House of Flying Daggers

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 3:44 pm

I figure I should start this thread, since I often talk about martial arts films, and since I'm a mod here. But I really don't want to, because I thought it was a pretty terrible movie. Silly in too many ways. I literally laughed at one point near the end, although it was not supposed to be a funny moment. It reminds me of some bad ninja flick a friend and I saw once. The audience began cheering whenever a good guy got killed. We had to amuse ourselves somehow. Only several people saw Daggers with me last night, and we didn't get quite that bad, but we were getting restless.

*sigh*

Anybody have a more favorable opinion of it?

Post by **I'm Murrin** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 4:08 pm

Been meaning to go see this one for months, but still haven't gotten around to it.

Post by **Dragonlily** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 4:59 pm

It is gorgeous, I did enjoy that part of it. Especially in the beginning. Also the dancing by the heroine was impressive and beautiful.

On the other hand, there is the plot. So many cliched twists and turns that I got to the point where I was going, "Ho hum, there's another about-face."

Here is my blessing: "May none of you have a romantic life like that." I hated the end, gorgeous or not.

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 8:48 pm

Yes, it was gorgeous. And I saw it in the discount theater, which has crappy quality, and it was still gorgeous. The bamboo was great!

And yes, the dancing was something else!

Post by **Dragonlily** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 9:01 pm

I've never seen a bamboo forest. Do they really get that big?

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 9:10 pm

I have no idea. I guess so? But nothing else in the movie was real, so maybe not.

Post by **Dragonlily** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 9:22 pm

That particular forest had to be cgi, because everything was so perfect. I just wondered how realistic the art was.

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 9:27 pm

Ah. I'll take your word for the cgi. Like I said, I was in a lousy theater. It just looked like something gorgeous that I couldn't see too well.

I'll ask Taiga about bamboo forests.

Post by **Taiga Tzu** » Sat May 07, 2005 1:18 pm

Well, it took Fist long enough to get around to it, but then, that's Fist for you.

Yes, Joy, bamboo forests on your world are every bit as big as in the movie. Here are some wonderful photographs.
www.artline.com.sg/signature.html

And I love the angle of these:
www.fotosearch.com/TGR240/gt221054/
www.panmagic.com/panhbamboocanopy.html

Post by **Ariadoss** » Sun May 08, 2005 6:01 am

I was just about to mention that the forests are real, I've been to the Philippines. The filmography was excellent, loved how the camera lens would fade the colors then bring them out. If anyone has seen Hero it is a much better movie, and the color schemes are more meaningful and more related to the actual plot.

Post by **[Syl]** » Sun May 08, 2005 12:20 pm

Hero bored me. Predictable, repetative, and zero believability.

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Sun May 08, 2005 2:25 pm

Maybe you bored Hero! Didja ever think of that, pal?

Post by **Ariadoss** » Sun May 08, 2005 5:23 pm

LOL, why watch one of those movies if you expect to believe it? Why watch any movie? I have never seen a belieavable movie! Also I only rarely see movies that aren't predictable, if you have please tell me them

. I've read books that are belieavable though, yet utterly fantastic. I watch those Chinese movies cause they look cool!

Post by **I'm Murrin** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 12:06 am

Just watched this film. Impressive visually, and I didn't think the plot was as bad as some have said. Some silly bits, yes (the bamboo), but most was okay. Liked the ending.
The twist in the middle was entertaining, at least.

Post by **Dragonlily** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 12:33 pm

My main objection is that the characters' identities are shown to be so different with each flip that we have no chance to get to know them. Therefore no chance to care about them. As far as the watcher is concerned, they have already established that they have no dependable identity. So there is no foundation for all those bloody emotions at the end.

Post by **hierachy** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 2:26 pm

It was a horrible movie. Rubbish.

Post by **Usivius** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 12:26 pm

Well, that's a strong opinion..

I loved 'Hero' and this is why I bought this movie on DVD, unseen. mistake. It is a lesser of 'Hero' in every way: plot twist, visuals, emotion, acting, story flow... blah,blah,blah...
I wanted to like this movie, as I liked the actors, but couldn't. I too, was disappointed and felt the story unfulfilled.

Post by **Dragonlily** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 1:04 pm

I'm considering finding it on TV and taping the first sequence, in the geisha house. I would enjoy that part for its beauty, and not have to endure the plot.

Post by **Usivius** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 3:15 pm

good point.
I have often considered doing that with all the fun action/fight sequences of Jackie Chan movies....

Post by **CovenantJr** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 7:23 pm

Hero has a better plot, but got on my nerves in many ways. I also watched the legendary Crouching Tiger recently, and that bugged me too. Neither of them bad films, but both just too silly, and with too much melancholy - the slightly grim flavour of both plots doesn't fit with all the ludicrous bits of these films.

Flying Daggers, on the other hand, wasn't overwhelmingly silly and did what it did very well. I liked it.

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

House of Flying Daggers

House of Flying Daggers