonderful movie!

The story is smooth and natural and each character's outlook on life is fresh.

I love a movie with a tight plot and no mud. Worth to watch will highly recommend to everyone!

The aesthetic of this film is too good what is the home country feelings! My martial arts soul is coming back.

Martial arts films are a trump card of Chinese movie! This film The Legend of the Condor Heroes features magnificent war scenes, humorous martial arts moves, delicate expressions of love, loyalty to the country, and the difficulty of choosing between gratitude for upbringing and personal identity. Most importantly, it has spectacular martial arts scenes! Xiao Zhan, who plays Guo Jing, has a handsome and upright appearance. His martial arts movements are clean and crisp, and his posture while riding a horse is extremely upright! His martial arts and horse - riding actions make him seem like a professional martial arts star and rider! He must have trained hard for a long time. It's definitely worth watching. After watching it, I felt the film was too short, and a sequel should be made soon! This is my favorite film in 2025!

The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants is a great film for any fan of the wuxia genre or martial arts movies in general!

Some aspects about the movie that are especially noteworthy in my eyes:

• The great performance by everyone, but especially by Xiao Zhan as Guo Jing, Zhuang Dafei as Huang Rong, Zhang Wenxin as Hua Zheng, and Baya'ertu as Genghis Khan. They all portrayed their characters convincingly and made them easily likable for the audience.

• The high amount of Mongolian spoken in the movie gave the movie a more authentic feeling.

• The fight scenes a felt so smooth and flawless, easily moving from filmed material to CGI without barely an indication where one ends and other begins. It's truly amazing. The fight scenes themselves look masterfully, and the dedication of the cast and crew shines through.

• The movie includes unexpected subtle or ironic humour at times, which I really liked.

• The cinematography of the movie is stunning, and the music is simple amazing.

The movie doesn't aim to re-invent the wheel but tells a visually beautiful story with a lot of heart, great performances and a timeless theme, wonderfully captured by the master of the wuxia genre Tsui Hark.

If the movie has one flaw that helps it to reach a 10/10, then it's the nature of it being only a snapshot in Guo Jing's life that requires the movie to establish a lot of context in a very short amount of time. The movie could have been even bolder in leaving more elements of its literal model out in orders to focus on the core of the story it wants to tell.

All in all, the movie deservedly has become the highest box office wuxia movie ever in chinese movie history!

Highly entertaining and absolutely amazing!!! The martial arts scenes are insane-fast, intense, and beautifully choreographed. The CGI is top-notch, making every battle feel larger than life. The war scenes are epic, with huge armies clashing in breathtaking visuals. The story is actually really good, with emotional moments that hit hard. The acting feels natural, and the characters are super likable. The music? Perfect. It makes every scene feel even more powerful. Plus, Hark Tsui's directing is on point-every shot looks stunning. Easily a 10/10, one of the best Chinese martial arts movies I've seen!

Meaningful, fast-paced movie, with breathtaking sceneries.

Story's ultimate focus on Guo Jing's inner struggle, and how he coped with the conflicts between Song (his ancestral homeland) and Mongolia (where he was raised by a loving royal family).

Ending has a beautiful meaning for present times --- when there's so much war and hate.

(Real heroes are not about muscles and power, but about the heart for the greater good of the people.)

*** Tips for NON-Mandarin speakers: To appreciate the story details, you need some prior-background knowledge of Guo Jing, or you may find yourself too focused on the captions and miss a lot in this fast-paced (with various flashbacks) movie.

A decent theater is a MUST for the stunning sceneries and effect.

*** ***