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Movies / On DVD / House of Flying Daggers
House of Flying Daggers

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House of Flying Daggers (2004)

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Reviews Counted:161

Fresh:141

Rotten:20

Average Rating:7.7/10

Consensus: The visual splendor of the movie makes up for the weak story.

Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for sequences of stylized martial arts violence, and some sexuality

Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

Theatrical Release:26-12-2004

Synopsis: It is 859AD, and the Tang Dynasty, one of the most enlightened empires in Chinese history at its height, is in decline. The Emperor is incompetent and the government is corrupt. Unrest is spreading... It is 859AD, and the Tang Dynasty, one of the most enlightened empires in Chinese history at its height, is in decline. The Emperor is incompetent and the government is corrupt. Unrest is spreading throughout the land, and many rebel armies are forming in protest. The largest, and most prestigious, is an underground alliance called the “House of Flying Daggers.” The House of Flying Daggers operates mysteriously, stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Thus, they have earned the support and admiration of the people and expanded quickly. Based in Feng Tian County, close to the Imperial Capital, the House of Flying Daggers has long been a thorn in the side of the local deputies, their hated rivals. The deputies are enraged because, even after they fought and killed the leader of the House of Flying Daggers, the House continues to thrive. Under the leadership of a mysterious new leader, the House of Flying Daggers grows ever more powerful. Feng Tian County’s two local captains, Leo (ANDY LAU TAK WAH) and Jin (TAKESHI KANESHIRO) are ordered to capture the new leader within ten days. Captain Leo suspects that Mei (ZHANG ZIYI), the beautiful new dancer at the local Peony Pavilion, is actually the daughter of the old leader. He hatches a plan to arrest her and bring her in for questioning. When Mei refuses to divulge any information on the House of Flying Daggers, the two captains set up another plan. This time, Captain Jin will pretend to be a lone warrior called Wind and rescue Mei from prison, earning her trust and escorting her to the secret headquarters of the House of Flying Daggers. The plan works, and on their long journey to the House, Jin and Mei warm to each other. Before long, Mei has developed feelings for her enigmatic protector, and Jin is surprised to find himself falling for Mei’s headstrong charm. Both struggle to contain their feelings, but under the starry night, their irrepressible desire is almost beyond their control. Danger lurks in the forest surrounding them, and the wind is still, as if sensing the tension in the air. What lies ahead for Jin and Mei, these star-crossed lovers? If this is true love, then why are there plots in their heads…and secrets in their hearts? [More]

Starring: Zhang Ziyi, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau, Lu Feng

Starring: Zhang Ziyi, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau, Lu Feng, Song Dandan

Director: Yimou Zhang

Director: Yimou Zhang
Screenwriter: Yimou Zhang
Producer: Bill Kong, Yimou Zhang
Composer: Shigeru Umebayashi
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

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Reviews for House of Flying Daggers

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
06/25/05
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Yimou is a masterful director.

Full Review Source: FilmFocus | comment Comment
01/15/05
Joe Utichi
Joe Utichi
FilmFocus

Martial arts have rarely been filmed with so much artistry.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
12/18/04
Jamie Russell
Jamie Russell
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
10/30/04
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

One of the most beautifully moving wuxia films you'll ever see.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
10/19/04
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
06/22/04
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: CHUD | comment Comment
02/27/09
Devin Faraci
Devin Faraci
CHUD
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
10/18/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

The studied, artistic affectations may prevent this Mandarin-language art house effort from being as kinetically potent as the films it emulates, but it more than compensates by offering up deeply felt emotions played out on a grand scale more than adequa

Full Review Source: ESplatter | comment 1 Comment
07/04/08
Steve Biodrowski
Steve Biodrowski
ESplatter

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
12/27/07
Joe Lozito
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
01/17/06
Sydney Morning Herald
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Moments of astonishing greatness followed by yawn-inducing romance.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
01/10/06
Oz
Oz
eFilmCritic.com

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
09/26/05
AV Club
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

See it in a theater on the biggest screen you can find

Full Review Source: Movie Habit | comment Comment
09/01/05
Marty Mapes
Marty Mapes
Movie Habit

Though it is by no means explicitly political, the film expresses a tragic exasperation with the tendency of politics to subsume the rights and lives of individuals.

Full Review Source: Not Coming to a Theater Near You | comment Comment
06/21/05
Leo Goldsmith
Leo Goldsmith
Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Wonderfully conveys how the act of loving another can be a game, a sacrifice, a ruse, a weapon, a betrayal, and, most of all, a political act.

Full Review Source: Lessons of Darkness | comment Comment
05/04/05
Nick Schager
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness

[Zhang] adopts a stylized but more naturalistic look for the visually sumptuous wuxia spectacle House of Flying Daggers.

Full Review Source: Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema | comment Comment
04/13/05
Mark Pfeiffer
Mark Pfeiffer
Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema

Assim que a história parece prestes a se entregar a um clímax emocionante, o roteiro decide mergulhar no pior dos melodramas.

Full Review Source: Cinema em Cena | comment Comment
04/08/05
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
all

Latest News for House of Flying Daggers

December 04, 2007: Francis Lawrence Confirms I Am Legend Reshoots; Set to Adapt Palahniuk Tome
Looking for the truth about those I Am Legend reshoots? How about what's next for the film's director, Francis Lawrence? More...

November 23, 2006: Trailer & Poster for Yimou's "Curse of the Golden Flower"
The latest from from the director of "House of Flying Daggers" and "Hero" is on its way, which means we're due for a few new posters and maybe even a... More...

November 01, 2006: Fantastic New Pics from Yimou's "Golden Flower"
I'll keep this short and sweet: If you're a fan of movies like "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers," you probably have a rather large interest in seeing... More...

September 13, 2006: TORONTO: Zhang Ziyi, Yuen Woo-Ping's Latest "Banquet" Not Very Fulfilling
Zhang Ziyi and action director Yuen Woo-Ping last worked together in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," a movie which helped change audience perception that martial... More...

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