The Children of Huang Shi (2008)

Nothing in this film is subtle or unexpected, and even the hero's several near-death experiences create no real tension

...an inspiring tale of a man answering a call to greatness even if he doesn't fully understand why it's fallen to him.

Xiaoding Zhao’s cinematography is splendid, Roger Spottiswoode’s direction is workmanlike.

It is missing conviction.

Its anti-cynical faith in the value of altruism is encouraging.

History is never easy to capture in a fiction film, especially with a war in the background. But you have to at least try to embrace the whole of it, not just tear off a convenient chunk. Real life is inconvenient; great movies still deal with it.

Unfortunately, like so many movies that celebrate a historical hero, Children is plagued by an overblown sense of its own importance.

The Children of Huang Shi is so desperate to be the Asian Schindler's List, an example of atrocity draped in abject artistry, that it forgets to lay out the context.

... an affecting portrait and a strong story with a compelling backdrop, and Chinese cinematographer Xiaoding Zhao makes the gorgeous locations look magnificent.