From directors Peter Ho-Sun Chan & Wai-Man Yip, a well-produced War, War and more War epic about the power struggle of leading Chinese generals to take enough cities to control the country never comes together. Especially if you’re not already familiar with the historical background. But it does acquire enough kinetic momentum and character development to hold attention. Jet Li plays the unfortunate General Pang, losing his entire army in battle (he alone survives under a pile of dead), now looking for fresh financial support, partners & troops. Finally, a trio of elderly connected politicians back him (the type who pull the strings and really run the country) while two bandit brother kings (Andy Lau; Takeshi Kaneshiro) in remote territory may be willing to bring their army in hopes of legitimizing their status. At first, the group have nothing but success as their smaller forces crush armies five times their size. But differences in the principles of war and in the goals they are fighting for will tear them apart. It’s those old men backing them who go on and on; along with the eternal Chinese Empress. Oddly, we never see her, nor the final climatic battle; and since we also aren’t shown much difference in how the enemy generals act,, we can’t know if we’re even on the ‘right’ side. Like soldiers, we only know we’re on ‘our’ side. Sole rooting interest lies upon actions between our threesome of warrior ‘brothers.’ Trimmed by a reel or two for international release, someone decided other territories would only turn out for battle & gore; the hell with what’s going on behind the silk curtain.
ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: The real shock in here comes when a final title card reminds us the real events behind this juiced up telling happened, not in some mystical past, but as recently as 1870.
