Review of House of Flying Daggers (2004) by Zack S — 27 May 2011

Until I had seen Hero, I had no idea who Yimou Zhang was. That being said, Hero was an excellent movie and this one is no exception. House of Flying Daggers is a beautiful epic film with an engaging story, memorable action scenes, and great characters. While Hero had a more confusing narrative, this film has an easy-to-follow yet brilliant storyline. So audiences should be pleased with everything that this film has to offer.

I don't know the cast too well, but I enjoyed all of the performances. Takeshi Kaneshiro was great as Jin. Ziyi Zhang is a very beautiful actress and her performance as Mei was fantastic. They are really the only two characters we focus on, and it's worth it because we really care for them both. We also get good performances from the supporting cast as well.

The plot is a beautiful love story that's both interesting and really engaging. Plus, this movie also features some of the most brilliant action sequences I've ever seen. The choreography used here was excellent. Not to mention, the cinematography really helps the visuals and brings out very vibrant colors. Beautiful visuals, a brilliant story, and fantastic action scenes make this a martial arts classic.