LawyerTom1 Although the movie is allegedly set during the Chinese civil war, the first phase of the war between the Nationalists and Communists did not start until 1927, and the movie appears to be set in a time before the first phase began.The underlying story is about a bandit (played by Wen Jiang) who disguises himself as a local "governor" (mayor of a town). His motive is acquiring wealth through fraud, or so one is lead to believe initially. Instead, the movie turns into a complex mind-game between the bandit, named Pocky Zhang, and a local war lord (Master Huang, played by Yun-Fat Chow). A struggle ensues, and the storyline turns on who will prevail. Prostitutes (with hearts of gold, of course -- something movies seem to love even though divorced from reality) also play a major role in the story.The joy of the movie is watching the two protagonists (each served by loyal and capable side-kicks) try to one-up each other. There are plots within plots within plots. The film is also laced with farce and a few guest appearances by an excellent traditional Chinese drum band. All characters have traits that are both admirable and foolish.Can you stay one step ahead of the protagonists as they scheme and counter-scheme? Good luck.My one criticism is that the English language subtitles are small and pass by on the screen so fast that it is often hard to read them completely.If you enjoy watching cleverness unfold, with the hero ultimately prevailing, and you do not mind struggling with the dialog, this is a cute movie. It is a much more sophisticated sojourn into Chinese culture and greed that the traditional kung-fu movie. It is likely that the script reflects more than a tad of Party influence since our hero, the bandit, ultimately turns out to have a heart of gold (no pun)and care only for "the people." Fortunately, this does not distract from the plot or the characters. Wen Jiang and Yun-Fat Chow are superb lead characters, as one would expect of actors of their quality.The movie is long at 132 minutes, but you will never be bored. Even the special effects are exceedingly well done.

kosmasp This movie is really funny and brutal at the same time. Which is a hard thing to balance. Violence is "real" (with consequences for the characters involved that is), but the humor still works. Two factors play into that in my estimation: The script and the really good actors playing in this.Mixture works and the CGI effects are really good too. Then you also have some wonderful dialogue between the main characters that is so rich, the translation might not do it entire justice (watched it with subtitles on and was hard to follow from time to time). But it's apparent how much fun they had shooting this movie. If you like eastern movies, I do not need to convince you to watch this. But maybe this can be your entry into a whole new (fascinating) world for you ...

Eternality Jiang Wen is one of China's less well-known directors, especially to filmgoers outside of China. Famously acting as the male lead opposite Gong Li in Zhang Yimou's Red Sorghum (1988), Jiang is a more familiar face than name, but the few works that he has directed have appeared in major film festivals worldwide including his most acclaimed feature Devil on the Doorstep (2000), which won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes. His latest endeavor, Let the Bullets Fly, for better or worse, is significantly more mainstream, and is a surprising box-office hit in mainland China.Let the Bullets Fly is a bizarre film to begin with. It is a film that does not know whether to take itself seriously or not as an action- comedy. It starts with a tense sequence showing a few bandits attempting to rob a train with the governor and his wife aboard. It is serious business, with quick cuts of the bandits taking aim with their rifles, suggesting a well-planned attack. And then the big moment comes when the train is derailed. It is a moment that leaves me stunned.Let the Bullets Fly is not so much an action film in the context of a pure Asian martial arts flick, but a comedy with Western-action elements that even the characters themselves find funny to be involved in. Frankly, if there is a sub-genre called farcical cinema, this film would be an excellent example. To his credit, Jiang's direction of the actors is quite impressive, with the chemistry between Chow Yun-Fat, Ge You, and Jiang himself showing positive signs of spot-on comic timing, though it must be said that much of the humor is derived from mind games played not only to confuse and amuse viewers but also to themselves.Let the Bullets Fly is without doubt an exercise in exaggeration – everything from acting to dialogue to dramatic set-pieces – such that the film overwhelms viewers before it even passes the midpoint mark. As a result, the second half becomes too entertaining for its own good, with potential viewers likely to feel empty watching the flurry of activities that occur on screen. The lead characters are also not developed fully, if they are developed at all. They are almost the same at the start of the film as the end, with no clear transformation. Worse, Jiang's film ends predictably and unsatisfyingly, even to the extent of meaninglessly linking the epilogue back to the opening sequence.In a nutshell, Let the Bullets Fly is a lamentable attempt to break into commercial filmmaking by Jiang, though box office figures tells us a different tale. Despite charismatic actors on board, the film seems to drag along with the sole motivation to quench viewers' thirst for more farce. Stay away from this unless you like draggy, farcical films.GRADE: C- (www.filmnomenon.blogspot.com) All rights reserved.

fullpaperjacket In early 1920s, China was in civil war and it was an era when disorder became part of life. Bangde Ma ( GE, You) who just became the mayor of a remote town through bribery was robbed by a group of bandits led by Pock Zhang ( JIANG, Wen). However Ma could not afford any ransom because he had used up all his money for bribery and the only way to collect money was to use the ruling power of the mayor title. Zhang decided to take Ma's position as the new mayor while Ma posed as his private adviser under the name of Tang.Their destination, the Goose Town, was actually controlled by notorious mafia clan of the Huang family and the only way to collect money was to fully cooperate with the family and handed out most of their gains. However Zhang was only interested in rich families black money and believed in fair justice for each person, which made Huang the IV ( CHOW, Yun-Fat), the boss of the clan, very very unhappy. Almost immediately Zhang and Huang became enemies and the Goose Town would soon turn to be a battle field as well as a stage of hypocrisy, cheating, apathy and snobbery.The first impression of the movie is that it is no doubt of a typical Hollywood style action comedy composed by every piece of commercial element you can find in other Hollywood action movies such as gun firing, explosions, beauties, muscles, fast moving, slangs, and etc. The movie itself is of great fun and you will laugh from the beginning to the end. Also the story is told in a straightforward way and there would be no problem of understanding it even if you have no idea where China is located. The problem, however, is how to interpret Jiang Wen. Let the Bullets Fly is becoming one of the hottest and the most appraised movies in recent years in China neither because it is more dazzling than the Avatar nor because it is more surprising than the Inception. It is welcomed because many Chinese viewers regard the story as a mirror of present China and a movie with strong critical acclaim should have not been approved for public show by the authority such as Jiang Wen's previous movie the Devils on the Doorstep. Interestingly, different people can interpret the movie in a way they like and this may be the power of a comedy. Frankly speaking, if you are not a Chinese, chances are you will enjoy the movie for funny stuff while not the metaphor of the movie.