Search - House of Flying Daggers on DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 10/1/2024...

The sequel did not live up to the original!

Brad S. (Snibot) from DALLAS, TX
Reviewed on 1/24/2012...

This film is best in class for Hong Kong cinema.

Ziyi Zhang etc al. have fantastic performances; this is the first time I have watched an actor pretending to be blind that I have believed (other than Pacino's Scent of a Woman.)

For those of you who liked Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, this movie is one of the reasons that I didn't give that film as high of marks as many others did.

The writing is fantastic, and the performances sell it. Cinematography is also wonderful, there are some scenes that are simply breathtaking. Action sequences are meticulously choreographed and executed. Wirework is kept to a minimum, and there is really only one scene that is unbelievable, but in context it is passable.

Recommended, this film is a must see for anyone who liked Crouching Tiger, for those who don't like the Hong Kong films, this one might be the one you do - it is Best in Class!

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Dee W. from EDMOND, OK
Reviewed on 4/15/2009...

Action is fantastic with good plot line - I think its on the scale of Croaching tiger hidden dragon

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Robert L. (LOKI) from DAVIS, WV
Reviewed on 2/23/2009...

An excelent action packed kungfu movie, with great plot line twists. if you like KungFu movies, I think you will love this one. almost as good as Crouching Tiger hidin Dragon.

now with the DVD there is a part where you can watch the shot boards with the movie at the same time. I loved this special feature a wonderful veiw of how the movie was brought about and some insite into the "magic" of making movies.

I belive the plot line is a "comon" plot in most of the kungfu movies. yet has some little twists that make it all new again.

Enjoy the day,
Rob

3 of 5 member(s) found this review helpful.

Beautiful, powerful, tragic

Irfan A. Alvi | Towson, MD USA | 05/24/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There's much that's beautiful in this movie: the actors, their acting, their costumes and makeup, the natural landscapes, the pacing, etc.



And the movie is also quite powerful. The many martial arts scenes are indeed artistic and they manage to blend in elements of surreal fantasy without coming across as tacky, a triangle of romance unfolds, and, more generally, the movie is able to elicit a wide range of emotions, both simple and complex, subtle and intense.



All of this makes for a great movie in that distinctive Chinese style, but it's also dinstinctively Chinese in another way: it moves along nicely with plenty of action which builds a feeling of hope, but then everything comes tragically crashing down at the end. This is a movie where someone can effectively die twice (!), thus amplifying our feelings of loss and grief even beyond their normally painful levels.



While some people might "like" this sort of tragic ending (which is very reminiscent of ancient Greek tragedy), I found that it cancelled much of my enjoyment of the movie prior to the ending, hence my rating of 4 stars rather than 5.



If you're OK with tragic endings and/or like Chinese movies, I can certainly recommend this movie, but beware if you have a need for the classic American happy ending."