cunliffealex A Michelle Yeoh film has seldom let me down over the years, and 'Reign Of Assassins' is no exception. Quality, Style and competent direction all add up to make this a very enjoyable Wuxia offering. Apart from Yeoh's obligatory fine rendering, there are also solid performances from the rest of the well chosen cast,... particularly Jung Woo-Sung as 'the love interest with a surprise' , and from Wang Xueqi as 'the ever-so-slightly mad chief assassin' ..and main villain . All in all I really enjoyed this movie and would love to see a follow-up,... but sadly due to inexplicably-weak box office takings , I doubt that there will ever be a 'Reign Of Assassins 2'.... which is a real pity.

Anssi Vartiainen Reign of Assassins has a few things that elevate it above its wuxia peers. Chief among them its co-director John Woo, probably the most known Hong Kong action director of all time. And it shows. It is a beautiful film visually. The action scenes are lush, filled with detail, beautifully choreographed and easy to follow. The film is overall very well made from the technical point of view, including costuming, camera-work, et cetera.It also has Michelle Yeoh in the lead role, which is always a huge plus in my books. So why the relatively low rating? Well... it's been some weeks after I saw it, and I'm honestly struggling to remember the plot at all. Reading the plot summary helped, but the details still don't come. Which is strange, because the plot actually has some cool ideas and twists. But like with some other John Woo films, it honestly feels like the movie is going through motions, not really trying. There's no passion to it, no real originality aside from its technical quality.Or perhaps I just wasn't in the right mood to see a film that particular evening. Nevertheless, it's a movie worth seeing if you've liked Woo's other efforts or you're a fan of Yeoh. Or if you're just a wuxia fan, honestly. It's not the best example of the genre you've likely seen, but it has enough good things in it to please.

Claudio Carvalho In the Ming Dynasty, there was a legend about the mystical powers of the missing remains of an Indian Buddhist monk that would be capable to heal anything and would become a great kung-fu fighter. When the leader of the Dark Stone gang Cao Feng (Xueqi Wang) discovers that Prime Minister Zhang possesses half of the powerful remains, he sends a team of assassins to kill the minister and his son Zhang Renfeng (Xiaodong Guo). However, the skilled Xi Yu (Kelly Lin) flees with the remains and kills Renfeng, who fall off a bridge in a river. Then Xi Yu meets the monk Wisdom that advises her that she has four flaws fighting with her sword and she might be killed by Cao Feng that has trained her.Xi Yu goes to the renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Li that changes her face and she decides to start a new life in a small village. She assumes the identity of Zeng Jing (Michelle Yeoh) and poses of merchant, and soon she marries the quiet and clumsy Jiang A-sheng (Woo-sung Jung). When there is a robbery in the local bank, Zeng Jing is forced to fight to protect her and her husband from being killed, disclosing her skills to Cao Feng. Now he sends Lei Bin (Shawn Yue), Lian Sheng (Leon Dai) and Ye Zhanqing (Barbie Hsu), who are his three best assassins, to retrieve the remains and kill Zeng Jing and her beloved husband. The talented Michelle Yeoh is one of the most beautiful Chinese actresses and her movies are usually great. In "Jianyu", a.k.a. "Reign of Assassins", we have not only Michelle Yeoh, but also the hands of John Woo. The result is a great film of the genre, with predictable but not less engaging twists and a romantic conclusion. The choreography of sword fights is breathtaking and the music score is wonderful. Fans of the genre will certainly adore the awarded "Jianyu". My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Reino dos Assassinos" ("Reign of the Assassins")

tech_ctrl Reign of Assassins is a delightfully well made wuxia movie which will offer those familiar with previous entries in the genre everything they would expect; from vibrant visuals to elegantly choreographed swordplay and the fair share of melodrama which has become an integral part of this genre. I won't dive into plot details because there aren't a whole lot of them for me spend here, the plot synopsis which is provided on this site and others should give any viewer a good idea about the movies proceedings.Director Su Chao-Pin and veteran filmmaker John Woo exhibit considerable command when juggling the films tone between dramatic seriousness and lighthearted romance whilst ensuring smooth transitions between the two and creating an equilibrium between exposition and action with none overshadowing the other. Actress Michelle Yeoh remains as charismatic as ever while playing the lead role with confidence and effectiveness and contributes greatly to the movies more dramatic scenes.Overall, fans and familiars of the genre are guaranteed a great time with Reign of Assassins, those who do not enjoy wuxias in general should steer clear of this one as well.