Synopsis:
Since the death of her beloved, Shu Lien has found peace in secluded meditation. What was supposed to be a quiet trip to attend the funeral of her old friend and father-figure results in her being attacked by soldiers of the warlord Hades Dai, whose goal is to rule the martial world. With the death of its guardian, the Green Destiny sword of Li Mu Bai is again a target for those hoping to use its legendary power for themselves. Shu Lien is once more drawn into the struggle to protect it, aided by new friends... and complicated by the return of a man long thought dead.
Review:
The plot was well thought out and linear in structure without very many twists and turns- which is good for a movie an hour and forty minutes long. It wasn't confusing. I found it quite predictable but not so predictable that I minded it. The story itself was pretty good, though one of the main premises felt weak to me.
Most of the dialogue was fairly well written, and well paced. Wei Fang was a little smart-aleck, which was great because that's one of the things actor Harry Shum Jr. is good at portraying. There were, however, at least three instances of cheesy, cliche lines; for example: 'don't leave me, I can't lose you, too' to someone the character had known for a few days. The actors, particularly Michelle Yeoh, did a good job of delivering them in a way that didn't feel cheesy.
Sword of Destiny felt very much like the filmmakers were trying to blend wuxia with Western-style-fantasy. I think they succeeded in a good melding of the two... I just think they should have done it for a separate series, not the sequel to an already hugely popular movie. I think there are going to be a lot of fans of the original who are going to be disappointed by the sequel.
Wuxia is usually strong in two things: dialogue and fight sequences. CTHD2 had the fighting for sure and some of the dialogue. Wuxia typically skimps on explanation but the subtext is so rich and layered that by the end of the movie or drama, you know everything you need to about the story. I think this movie tried to do that but only partially succeeded.
I was a little confused about why the movie was only an hour and forty minutes long instead of being at least two hours, because I thought there was enough story material to have filled two hours. Also, it made a little too much sense in some areas for a pure wuxia- another thing that points out the blending of fantasy and wuxia. Wuxia is typically somewhat melodramatically ridiculous. This all made a lot of sense. I didn't mind it, but it was definitely a point to notice.
Making a sequel to one of the most popular wuxia movies of all time is no easy feat, especially when there are fifteen years between the movies. There were a few minor links back to the original that were well done, but the aforementioned premise that felt weak to me was the biggest link they tried to establish to the original. I felt that it was barely plausible and too cliche, thus frustrating me a little, especially because it derived from one of my favorite plot points in the original. On the other hand, given the plot of the first movie, this was about the only thing the screenwriters could have done to introduce a main character who could be a romantic lead for Shu Lien.
This movie was filmed mostly in New Zealand, instead of China (there were a few scenes in Beijing, I believe), which gives it the fantasy feel of a western fantasy film but not a pure wuxia feel, although the scenery was stunning. The grandeur of the setting didn't quiiite fit the scale of the story they actually told, although it would have fit the scale of the story they were trying to tell.
The cinematography was beautiful with soft lighting. I could follow the fight scenes well and it wasn't just a blur of bodies; the camera angles were also mostly good.
All of the dialogue was in English. Now, while I love the accents of Asian voices speaking English, this movie should have been in Mandarin, because it would have felt more authentically Chinese and wuxia. The English language again contributed to the feel of wuxia-meets-western-fantasy.
The horses were good and well matched to the plot. They weren't stunningly beautiful but that was as it should be, because none of the characters would have had the means to own a superb animal. Good, sturdy horses who got the job done were what should have been shown and that's exactly what they did.
The costumes were beautiful and accurate to the genre. I have several screencaps of what looks like nothing in particular but are actually so I can study the costumes on some of the background extras. Michelle Yeoh and Natasha Liu Bordizzo both had some great costumes that I would love to own. (Basically, just give me the entire wardrobe of all the women in the movie and I'd be happy.) Interestingly, Ngila Dickson was the costume designer for this film- she who designed all of the LOTR costumes. I saw her name in the credits and thought, "No wonder I want the costumes of every female character in this movie and no wonder the costumes fit each character's personality so well!"
Characters:
Shu Lien - her character was fairly true to the original, making allowance for what changes would have occurred in her beliefs because of the way CTHD ended. She has some of the best lines in the movie, and some great fight scenes, including one at the end which I loved. Unfortunately, there were a couple of inconsistencies in her actions and words where I could only guess at what lay behind them (one fairly easily, the other not so much). For the sake of the story, they should have been clarified a bit and not left so much to headcannon.
Meng/Silent Wolf - first of all, I love his name, his costume is cool, and his personality is intriguing. *SPOILER* His action of faking his own death is plausible, but could have tied into the story better had there been a little more discussion of Li Mu Bai and Meng's relationship to him, and not just as each related to the romance storyline. *END SPOILER* There's a fine line between telling too much and not telling enough and I think they leaned too far on the not telling enough side. Aside from that, the romance, and the link to the first movie, he was a good character and I really enjoyed all of his scenes. Donnie Yen is a fantastic actor.
Wei Fang - for someone who spends two-thirds of the movie in a cage spitting out sass and a few threats, his character was fantastic. Most of his lines were sass and snark, but he had some great moments where his conflict was shown. I thought his storyline was a bit too rushed and that was annoying. There was also one moment where he defeats a guy that I think he should not have been able to defeat, given his previously shown level of skill. He's also got great hair. I think they didn't give him as much of a part as they could have... they should've delved a bit more into his training and growing up years.
Snow Vase - I love her name and she had some stunning outfits. Her backstory was terrific and well done, and so was her storyline... but, in the acting and in some of her lines, her personality seemed to lean a little more toward the Western viewpoint on strong female characters than the Oriental, in my opinion, and that felt jarring in a wuxia. I think her acting and projected personality aura needed more fine tuning for this role.
Hades Dai - interesting, believable villain. I liked how he had more of a 'cheerful villain' personality than a 'brooding villain' personality. I would have liked more backstory between himself and Li Mu Bai and Meng; it would have added depth.
the Four Iron Way Followers - they were some of the best characters in the movie; the most realistic, most well rounded, and depth was conveyed through only a few scenes and bits of dialogue. They were fantastic and I loved them a lot. (Silver Dart Shi ROCKS.)
Mantis and Enchantress - each was fascinating and much was conveyed through little, but I would still have liked a tiny bit more to flesh them out. (Fun fact: Enchantress was played by the daughter of the actress who played villain Jade Fox in the first movie.)
Favorite Characters:
Without a doubt: Silent Wolf, Shu Lien and Wei Fang. Also, Silver Dart Shi and the three Iron Way guys.
Favorite Quotes:
~ It is said that a scholar’s name will last for five years beyond his passing and a swordsman will be remembered for twenty. This is meant as praise, but I believe it to be a curse.
~ Is it as powerful as they say?
~ In the right hand.
~ We need those who will do more than guard. There are warriors who once stood against this type of injustice. True followers will still answer the call. The Iron Way is not legend. Not yet.
~ True skill is not a blazing flame.
~ A thousand broken sticks and swords won’t teach as much as the one that bends to your will.
~ He roars but I feel that a gentle soul may sleep within.
~ How do you take the measure of a man?
~ Ask your heart.
~ I do. My head answers.
~ The greatest battle of them all. And you are hardly the only who fights it here.
~ You must find him. If he is a good man, stand beside him. If he has become a poison dragon, kill him.
~ The Iron Way. Some of us never stop living by it. Even if it means dying by it.
~ We don’t hold this sword. This sword holds us.
~ It is said that a swordsman's name will last for twenty years beyond his passing. But I believe that some names will live forever.
Warnings:
CTHD2 was cleaner than CTHD. I'd give it a PG-13 for violence. There was also one scene where a woman is stepping into a bath and you have a rear view of her nude form.
Black Hats:
Not many. Sir Te's son wore a black silk cap common to people of his class, and Silent Wolf wore a dark brown hat. Perhaps that is why this movie was a bit underwhelming? ;)
Conclusion:
It was a good, fun, clean movie. I recommend it if you enjoy hybrid wuxia or fantasy or enjoy Chinese stories.
I rate this movie an 8 out of 10 for being good but not knock-your-socks-off stellar. I give it a 6 out of 10 for the sequel measuring up to the original.
That said, I liked it well enough that I've seen it twice now and will be seeing it a third time soon when I show it to my younger sister.
Have you seen this movie? Have you seen the original? How did you feel they compared?
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