Chan's old-fashioned, highly watchable mega-production comes complete with God's-eye surveys of mass carnage, the moist sounds of sword-skewering, and little or no discernible CGI.
The Warlords(投名狀)
✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ Read critic reviews
Hong Kong, China · 2007
Rated R · 2h 6m
Director Raymond Yip Wai-Man
Starring Jet Li, Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Xu Jinglei
Genre Action, Drama, History
Add to Watchlist
Please login to add films to your watchlist.
With his army slaughtered by the rebels, the injured General Qingyun finds unlikely allies in two bandit leaders after he impresses them with his fighting ability. With the bandits and peasants behind him, Qingyun develops a plan to beat back the rebels and save the Qing dynasty.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
Los Angeles Times by Betsy Sharkey
Like the best war movies do, director Peter Ho-Sun Chan has woven together an intimate story of men against a backdrop of history writ large.
Laden with gritty action, but with an emotional undertow that carries the drama even through its weaker moments, picture reps a strong comeback by Hong Kong helmer-producer Peter Chan.
The New York Times by Jeannette Catsoulis
Epic in scope but intimate in theme, The Warlordsheaves with spectacular battles and the relentless sway of self-interest over conscience.
New York Daily News by Joe Neumaier
The scope of director Peter Chan's military drama is impressive, though this sometimes-rousing depiction of strategy and loyalty in mid-1800s China pales next to recent, similar historical epics like "Red Cliff" and "Mongol."
The film lurches through narrative incidents: Battle scenes, political intrigue and a ticking-time-bomb love triangle are all pitched at the level of mundane competence and rarely get the blood racing.
The guy story is so strong that conventional romantic interludes with the woman torn between two men could easily have been dropped.
It's a surprisingly nuanced and sober tale of brotherhood and betrayal.
The Warlords relies too much on combat movie clichés and corny sentiment, weighted down by speeches about heroism and hypocrisy.
Users who liked this film also liked
The Warrior
(무사)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Korea, China • 2001
- Director Kim Sung-soo
- Cast Jung Woo-sung, Ahn Sung-ki, Ju Jin-Mo, Park Yong-woo, Zhang Ziyi, Park Jeong-hak
- Genre History, Drama, Action
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Curse of the Golden Flower
(滿城盡帶黃金甲)
Secret affairs and political ambitions threaten the stability of the Tang dynasty.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- China, Hong Kong • 2006
- Director Zhang Yimou
- Cast Chow Yun-Fat, Gong Li, Jay Chou, Liu Ye, Qin Junjie, Li Man
- Genre Action, Drama, Fantasy
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel
Fearless
(霍元甲)
Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself makes you fearless.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- China, Hong Kong • 2006
- Director Ronny Yu
- Cast Jet Li, Sun Li, Dong Yong, Shidou Nakamura, Pau Hei-Ching, Chen Zhi-Hui
- Genre Drama, Action
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand
Fortress
The high-tech prison thirty stories below ground. Built to withstand anything... Execpt an innocent man.
- ✭ ✭
- Australia, United States • 1992
- Director Stuart Gordon
- Cast Christopher Lambert, Kurtwood Smith, Loryn Locklin, Clifton Collins Jr., Jeffrey Combs, Lincoln Kilpatrick
- Genre Action, Thriller, Science Fiction
- Available on fuboTV
Assembly
(集结号)
Every sacrifice deserves to be immortalized.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- China, Hong Kong • 2007
- Director Feng Xiaogang
- Cast Zhang Hanyu, Deng Chao, Yuan Wenkang, Tang Yan, Liao Fan, Baoqiang Wang
- Genre Action, History
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon
(三国之见龙卸甲)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- China, Korea, Hong Kong • 2008
- Director Daniel Lee Yan-Kong
- Cast Andy Lau, Sammo Hung, Maggie Q, Damian Lau, Ti Lung, Elliot Ngok
- Genre Action, History, Drama
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Tubi TV, VUDU Free, Freevee, Hoopla, Plex, Plex Channel
The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk
(方世玉)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong • 1993
- Director Corey Yuen
- Cast Jet Li, Josephine Siao Fong-Fong, Vincent Zhao, Michelle Reis, Paul Chu Kong, Sibelle Hu
- Genre Adventure, Action, Comedy
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Fist of Legend
(精武英雄)
To avenge his masters death, He'll fight like never before!
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong • 1994
- Director Gordon Chan
- Cast Jet Li, Shinobu Nakayama, Chin Siu-ho, Paul Chun, Yasuaki Kurata, Billy Chow
- Genre Action
- Available on Google Play Movies, YouTube
Escape from Sobibor
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, Yugoslavia • 1987
- Director Jack Gold
- Cast Alan Arkin, Joanna Pacula, Rutger Hauer, Hartmut Becker, Jack Shepherd, Kurt Raab
- Genre Drama, Thriller, TV Movie, War
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, FlixFling, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Freevee, Plex, Plex Channel, FlixHouse, Darkroom
The Founding of a Republic
(建国大业)
- ✭ ✭
- China • 2009
- Director Han Sanping, Huang Jianxin
- Cast Tang Guoqiang, Liu Jin, Wang Wufu, Liu Sha, Zhang Guoli, Andy Lau
- Genre Drama, History
- Available on No streaming locations found.
A Grande Família: O Filme
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Brazil • 2007
- Director Maurício Farias
- Cast Marco Nanini, Marieta Severo, Pedro Cardoso, Andréa Beltrão, Paulo Betti, Guta Stresser
- Genre Comedy, Family
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Wait 'Til You're Older
(童夢奇緣)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong • 2005
- Director Teddy Chan
- Cast Andy Lau, Karen Mok, Gordon Lam, Felix Wong, Cherrie Ying, Feng Xiaogang
- Genre Drama, Comedy
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Flying Swords of Dragon Gate
(龍門飛甲)
Warriors go to a deserted Inn and fight to unearth a lost city buried under sand.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- China • 2011
- Director Tsui Hark
- Cast Jet Li, Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, Gwei Lun-mei, Chris Lee, Fan Siu-wong
- Genre Action, Adventure
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Hi-YAH, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, VUDU Free, Shout! Factory TV, Freevee, Plex, Plex Channel
A Simple Life
(桃姐)
Companionship is imperishable.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong • 2011
- Director Ann Hui
- Cast Andy Lau, Deannie Yip, Fuli Wang, Paul Chun Pui, Leung Tin, Hui Siu-ying
- Genre Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
No Man's Land
(无人区)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- China • 2013
- Director Ning Hao
- Cast Xu Zheng, Duobujie, Huang Bo, Nan Yu, Wang Shuangbao, Hong Tao
- Genre Drama, Crime, Thriller
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Sparta
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Austria, Germany, France • 2023
- Director Ulrich Seidl
- Cast Georg Friedrich, Florentina Elena Pop, Hans-Michael Rehberg, Marius Ignat, Octavian-Nicolae Cocis
- Genre Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Full River Red
(满江红)
When an envoy dies right before an important political meeting, a soldier must discover the truth about the conspiracy.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- China • 2023
- Director Zhang Yimou
- Cast Shen Teng, Jackson Yee, Zhang Yi, Lei Jiayin, Yunpeng Yue, Guo Jingfei
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Mystery
- Available on Rakuten Viki