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No consensus yet.
All Critics (12) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (5) | Rotten (7)
About the only thing this cinematic whirligig skimps on is coherence, both narrative and aesthetic. Mar 18, 2011 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…
About the only thing this cinematic whirligig skimps on is coherence, both narrative and aesthetic.
James Adams
In his embrace of American sensibilities, Wuershan seems to have mastered a Hollywood specialty: empty calories served loud, flashy and fast. Mar 18, 2011 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…
In his embrace of American sensibilities, Wuershan seems to have mastered a Hollywood specialty: empty calories served loud, flashy and fast.
Andy Webster
And the prize for the most incomprehensible movie of the millennium goes to the Chinese martial-arts comedy "The Butcher, the Chef and the Swordsman." Mar 18, 2011 | Full Review…
And the prize for the most incomprehensible movie of the millennium goes to the Chinese martial-arts comedy "The Butcher, the Chef and the Swordsman."
V.A. Musetto
Wuershan's heavy hand, never letting up for a moment to allow any air or life to enter the film, cuts off the film's energy even as it rattles relentlessly on. Mar 17, 2011 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…
Wuershan's heavy hand, never letting up for a moment to allow any air or life to enter the film, cuts off the film's energy even as it rattles relentlessly on.
Mark Olsen
If it's diminished by the director's feverish urge to over-achieve, this movie is clearly the kind of irreverent, multi-platform, cross-genre, otherworldly stuff Hollywood wants from China: fast, furious, big, bold and brassy. Mar 17, 2011 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…
If it's diminished by the director's feverish urge to over-achieve, this movie is clearly the kind of irreverent, multi-platform, cross-genre, otherworldly stuff Hollywood wants from China: fast, furious, big, bold and brassy.
Greg Quill
Only in the centerpiece sequence does first-time director Wuershan successfully maintain his balance of the grotesque and the fanciful, a tricky feat elsewhere upset by his obnoxious style. Mar 15, 2011 | Full Review…
Only in the centerpiece sequence does first-time director Wuershan successfully maintain his balance of the grotesque and the fanciful, a tricky feat elsewhere upset by his obnoxious style.
Nick Pinkerton
This film breaks almost every filmic rule regarding amount of content, pacing and editing speed, but somehow the combination flies through the air as swiftly and smoothly as the magical cleaver, slicing all that oppose it. May 15, 2018 | Full Review…
This film breaks almost every filmic rule regarding amount of content, pacing and editing speed, but somehow the combination flies through the air as swiftly and smoothly as the magical cleaver, slicing all that oppose it.
Shelagh Rowan-Legg
It is hard to say how much influence (Doug) Liman had over the finished product, but the already jittery directorial eye of Wuershan may have been better served by a collaborator who favours a less-is-more approach. Mar 23, 2011 | Full Review…
It is hard to say how much influence (Doug) Liman had over the finished product, but the already jittery directorial eye of Wuershan may have been better served by a collaborator who favours a less-is-more approach.
Simon Foster
Wuershang is too busy mixing up a slurry of postmodern techniques, abortive fight scenes, and noisy set pieces to spend any time on fundamentals. Mar 20, 2011 | Rating: 1.5/4 | Full Review…
Wuershang is too busy mixing up a slurry of postmodern techniques, abortive fight scenes, and noisy set pieces to spend any time on fundamentals.
Jesse Cataldo
This coarse, complicated period comedy is unlikely to catch on with mainstream U.S. audiences, while fans of contemporary Chinese movies will compare it-mostly unfavorably-to Stephen Chow's equally broad but more graceful action comedies. Mar 18, 2011 | Full Review…
This coarse, complicated period comedy is unlikely to catch on with mainstream U.S. audiences, while fans of contemporary Chinese movies will compare it-mostly unfavorably-to Stephen Chow's equally broad but more graceful action comedies.
Maitland McDonagh
If [it] sounds juvenile, well, okay, maybe it is. But who cares, when it's all so damn much fun? Mar 17, 2011 | Full Review…
If [it] sounds juvenile, well, okay, maybe it is. But who cares, when it's all so damn much fun?
Andy Klein
Likeable crazy, combined with visual stylistics and driven by a sense of humour, this madcap Chinese martial arts frolic has everything Mar 12, 2011 | Full Review…
Likeable crazy, combined with visual stylistics and driven by a sense of humour, this madcap Chinese martial arts frolic has everything
Andrew L. Urban
Quite strange tale of revenge, honour and greed follows a group of misfits that gets involved with a kitchen cleaver made from the top five swords of the martial arts world in this weird and brash action comedy. You can tell director Wuershan makes ads featuring lots of slow motion, fast edits, bellowing fabric and soaring arias. The film is full of gimmicks. This includes, black and white sections with red highlights à la Sin City, animations, video game sequences, Taiwanese 3D news renderings and cartoons. The few sequences that look interesting enough are those dealing with food.
Super Reviewer
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