The Promise (2005)

Synopsis: A sweeping martial arts epic in the mode of CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, THE PROMISE is a crowd-pleasing stew of action, fairy tale conventions, wire-fu, and romance with undeniable international appeal for young and old alike. The most expensive film ever produced in China, director... A sweeping martial arts epic in the mode of CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, THE PROMISE is a crowd-pleasing stew of action, fairy tale conventions, wire-fu, and romance with undeniable international appeal for young and old alike. The most expensive film ever produced in China, director Chen Kaige (FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE) has assembled a lavish, far-reaching spectacle in which ornate, brightly-hued costumes and dreamlike landscapes leap off the screen. In a world where gods and mortals share the same space, a poor, orphaned girl in a war-torn land is promised be the Goddess Manshen (Chen Hong) that she will grow up to be beautiful and wealthy--though she will lose every man she loves. The girl grows to be Princess Qingcheng (Cecilia Cheung), radiantly beautiful and with many admirers. When a vicious young duke (Nicholas Tse) becomes intent on capturing her, a General (Hiroyuki Sanada) outfits his slave (Jang Dong-Gun)--who has supernatural running ability--with his armor and orders him to rescue the princess. She falls for him, believing him to be the General. Numerous gorgeous set-pieces would make a great impression regardless of the proceedings, but the tale they serve is thrilling and warm, with an attractive cast to execute it. Computer-generated imagery is employed liberally and often gives THE PROMISE the look of a video game, but the actors, especially Dong-Gun and Cheung, never fail to transcend the visual effects. A huge success in its native China, the film has been shorn of 18 minutes for its U.S. release, but doesn't suffer for the lost weight. Kaige's unique vision--using eye-popping modern technology to tell an old-fashioned story--is sure to join the pantheon of favorite martial-arts films. [More]