Rent Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (2011)
3.0 of 5 from 82 ratings
2h 3min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Welcome to Ming Dynasty China, a country ravaged by civil war. Amongst the chaos a legendary warrior (Jet Li) fights for justice against the bloodthirsty armies who terrorise the land. Now all forces, good and evil, will collide at the infamous Dragon Inn for the fulfilment of a great prophecy. The Inn, so legend has it, is the location of a lost city buried deep beneath the desert, whose hidden treasure is only revealed every sixty years by a gigantic storm. The storm is coming and the ultimate battle is just moments away...
- Actors:
- Jet Li, Xun Zhou, Kun Chen, Gwei Lun-Mei, Yuchun Li, Mavis Fan, Siu-Wong Fan, Chia-Hui Liu, Jiankui Sun, Chien Sheng, Yiheng Du, Shuangbao Wang, Jian Xue, Feixing Han, Bingyuan Li, Zhuo Li, Di Wu, Junru Li, Sibo Li, Zhai Gang
- Directors:
- Hark Tsui
- Producers:
- Jeffrey Chan, Nansun Shi, Hark Tsui
- Writers:
- Hark Tsui
- Aka:
- Long men fei jia
- Studio:
- Revolver Entertainment
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Drama
- Countries:
- China
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 29/10/2012
- Run Time:
- 123 minutes
- Languages:
- Dubbed, English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
- Subtitles:
- English
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.35:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 29/10/2012
- Run Time:
- 123 minutes
- Languages:
- Dubbed, English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- Subtitles:
- English
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.35:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
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Reviews (1) of Flying Swords of Dragon Gate
Watch and wonder - Flying Swords of Dragon Gate review by Alphaville
Another surreal period actioner on an epic scale from visionary director Tsui Hark. Described as a ‘mad’ genius’ by the crew, he treats us to some eye-popping stunts and set-pieces. From the huge canvas of the opening maritime scene onwards, it’s filmed with everything on screen in crystal-clear focus, like Citizen Kane, making it an overwhelming visual experience. Some of the set-pieces, such as the battle in the Black Sandstorm, are a breathtaking spectacle. The plot, about revolting eunuchs and a concubine on the run, is just a hook. The substance of the film is visual. This is what cinema was made for.
So why not five stars? A talky section in the middle, when various factions plot against each other, merely passes time. This is also the first Chinese film to be made in 3D. In the 2D DVD version, swords flying at the camera lose their impact. Still, fans of Tsui Hark’s brilliant Detective Dee movies will not be disappointed.
0 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Critic review
Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (aka Long men fei jia) review by Alyse Garner - Cinema Paradiso
Heralded as the first “wuxia” movie to be released in 3D Flying Swords of Dragon Gate is to traditional Chinese Martial Arts movies as the tales of Robin Hood and King Arthur are to traditional English myth and legend. The film tells the story of the infamous Dragon Inn, a famous landmark of traditional Chinese legend, where the whereabouts of a palace concubine, may be being kept secret by the dubious new owners of the tavern.
In all honesty this plot point is a little redundant as what spirals out from this narrative core is a wealth of intricate and impressive martial arts performances.
Don’t assume however that this means this movie is all fighting with no depth, the director Hark Tsui, creates a surprising number of meaningful connections between audience and character but interweaving stories of identity, spirituality and romance into the violent swordplay.
The swordplay really can not go without mention here, as the fight chorography uses any number of swords, daggers and knives to their fullest and most deadly extent. The sight of characters dancing between lightening fast blades is slowed for you in a delicate and stylistic manner that adds a new artistic level to the movie. Couple this with the extreme close ups of blood and the intensity of the impending black sand storm that plays a central part in the movie Flying Swords of Dragon Gate certainly makes a visual impact.
For fans of the genre this movie is a must see and it is a terrible shame for anyone who missed it in IMAX 3D.