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Movies / On DVD / Red Cliff
Red Cliff

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Red Cliff (2009)

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Reviews Counted:79

Fresh:68

Rotten:11

Average Rating:7.1/10

Consensus: Featuring some impressively grand battlefield action, John Woo returns to Asia and returns to form in the process for this lavish and slick historical epic.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for sequences of epic warfare.

Runtime: 2 hrs 20 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Theatrical Release:Nov 18, 2009 Limited

Box Office: $146,465

Synopsis: After directing stylish action films such as THE KILLERS and FACE-OFF, director John Woo turns to Chinese history for inspiration with RED CLIFF. The Han Dynasty is facing its death in third... After directing stylish action films such as THE KILLERS and FACE-OFF, director John Woo turns to Chinese history for inspiration with RED CLIFF. The Han Dynasty is facing its death in third century China, and the emperor raises a million-man army against two kingdoms that are hopelessly outmatched. This war film stars Tony Leung, the beloved actor best known for LUST, CAUTION and IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE. [More]

Starring: Tony Leung, Zhang Fengyi, Chang Chen, Chi-Ling Lin

Starring: Tony Leung, Zhang Fengyi, Chang Chen, Chi-Ling Lin, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Hu Jun

Director: John Woo

Director: John Woo
Screenwriter: John Woo, Khan Chan, Kuo Zheng, Sheng Heyu
Producer: John Woo, Terence Chang
Studio: Magnolia Pictures

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Release:

Oct 7, 2008

[DVD Details]
 
 

DVD Features:

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Reviews for Red Cliff

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Spectacular is the most appropriate word to describe this epic historical adventure - it's visually impeccable and impressive.

Full Review Source: SSG Syndicate | comment Comment
11/30/09
Susan Granger
Susan Granger
SSG Syndicate

With the costumed epic Red Cliff, celebrated Hong Kong and Hollywood action director John Woo wanders into unaccustomed turf.

Full Review Source: East Bay Express | comment Comment
11/29/09
Kelly Vance
Kelly Vance
East Bay Express

... a triumph [that] demands to be seen on the biggest possible screen.

Full Review Source: Brand X | comment Comment
11/27/09
Andy Klein
Andy Klein
Brand X

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 Source: New Republic | comment 2 Comments
11/26/09
Christopher Orr
Christopher Orr
New Republic
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Many people see Red Cliff as Hong Kong actioneer John Woo's return to form. I'm not one of them. John Woo has never once made a film I've liked. Until now.

Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
11/25/09
Brandon Fibbs
Brandon Fibbs
Christianity Today

I loved watching Red Cliff from a purely technical level but never cared about it on a human one.

Full Review Source: Movie Retriever | comment Comment
11/25/09
Brian Tallerico
Brian Tallerico
Movie Retriever

I left the movie thinking, "Wow, those were some really good formations those soldiers invented. Who were they again, anyway?"

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
11/25/09
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

Not a bad consolation prize, but not the complex, multilayered drama that made Red Cliff a hit in Asia.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
11/25/09
Tan Vinh
Tan Vinh
Seattle Times

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 Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
11/25/09
Steven Rea
Steven Rea
Philadelphia Inquirer
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Woo doesn't have Yimou's natural feel for the courtly culture, or, perhaps, his sweeping way with this type of story. But his hand is sure and his eye, as ever, finds beauty in everything, even death.

Full Review Source: Oregonian | comment Comment
11/24/09
Shawn Levy
Shawn Levy
Oregonian

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 premier action maestros.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
11/24/09
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The compelling emotion that marks the best Woo movies is AWOL. The pacing is choppy, with most of the human moments lopped off. Is the Han emperor the good guy? Or should we cheer the rebellious opposition warlords? And what the heck is a viceroy?

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
11/24/09
Colin Covert
Colin Covert
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's almost 2 1/2 hours, and too much is corny, cramped, and vague.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
11/24/09
Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris
Boston Globe
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The cuts may be appalling to those who've seen the original, but I'm not one of them, and I think this version is pretty solid.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Daily News | comment Comment
11/24/09
Gary Thompson
Gary Thompson
Philadelphia Daily News

It's all about the action.

Full Review Source: CinemaBlend.com | comment Comment
11/24/09
Katey Rich
Katey Rich
CinemaBlend.com

A magnificent achievement...both fascinating and fun--so good, in fact, that after watching this cut you just might to search out the director's original 280-minute version.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
11/24/09
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

a historical epic featuring great characters, extremely clever tactical maneuvering, and scope, scope, scope...

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
11/22/09
Laura Clifford
Laura Clifford
Reeling Reviews

Overlong but ambitious, Woo proves he's as good at tactical maneuvers as he is at close-quarters combat.

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment 1 Comment
11/20/09
Joe Neumaier
Joe Neumaier
New York Daily News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Red Cliff is a legendary filmmaker's visual symphony.

Full Review Source: Wall Street Journal | comment Comment
11/20/09
Joe Morgenstern
Joe Morgenstern
Wall Street Journal
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Woo had the chance of a lifetime ... to film one of the greatest Chinese stories, and blew it by tinkering with it so much that not only is it no longer the story many of us know and love, it's also a version that can't even be considered on par.

Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
11/19/09
Jeffrey Chen
Jeffrey Chen
ReelTalk Movie Reviews
 
 
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October 04, 2009: Trailer & Poster review Opens in new window
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May 19, 2009: Sydney Film Festival Gets Wooed
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