[MOVIE] House of Flying Daggers (aka The Lovers) - Jay-Chou.net

**jayx8318x** · 10-10-2004, 04:41 AM

Just wondering what some people thought of this movie? It stars Zhang Zi Yi, Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro, and directed by Zhang Yimou

I just saw it myself and have mixed feelings after seeing it. I think it had great potential, but whereas a movie should build momentum as it progresses, this movie seemed to do the opposite :/

And as much as I like Zhang Zi Yi, I'm getting kinda tired of her being casted in these types of movies, where are all the new actresses? But it was really good seeing her dance in the beginning since she's a trained dancer, and it looked natural to her.

<SPOILER BELOW - highlight to see>
But seeing her with Andy Lau wasn't easy, isn't he like 50 something now?
Not to mention, chinese love scenes are always difficult to watch, the actors seem so uncomfortable or something
</END SPOILER>

And what can I say about Takeshi Kaneshiro

, and the daggers flying around was cool. But anyways, the movie was of course too formulaic...

<SPOILER BELOW - highlight to see>
And what the heck happened to the house of flying daggers? They kinda left that in the open, it showed the troops gathering around them, but who won?
</END SPOILER>

It did do well at the Cannes Festival, but like many have said, it's made for Western audiences, all the Eastern and wu xia devotees are gonna hate/laugh at it. Anyways, I kinda liked it, cuz I like sappy stuff. But it doesn't really teach a lesson or have one of those profound impacts on you, like CTHD or Hero, it's basically a love story. Unless I missed something

rachelle03 · 10-10-2004, 05:01 AM

Basically, I watched the movie for Takeshi Kaneshiro.

esp with the bow and arrow. (Orlando Bloom in LOTR?)

Personally, I like the sound/music effects of the movie, esp, the dance rountine by Zhang Zi Yi, the beans beating on the drums.

Quote:

And what the heck happened to the house of flying daggers? They kinda left that in the open, it showed the troops gathering around them, but who won?

Totally agree! My group of friends were wondering when the credits starts to roll. A definite cliffhanger. Did they end up having dinner together?

Sad to say, Andy Lau seems to look old and haggard in the movie.

I'm looking forward to his movie in 'Yesterday Once More' with Sammi Cheng.

The biggest flop in the movie is [spoiler] When Zhang Zi Yi died in the snow field, and after Takeshi was so heartbroken, why did she have to revive again?!? I was laughing through the scenes. Sorry ~ [Spoiler End]

But the fighting scenes and the sound effects are definite a big plus point.

**ftlouiea** · 10-10-2004, 10:54 AM

Hmm yes. Although the sound effects were incredible, i don't think they make up for the lack of plot in the film...

as with all zhangyimou films, the colour and setting of the film is amazing. Even zhangziyi's costume when she was dancing, you could see the huge amount of effort to make it!

i rather though takeshi in the movie was a lil strange. his look is more modern, and somehow was very young and contemporary compared to andy lau... but his mandarin was perfect.

en_en · 10-10-2004, 06:17 PM

I saw it when I was in Taiwan...I thought it was a really good movie. Although I have to agree with your first spoiler. It always is really awkward -_-

As for SPOILERZhang ziyi dying at the end and them coming back up and all that, SPOILER ENDS...I thought that was really stupid. -_-

Do you know when the movie plans on releasing in the US? I think the movie was directed by the same guy that did Farewell, My Concubine, and his plot lines are always really simple, easy to understand.

So really, I thought that movie was really good cause I came out of the movie theatre crying my eyes out and the actors did great, but there was a few loose ends they needed to tie up.

zhy378 · 10-10-2004, 06:46 PM

yea i also heard is gonna come to america too. heard that zhangziyi is tryin to get more famous cuz of it, hehe.

**kahel** · 10-11-2004, 01:16 AM

I thought I was the only one disappointed with this movie. My friend and I are big Yimou fans not to mention Takeshi Kaneshiro, so we went to the moviehouse planning to catch the screening twice. We want to see the movie's plot first and drool for Takeshi later but then we were so disappointed with the movie. We really can't believe we were laughing off some fight scenes too especially that part with the drastic weather change in the end which was so immediate.

and there was so much CGI things going on, that it doesn't feel like a classic wu xia film, I really hated the part where they show the daggers...it was like they're screaming "look, daggers! they're going fast! or look blood!"

The only commendable part of the story is Takeshi Kaneshiro's back. omg! what a commendable performance. He's got he sexiest back ever.

anyway, part of my disappointment too is that they say that this was better than Wong Kar Wai's 2046 (the film I have been waiting for for years now), it this was better, whay am I to expect with 2046?

roche · 10-11-2004, 05:42 AM

well....i'll confess that i watched it ONLY because Takeshi Kaneshiro...

he looked absolutely fantastic in there...!!

the movie itself - well, i think its just seems very typical zhang yimou-ish. i mean, the whole "vibrantly colored falling leaves" scenes and "slow motion flying ribbons to hit the drums" thing was so "Hero"....
at least, that's what it seemed like to me, though i know my friends who were big hero fans insist otherwise.

And i agree with you guys, andy lau looked really old and haggard, especially next to takeshi kaneshiro - that guy doesn't seem to age!!! or he does, but he just looks more delicious....heh
if i were zhang ziyi i would so go for takeshi kaneshiro rather than be with andy lau

someone told me that the movie was very Infernal Affairs Wannabe-ish with all the twists and i gotta say i was rather surprised after each revelation....haha.

but lets just say that i enjoyed the movie overall...and would watch again, even if it was just to drool at takeshi kaneshiro...

edit
here's the bit torrent link if anyone's interested in downloading it....

House of Flying Daggers
(the link works - its just a little slow to download....just wait!

)

cloud77 · 10-18-2004, 01:17 AM

The cinematography in this movie was amazing. The colors were so bright... very beautiful. Especially in the first scene when Zhang Ziyi was dancing. The action was okay, a little to much CGI. The story line was okay. Somehow when it came to the emotional parts I didn't really feel anything for the characters. Andy Lau was a little too old for Zhang Ziyi. Not bad for an older dude, but he was very hot when he was younger. Takeshi is just awesome looking. :)

pyre · 10-22-2004, 01:28 PM

I totally fell in love with this movie! It had great cinematography and excellent choreography! I think the love scenes between Ziyi and Takeshi were more natural and easier to watch!

So sad how Ziyi died in the end! I wanted her to be with Takeshi, but you have to feel for Andy aswell...seeing the woman he loves who no longer loves him in the arms of another man...ouch!

But I loved the sequence where Takeshi and Ziyi were running through the woods when he took ehr away..The colours were great...and for once the costumes were nice!

vashdestampede · 10-23-2004, 11:07 AM

i liked the snow at the end...

everything goes white...
when everything was in colour before
greens and blacks and everything...

and the bamboo!
omg! i'm never gonna look at my friend's bamboo fence the same way ever again!

but i thought it was only half a story...
it just...stops...it looks only at a certain part of a larger story
i really thought there was gonna be some huge army vs rebel fight or something...