IBMovies

Release date: 2023-01-22

Rating: 5.954

Votes: 152

Genres: Mystery, Comedy, Thriller, History

During China's Song Dynasty, a mysterious murder occurs at Chancellor Quin Hui's palace after meeting delegates from the neighboring Jin Dynasty. The members become embroiled not just in a murder mystery, but a larger conspiracy concerning the fate of the empire.

Reviews

CinemaSerf

When an ambassador is found stabbed to death, the Prime Minister "Qin Hui" (Jiayin Lei) orders an immediate investigation to be headed by his director "He Li" (Yi Zhang) and his deputy "Wu Yichun" (the quite charismatic Yunpeng Yue). Pretty quickly, this investigation has seen the killing of the Captain of the guard and his replacement by the young "Sun Jun" (Jackson Lee) who has alighted on a potential culprit in "Zhang Da" (Teng Shen). The Prime Minister has given the young man and his prisoner just two hours to get to the bottom of the killing and to retrieve a letter thought to have been contained in an ornate leather purse. For much of the first ninety minutes, this is quite a cleverly interwoven and characterful whodunit. Who to trust, who is behind the plot - what is contained in the letter? Who has read the letter? What might the beautiful courtesans know of the mystery? It's quickly paced and quite entertaining. Sadly, though, the last forty-five minutes rather falls away. The characters all start to trip over themselves and the intrigue stops being that and starts to become a bit of a farce leading to an ending that was really weak and disappointing. It looks great though, the production standards and costumes are professional and colourful - it's just an hour too long - and that's without counting the endless pre-title production credits!

AshJohann

You know, while the mixed reviews had me a little worried this wouldn't live up to my hype, my faith never wavered. It seems my conviction was justified, because my goodness is this a masterpiece! So good in fact, that I missed the last direct bus back home because I was so engrossed in discussing it afterwards - if my misfortune is not an endorsement, then I don't know what is! If you've seen Hero and House of Flying Daggers, then you can know what to expect from the plot here: a semi-historical account of a band of usurpers, plotting with wild abandon against tyrannical authority, inside a twisty plot as loyalties shift in constant flux, amounting to a grand political stance as reality reveals itself to be far too complicated for any one person to fully grasp. Yet Zhang no longer seems to care as much for spectacle as he used to, because while there's for sure still action here - and my god is it brutal, displaying the sheer ruthlessness of Chinese history in all its glory - it's no longer nearly as stylish as what he once revelled in. Which works to the film's favour, as it means it can purely focus on the central enigma it strives to unravel, with the character's far more likeable and their motivations far easier to digest because they're no longer so frustratingly aloof - Jackson Yee is the last remnant of this, but it works to brilliant effect as his 'straightmanness' violently clashes with all the other absurdities he gets swept up in. Instrumental to this is the comedy, which laces the mind-blowing screenplay with wit at every turn, each revelation and each despair underscored by a relentless pursuit of humour that envelopes the intrigue inside a bundle of perpetual laughs. And when you have an audience as engrossed in the humour as yourself, it all becomes that much more endearing. Zhang isn't unfamiliar to comedy, as he's been experimenting with it since Red Sorghum; it just took comedic geniuses like Shen Teng and Zhang Yi to fully realise their potential by imbuing the charming jokes with their own remarkably enchanting screen presence. Also, best Shen Teng performance? Because while he's as hilarious as I knew he would be, he's also so effective at delivering the really quite moving drama, burdening himself with layers upon layers to become utterly mesmerising to witness. This may very well be Zhang's most entertaining piece; the fact that it's paired with his most slickly written and inventive - yet likewise emotionally charged and passionate - screenplay in recent years makes the experience all the better.

swiewior

Utter junk, don't watch. Not funny, not dramatic, boring, freak. I had to stop watching it after 20 min because it caused me a headache. The other day I tried continuing but didn't reach hald of the movie and gave up. It's just terrible.

Movie Recommendation

Red
2022-08-04
There is no description
More...
Red the Half Breed
1970-03-26
A half-cast used cars salesman wants anything from the white society and is ready to do anything to get it. But when he is accused of murdering his half-sister who was killed with his rifle, he flees to an indian village. He doesn't feel any more at home there than in the white city. He decides to go back to find and punish the killer.
More...
Jesse Stone: Night Passage
2006-01-15
A prequel to "Stone Cold", the story picks up after Jesse Stone is fired from the Los Angeles Police Department. He becomes an unlikely candidate recruited by a town council to become police chief of Paradise, MA, a small fishing town on Boston's North Shore. The board hopes his failed experience will keep him from digging too deep into the town's secrets. His first assignment is to investigate the murder of his predecessor whose death may be tied to a local domestic disturbance case, with connections to money laundering and murder involving some of the town's most affluent names as possible suspects.
More...
Red
2020-04-27
Red is the story of three teens in rural Pennsylvania who are torn apart by the closet. James and Lizzy's seemingly normal relationship is shattered by Aaron, the guy James hooked up with and who is unable to bear their secret and confronts James.
More...
Red
2012-03-17
As the silhouette of a lonely girl runs through the woods, something in the shadows is lurking her.
More...
Hidden Blade
2023-01-22
Follows the story of underground workers who risked their lives to send intelligence and defend the motherland, set after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor when the Wang Jingwei regime declared war on Britain and the U.S.
More...
Cyber Heist
2023-03-09
A computer expert accidentally falls into the conspiracy of online financial crime and has to seize the time to participate in the struggle.
More...
Snipers
2022-02-01
The story of sharpshooter Zhang Taofang, a young army recruit who at age 22 sets a record during the Korean War by reportedly killing or wounding 214 American soldiers with 435 shots in just 32 days.
More...
Untouchable
2024-08-23
Zun Fei with a group of brothers to become a rich businessman's right-hand man, in the so-called "City of Gold" in Macau to make a good living. Conspiracy betrayal, power entanglements, Zun Fei in the emotional and moral entanglement, caught in a life and death maze.
More...
It's a Wonderful Life
1994-02-06
This 1994 Chinese New Year offering takes place over a period of time between one Christmas and Chinese New Year's eve. We are introduced to thirteen "Big Rich" people, learn of their particular dispositions and dilemmas, are witness to the former either getting changed or developed and see the latter (re)solved. Teresa Mo as the daughter just returned from studying in France; Leslie Cheung as the friend who came in tow; Tony Leung Kar Fai as the cartoonist son who can only speak normally when he is anxious; Anita Yuen as the woman who Tony Leung's character falls in love with; Carol "Do Do" Cheng as her flat-chested, disciplinary-cum-art teacher sister; Raymond Wong as the eldest son who cannot handle alcohol well; Petrina Fung Bo Bo as his estranged wife; Sean Lau as the marriage-minded cousin; and Kwan Tak Hing as the eccentric-but-definitely-not-senile grandfather.
More...
Goldbuster
2017-12-29
A quirky internet star, a pair of retired gangsters, and the black sheep of a prolific family of herbalists are a few of the oddball tenants that call the dilapidated apartments of Humble Grove home. Fearful of being locked out by a ruthless property developer with his eye on the building, they’ve stayed inside for years. So, when supernatural incidents befall them all on one night, instead of running, they turn to flamboyant ghost hunter Golden Ling to perform a most unusual exorcism.
More...
Nice View
2022-02-01
20-year-old Jing Hao came to Shenzhen to live with his young sister alone. The siblings live a warm yet straitened life. In an effort to pay for his sister's expensive surgery, Jing Hao gets an opportunity by chance, thinking that a better life is coming, but unexpectedly encounters a serious setback. Under the pressure of both time and money, Jing Hao, who has no way out, decides to take a desperate gamble. Can this ignite the spark of hope for his troubled ordinary life?
More...
Love Is Blind, Hate Too
2022-11-02
After losing 90% of her vision in a car accident, Bo has adapting to a new life as a blind woman. While her husband is away on a business trip, a stranger enters her home and takes her hostage. As the invader puts her through a series of mental and psychological torture, Bo must rely on her wits to survive.
More...
Pegasus
2019-02-05
Zhang Chi, a hubris and dominating six-time racing champion, falls from grace following a crisis. After a five-year suspension from the motorsport, the now single-father to a six-year-old boy throws down the gauntlet once again.
More...
Journey to the West
2023-04-01
Tang Zhijun, an editor of a science fiction magazine, attempts to find signs of an alien civilisation. When a strange young man claims to have received instructions from aliens, Tang and his team follow him in search of extraterrestrial creatures.
More...
Born to Fly
2023-04-28
A talented trainee pilot is given the opportunity to virtually test the latest fighter jet, which pushes him to his limits.
More...
No, You're Stupid
2016-08-20
Christina wants to take revenge on her blind sister, who wants to take a prize in a popular music television show. She comes up with an evil joke in which she gives out a stage play organized by her friends for a real shoot in the Ostankino television studio. The sister believes what they are trying to convince her of, and Christina's rally becomes more and more like a mockery.
More...
Hello Mr. Billionaire
2018-07-27
A pathetic minor league Soccer Goalkeeper was given a task - to spend 1 Billion in thirty days, if successful he will get 30 Billion. However, he's not allowed to tell anyone about the task and he must not own any valuables by end of it.
More...
A Writer's Odyssey
2021-02-12
Kongwen Lu is the author of a fantasy novel series following a heroic teenager, also named Kongwen, on a quest to end the tyrannical rule of Lord Redmane, under the guidance of a Black Armor. But through a strange twist of fate, the fantasy world of the novel begins to impact life in the real world, leading Guan Ning to accept a mission from Tu Ling to kill the author.
More...
Goodbye Mr. Loser
2015-09-30
A middle-aged loser travels back in time to his high scool years to put his life on the right track.
More...