Red Cliff 2

From right, Mainland China actress Zhao Wei, Hong Kong actor Tony Leung, Taiwanese actress Lin Chiling, Taiwanese actor Chang Chen, Hong Kong director John Woo, Mainland China actor Zhang Fengyi, John Woo's wife Niu Chun-long and Mainland China actor Tong Da Wei pose during the news conference for their latest movie "Red Cliff 2" in Hong Kong.

John Woo is preparing to introduce his first Chinese-language film in 16 years to foreign audiences after the historical epic proved a massive success in Asia.

Those of you who are still deciding whether to watch Red Cliff 2, made to a budget of USD80 million, hesitate no more. It is really worth your while. Not only do you get a dose of Chinese history (set nearing end of Han dynasty, before the period of the 3 Kingdoms) in a relevant way, you get to watch eye candy Lin Chiling and Takeshi. (For fans, there were gratuitous shots of Chiling in the buff in Red Cliff).  I'm not so enamoured of the rest. Zhao Wei looked quite haggard perhaps from the long filming and Tony Leung, although he is a fantastic actor, looked his age. The villian Cao Cao looked too kindly i thought, almost likeable. The casting director should have looked for a more evil man. Zhang Fengyi was quite suave.

 I prepped up for the movie by borrowing a dvd (pirated or not is non of your business haha) of Red Cliff to recall what took place. For those of you where this option is not available, don't fret. Red Cliff 2 director John Woo has kindly done a snapshot of the first movie in his classic freeze-slash style.

Red Cliff has the perfect mix of humour, suspense, strategy, plot, subplots, picturesque cinematophy, cool soundtrack, gore, wild chases and killings. Initially my main motive for watching was Takeshi (drool drool) but in the end I really enjoyed the show. There's even some general knowledge to be gleaned from here...like how to deliver a foal, how to read weather, how to make great Chinese tea etc.

I think the main draw was the story itself. The war strategies that the troops employed appeared relevant even to a modern audience. At the end there is even a moralizing on the merits of battle. Ok...go watch! 5 stars definitely!

P.S: If you go expecting to learn actual events of Chinese history, prepare to be disappointed. Every director has his artistic liberty. Woo employs elements of movie-making with historical facts. Read Wikipedia for actual points of difference.  After all, this is entertainment.