Aneesa Khan

Pretty average. Every movie has a message. This one's was 'loyal, brave and true'. Although that mantra is accessible to many people, the movie's idea that if you love your country and emperor hard enough, you will be recognised eventually even if you are an undesirable woman just didn't sit right with me. The movie's philosophy is that empowerment is found in the group and its authority which I disagree with as I'm from a different philosophy but considering this is a Chinese film, I can appreciate the movie staying faithful to the values of the original source material. Perhaps I just don't get Chinese drama but every moment felt anticlimactic and subdued. Dialogue was frigid and terse. Some of the movie didn't make sense to me such as the role and behaviour of particular characters in the movie, as well as the way in which the plot folded out; and although we are often lenient with children's movies, this movie felt more like a bad fantasy war drama than anything else. My thirteen year old brother spent most of his time watching YouTube instead as he was bored out of his mind. The special effects were nice. I liked the costume and the nod to traditional archery in particular.