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Takeshi Kaneshiro, Fengyi Zhang, Chen Chang, Vicky Zhao, Jun Hu ... see more see more... , Shidou Nakamura , Lin Chiling , Wei Zhao , Tony Leung Chiu Wai

The first chapter of a two-part story centered on a battle fought in China's Three Kingdoms period (220-280 A.D.).

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78% liked it

20,970 ratings

Critics

89% liked it

110 critics

R, 2 hr. 28 min.

Directed by: John Woo

Release Date: November 20, 2009

Keywords: action, epic, war

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DVD Release Date: September 27, 2008

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Stats: 2,690 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,690)

  • axadntpron
    December 5, 2011
    axadntpron
    After a spat of lackluster films in America, Woo went back to China armed with the largest budget to date, and the result is a melange of breathtaking visuals, spectacular performances, and some of the largest and most awe inspiring combat sequences ever put to celluloid. Having ... read moreit be partially a historical drama about the final days of the Han Dynasty, mixed with elements of the fantastic, a staple of Chinese cinema, make this film quite a unique experience. For the most part Woo uses CGI to great effect without having it take away from the experience. This isnt a film for those desiring strong character development. It is a military epic in its purest sense and Woo seems comfortable just keeping most of the film on the battlefield. It is a very impressive achievement for a man whose many critics considered him having lost his touch.
  • itsjustme2004
    October 10, 2011
    itsjustme2004
    Part one and two. This is more of a mini series, due to the fact that it is almost 5 hrs. long. I can sum this up in one word...WOW! Amazing story. Well done. The battles that went on in this movie were absolutely ingenious! Along with all these were just enough romance, and beau... read morety to make a whole package. That John Woo guy really out did himself here
  • fb1216165431
    September 21, 2011
    fb1216165431
    Grand and exquisite, Red Cliff is an impressive cinematic display of visual art charged with knowledge, wisdom, courage, purpose, and passion. The prelude of the two-part, five-hour epic set Han Dynasty, Red Cliff is, in totality, a culturally relevant and a historically signific... read moreant experience. Tactical.
  • allan913
    April 20, 2011
    allan913
    A glorious and monumental achievement. It's an absolutely spectacular and fascinating epic masterpiece from Director, John Woo. This is without a doubt Woo's greatest achievement as a director. Woo once again manages to brilliantly capture emotional human drama and incredible act... read moreion, but this time in a historical background with great accuracy. It's both an brilliant action-adventure and beautiful historical drama with great scope and dedication. The battle scenes are incredible to watch, they are stylish, well-crafted and brutal. A breathtaking action-packed extravaganza that will grab your attention like no other epic you have seen. An astonishing work of art that truly is a gem to see. It's a thrilling, exhilarating and deeply moving film. An excellent and unforgettable movie, I loved it. A powerful experience that just knocks you out. It's filled with passion, history, drama, action and strong performances from it's amazing all-star cast.
  • garyX
    April 20, 2010
    garyX
    Red Cliff is an epic retelling of the battle of Red Cliffs in which a power hungry politician attempts to invade the peaceful lands of the south to unite the kingdom under his personal rule. Although clearly a historical epic, the film I was reminded of the most whilst watching R... read moreed Cliff was The Two Towers, mainly because of the fact that it is pretty much just one huge battle sequence in which two vast armies of pixels kick the crap out of each other. It's basically the story of a game of military chess between two strategists rather than anything as mystical and romantic as Crouching Tiger or House Of Flying Daggers, and as such it is much more of a "boy's film". Woo does in fact try to inject some of this sweeping romanticism, but it falls short of Ang Lee's poetic vision because it relies entirely on one character; unfortunately she is criminally underwritten and Wei Zhao plays her with a constant vacant semi-smile that just made her look a bit retarded! On the other hand Takeshi Kaneshiro clearly relishes the role of wily tactician which makes a change from his usual action man persona and the best sequences come when the personalities of the characters are stamped onto the surrounding battle; namely the involvement of their feisty spy and Kaneshiro's ploy to steal arrows from the opposing army. The opening sequence featuring a general protecting his master's baby (a clear reference to Hard Boiled) also raises a smile. Maybe not fully rounded, but as a visual spectacle it is an absolute feast and it makes me wonder how good it would've been if Woo had stayed in China to create projects like this instead of spending the last 20 years sucking Satan's cock in Hollywood...
  • deano
    January 7, 2010
    deano
    John Woo's visionary epic based on the Chinese legendary battle is marvelous. Woo has left the mean streets of Hollywood behind him and returned to his homeland for this film. Tony Leung and Takeshi Kaneshiro make wonderfully performance as the artists of war. Cue hundreds of ext... read moreras, explosions, flying arrows, throat slashing mayhem, slow motion doves, blood-letting galore and a cup of tea that changed the face of China forever.
  • 366weirdmovies
    December 30, 2009
    366weirdmovies
    The independent kingdoms of Xu and Wu form an alliance against the invading forces of the Han dynasty, led by the power mad Prime Minster Cao Cao, and their badly outnumbered forces make a stand at the fortress of Red Cliff. With a cast of thousands, the spectacular battles were... read more expected, but what was not expected was the minute attention to battle tactics which makes it believable that the side with the better military strategists could defeat the side with the overwhelming advantage in troops.
  • gor41
    December 20, 2009
    gor41
    Woo returns home to direct an epic tale from Chinese history with his characteristic flair for combat - he even manages to get his trademark doves involved ! The battle scenes balance strategy with combat which is refreshing and the close combat is actually edited so you can make... read more out what is going on. The between battle machinations drag a little and there is little emotional engagement but it wont dampen your enjoyment much.
  • DrZeek
    November 27, 2009
    DrZeek
    Liu Bei: Truth and illusion are often disguised as each other, Cao Cao likes to play this game, both with friends and foes.

    Action master John Woo returns to his native China to direct an action epic capturing one of China's most famous historical war stories. The film is an a... read moremazing accomplishment in terms of how its action is captured in the way that Woo is known for as a filmmaker. All of the elements of his signature style are present here, and combining that with a good cast headlined by Tony Leung and Takeshi Kaneshiro, the film is a well made historical action epic.

    In 208 A.D., in the final days of the Han Dynasty, shrewd Prime Minster Cao Cao convinced the fickle Emperor Han the only way to unite all of China was to declare war on the kingdoms of Xu in the west and East Wu in the south. Thus began a military campaign of unprecedented scale, led by the Prime Minister, himself. Left with no other hope for survival, the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu formed an unlikely alliance. The ruler of Wu, Sun Quan, calls on the rival warlord Liu Bei for help, but their two armies are still badly outnumbered. Numerous battles of strength and wit ensued, both on land and on water, eventually culminating in the battle of Red Cliff. During the battle, two thousand ships were burned, and the course of Chinese history was changed forever.

    Now, in China this film was actually two movies, with a total running time of five hours. For the American release, the film has been streamlined into one film and down to two and a half hours, complete with narration to help ease audiences into the story much better known to the Chinese. To this, I have to give credit to the studio, as this movie flows very well, with a much leaner presentation of the story, with enough dramatic arc to make it very compelling, while still leaving in all the awesome action that John Woo is very adept at handling.

    With all of the different characters interwoven into this story, I was taking my time in really getting into the film above an action standpoint, but once I did, this movie really took off. There are a lot of good actors present here, and many of them leave memorable impressions to keep you very interested in where this story will go.

    Of course, the main draw is to see John Woo go all "John Woo" on the action scenes, and he freaking delivers. Use of slow motion, explosions, well handled sense of scale, appropriate mix of effects, dual wielded weapons, Mexican standoffs, awesome stylized, often balletic sequences of action; all of things are present, and yes Woo even fits in some doves for good measure. There is action all over this movie, with two main sequences, which includes the fantastically epic climatic battle that lasts a good half hour and took over a year to get prepared for during production.

    The movie also manages to bring Woo's sense of melodrama concerning a couple characters, as well as his sense for overly-beautiful cinematography to keep the tone straight for his type of films. Its certainly another staple of Woo, but here he is doing it on a much more epic scale, which was necessary for getting one of China's most famous stories done right.

    A very well handled movie that delivers handsomely on its epic action.

    Cao Cao: This rag tag group of warriors mustn't be underestimated.
  • skactopus
    June 4, 2009
    skactopus
    John Woo goes for an epic Chinese costume action war drama, say that 10 times fast, and he succeeds.

    The plot is straightforward, however it is how the film plays out that makes this movie as great as it is. The first 20-30 minutes is all action before it slows down for the ne

    ... read morext hour. During this time, the pacing is slow to moderate and it does drag a little bit, which contributes to the 2 hour 20 minute run time, but the characters do get some good development. The introduction of characters are spread out as well during this period, and this is a good thing. The final 45 minutes is nearly all action with an ending that sets up a sequel. To be continued.

    There are no guns in Red Cliff, but Woo still delivers some impressive action sequences. The battles are big, but Woo is able to zoom in and focus on certain characters, which allows for more in the way of good martial arts choreography. The action in the beginning is also able to setup the characters for the action at the end.

    The actors are nicely chosen and all put on good performances, with Takeshi Kaneshiro and Zhao Wei being the most entertaining of the bunch.

    First impressions may lead one to believe that John Woo isn't the right man for this film, but Red Cliff has got the action, story, acting, and CG to warrant a watch.

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Critic Reviews

J. Hoberman
June 29, 2010
J. Hoberman, Village Voice

The director's magnum opus. Full Review

December 18, 2009
Detroit News

The result is an awfully big and powerful movie, even in abbreviated form. Full Review

Maggie Lee
December 11, 2009
Maggie Lee, Hollywood Reporter

A formidable prelude to an epic battle with resplendent effects and action spectacles.

Roger Moore
December 10, 2009
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Flaws and all, you can't watch a frame of it without feeling that it has been generations since Hollywood tackled anything on this scale. Full Review

Sara Vilkomerson
December 7, 2009
Sara Vilkomerson, New York Observer

It's hard to know what we're missing from the extended cut, but this Red Cliff feels awfully complete to me. Full Review

Stephen Cole
December 4, 2009
Stephen Cole, Globe and Mail

It's a historical war movie with impressive sweep, strong characterizations and the kind of idiosyncratic flourishes that made Woo such an irresistible storyteller. Full Review

Jason Anderson
December 4, 2009
Jason Anderson, Toronto Star

What remains is still plenty rousing, especially to moviegoers eager to see Woo regain his footing after an increasingly dismal series of outings in Hollywood. Full Review

Christopher Orr
November 26, 2009
Christopher Orr, New Republic

The biggest film of the year opens this week, though you may be forgiven if you haven't heard about it, as it has committed the unpardonable sin of being in Chinese. Full Review

Steven Rea
November 25, 2009
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

From landscape shots that have the serene beauty of a Han Dynasty watercolor, to its dramatic naval engagements and thundering cavalry charges, this is magnificent filmmaking, and a magnificent film. Full Review

Kenneth Turan
November 24, 2009
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

Returning to his roots after a stint in Hollywood, Woo has made the most expensive film in mainland Chinese history, a pleasantly traditional picture that marks a new direction for one of the world's ... Full Review

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