赤壁 aka Red Cliffs is the site of a famous battle near the end of the Han dynasty. It is also the title of John Woo's latest war epic. This movie boasts a stellar cast including: Tony Leung(Zhou Yu), Takeshi Kaneshiro (Zhuge Liang), Zhang Fengyi(Cao Cao),Zhao Wei(Sun Shang Xiang), Chang Chen(Sun Quan), Li Chi Ling(Xiao Qiao, Hu Jun(Zhao Yun) etc.
Before the movie screened I watched the trailer and had doubts about the choice of casting Takeshi Kaneshiro as Zhuge Liang. I was proven to be right. Takeshi didn't manage to deliver an in depth interpretation of Zhuge Liang. He had large shoes to fill with remarkable performances by predecessors like Tang Guo Qiang. Takeshi didn't manage to bring across Zhuge Liang's brilliance. Historically Zhuge Liang was described as a tall good looking man with his trademark goose feather fan. Takeshi fits the profile but to me he is just too pretty to imagine him being married to an ugly wife. ps:The real Zhuge Liang was married to an ugly daughter of scholar Huang Chengyan.
Tony Leung's Zhou Yu was intense, sometimes brooding and generally well portrayed as a renaissance man. Zhou Yu was an accomplished musician and tactician. Kudos to Tony Leung for his ability to bring the character to life. Downside, he looked a bit too old and gruff as Zhou Yu. I had always imagined Zhou Yu to look more refined, cultured and younger.
Zhang Fengyi was good as Cao Cao. He delivered as usual. His Cao Cao was proud , lusty, cocky and cynical. I'm slightly disappointed though that the deeply suspicious nature Cao Cao was missing in action. Other than that I'm pretty happy with his portrayal.
Now comes the horrible Liu Bei and the Zhao, Guan, Zhang cast. It was utterly bad. You Yong's Liu Bei looked like a decrepit farmer, Guan Yu was portrayed like a gentle teacher on steroids who morphs into incredible hulk during battle and Zhao Yun was just plain brutish. It was especially disgusting in the Bagua Formation when the fighting scenes looked like they came straight out of the Dynasty Warriors video games. Unrealistic battle where the Wei soldiers just ran like lemmings into the formation without fighting the Sun-Liu soldiers.
End of the day I give it a 6.5/10 and do not recommend hardcore fans or people with no inkling of 三国 personalities and events to watch this movie. John Woo should stick to guns. Sweeping war epics should be left to directors like Ridley Scott.
