Dragon Blade (2015)

Dragon Blade (2015), directed by Daniel Lee, presents an epic blend of Eastern and Western cinema, anchored by Jackie Chan’s dynamic performance. Jackie Chan delivers a performance that is both charismatic and physically impressive. As Huo An, a former general who becomes a defender of the Silk Road, Jackie Chan brings his signature martial arts skills to the forefront, offering some of the film’s most dynamic and engaging action sequences. His ability to convey both physical prowess and a sense of honor and justice is a highlight of the film. John Cusack, playing the Roman general Lucius, provides a grounded but somewhat restrained performance, while Adrien Brody's portrayal of the villain Tiberius is intense but occasionally melodramatic.

The film’s story, set during the Han Dynasty, attempts to merge Roman and Chinese elements but ends up feeling predictable and underdeveloped. The script’s dialogue is often stilted, and the pacing is uneven, affecting overall engagement. However, the action sequences are a highlight, featuring impressive choreography and grand-scale battles that capture the epic nature of the narrative.

Visually, Dragon Blade impresses with its elaborate sets and costumes, enhancing the historical atmosphere. Despite its flaws in storytelling and character depth, the film offers an entertaining spectacle, particularly for fans of action and historical epics. Overall, it’s a solid 7/10, with notable strengths in action and visual presentation.

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This is one of the best historical movies I have ever watched ! Anyone who sees the poster of the film may think that this is just another historical , war film! But I say NO! War is actually the secondary theme of the story, so what is the main theme? FRIENDSHIP! The film showcases a blooming heart touching friendship between two warriors who represent two different nations. They learn humanity from each other , so do their followers. 'Sword is not to kill people, it is to protect those who you love', becomes the motto of their blade. The film teaches to cast aside all prejudices that make apart humans ; it gives you spiritual light to see a human being, a friend in your foe and rise as comrades to clear all the obstacles on your path.

Jacky Chan as the chinese warrior and Jusack as the roman warrior do an impressive job all through out the movie. This is not at all a boring movie, it elicits tension, suspense taking the viewer in to a a state of association with the representation of reality facing the character.

This is a bilingual movie - Chinese and English. Western and Eastern cultures are carefully united through the music blend creating a hamonious effect that soothens the soul.

The rewatch value is 100% and this is A MUST-SEE FOR ANY MOVIE FAN! ;)

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Set in ancient times, the film presents the era, its traditions (if a man removes a woman's veil she becomes his!), the way people lived, dressed, talked, their advanced technology and the culture but at the same time engulfed by universal and idealistic notions.
The film centres on the silk road and the trade industry back in the 3rd century and how central that was to all nations; involving them into commercial wars even.
Through the fight over the right of commerce, the film presents a humanistic approach. All races are equal. In a world that treats the dead better than the living, we need each other to survive. Place is an imaginary space. For a common goal, there are no nations. There are only brothers. Even we you get betrayed and your comrades turn their back to you to survive, use your pain as motivation.
We see people's obsession with money and power and the consequences of that obsession, from betrayal to malicious killing. The film tosses questions at us, insolvable once again. What is destiny and what is fate? Is the unification dream even possible? And what is Home?
A film full of breathtaking fighting scenes. Jackie can't help being hilarious. Emotional music, songs and a touching bromance. A beautiful film to watch.

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Martial Arts Movie meets Sandals and Sword Movie!

In what could be the bloodiest Afterschool Special ever, Jackie Chan and John Cusack bring two disparate societies together briefly and peacefully in BCE China along The Silk Road.

Chan played Huo An, the captain in charge of the Silk Road Protection Squad who believed in all races and cultures living peacefully and equally together along the Silk Road. His crew only used their swords and abilities for defense. Cusack was the Roman general Lucious on the run with his men and with his young, blind charge Publius. Adrien Brody as Tiberius was the Evil brother who blinded his younger brother and murdered their father to gain his father's position, even though I'm not sure that was the correct procedure for becoming a consul.

Huo's crew was framed as gold smugglers and exiled to hard labor at the Wild Geese Gate where prisoners were tasked with rebuilding the city's defensive walls. Lucius and his weary, hungry men happened upon the city and determined to fight their way in. Huo met Lucius and they did battle, interrupted by a sandstorm. The next thing you know everyone was sitting around a campfire, holding hands and singing Kum Bah Yah. In exchange for room and board the Romans helped the prisoners rebuild the wall. The friendships were enhanced by a dance-off of military techniques and then a sing-off of national songs. Of course, the peace couldn't last because the merciless Tiberius and his 100,000 troops was on his way to create havoc.

Director Lee created a beautiful and epic movie visually. The sets, costumes, and scenery were lavish. The story, however, was heavy handed, with choppy editing, and beyond a couple of performances lacking in strong acting. Lee's overuses of flashbacks and flashforwards to try and tie the stories together and create emotional depth simply cut the momentum of the story and felt repetitive and manipulative. Without spoiling anything there were lapses in logic that left me adrift at times in the film. Also, while I am all for peace and understanding for all people, the movie's idealistic message lacked depth and any sort of realism. All of the talks of peace ended in one of the bloodiest battle scenes you'll see. Few characters walked away alive or unscathed. And there was a scene with killer eagles flying in that will make you think of the Hobbit's Battle of Five Armies. The Eagles! All of which was impressive, given that historically speaking the Roman Empire hadn't been officially created at the time this movie was supposed to have taken place. No one had any problems communicating with 36 different nations using the Silk Road, plus the Romans and Parthians.

As for the acting, John Cusack acted like he was lost for most of the movie. Jackie Chan walked around with a beatific smile or look that seemed misplaced in a movie with not only alliances but plenty of betrayals and backstabbing. Adrien Brody overacted, chewing up the scenery as much as John Cusack underacted looking for a place to take a nap. Most of the rest of the cast were serviceable to really dreadful.

The fight scenes, choreographed by Chan, were for the most part entertaining. The earlier fights were creative as you would expect from him, even if he's slowed down, understandably at the age of 60. The final no holds or swords barred battles were blood gushing and could be difficult to watch. There was also an over reliance on slow-mo action scenes that didn't always work to best effect. I wish the squad that carried their throwing swords had remembered them because they were only used in one fight.

Overall, I love the idea of a pacifist message just not the uneven implementation. With an overwrought film score and constant hammering of the movie's theme even in the face of contradictory and gorey violence, somehow the message of all men are brothers felt lost. There were simply too many detriments to this big budget film to highly recommend. Though parts of it were entertaining and it was an interesting concept to mash two film genres together, even if historically inaccurate, the ultimate execution was deeply flawed.

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(I'm refering to some parts of the story, but I don't think it will spoil anything.)

I was supposed to watch one of the three movies: The mermaid, Monster Hunt or Dragon Blade. I watched trailers for all of them and the first two seemed kind of ridiculous, so I went with the third one. The story seemed interesting and well, Adrien Brody.

Now I think that it may have been a mistake.

The story is good, but the way that they’ve made it was awful. The friendship between different races and Chinese minorities (because yeah 36 ethnic nations, you mean 56 current minorities in China right?) was just… Well done, Chinese government. I mean the whole “peace between nations” is very noble, but they did it in a way I could not appreciate it. A Romans attack the city and suddenly everyone becomes best friends, because there is a sick child and sandstorm is coming (don’t even get me started on how annoying the child was). The scene when they are rebuilding the city together peacefully, the happiness and laughing all around, helping each other out, but just a moment earlier they were jumping each other’s throats was ridiculous. I mean, that was a beautiful world of friendship and cooperation, but it was so exaggerated that it was very hard to watch.

This movie is a beautiful example of American-Chinese production, we have Jackie Chan, everyone knows Jackie Chan. And then we have John Cusack and Adrien Brody, yes, what an amazing actors. They even gave us Super Junior’s Siwon! The cast only is something that makes you think “I want to see that movie”. And then you get… this.

I really liked two scenes. The first, when Huo An is fighting with Cold Moon was really good, excellent choreography. Overall the fighting scenes were well done. The second scene was when Huo An was talking with Lucius, during the night. The moment when Lucius takes Huo An’s sword to see it, I really liked how they both were handling the sword, they moves were very smooth and for me, very elegant.

The movie tried to make us reflect about peace, equality, lust for power and loyalty, but it was too exaggerated. The idea for the story was okay and the acting was on point. I don't really remember the music, except the song sang by Jackie Chan, which was quite pleasant. And rewatching value? Good fighting scenes, but that's it.

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