SunnyHello
Nice effects though.
Voxitype
Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.
Lachlan Coulson
This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.
Edwin
The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.
DrLenera
When Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon came out,critics fell over themselves praising it as being new and fresh. Whilst it is undoubtedly a good film,the fact is that they had been making films like that in Hong Kong for many years,with warriors jumping around the screen in tales of romance and honour. Moon Warriors is a good example. It has it's flaws,with one element rather laughable,but it still demands quite a bit of respect.The action is really as good,maybe it's a bit more obvious the characters are on wires,but in terms of martial arts skill it's actually better, and just as visually great to watch. Highlights include a display of kites that suddenly somehow turns into a ninja attack,a possibly Macbeth-inspired 'moving trees'sequence,and gorgeous Hong Kong babes Maggie Cheung and Ania Mui battling it out with swords.Despite what you may have heard about films like this,it certainly isn't all fighting. A great deal of time is given to the love element,and there are perhaps too many montages to the sentimental theme song {as usual,the translated words on the subtitles don't really work}. Howvever,the film retains that melancholic romantic feel present in many other Hong Kong fantasy movies of the time {such as The Bride With White Hair and Saviour of the Soul}.Unfortunately there is a subplot of a WHALE which is the hero's best friend,and it's just laughable. Some versions of the film even have outtakes at the end of star Andrew Lau with the thing. Still,there's plenty in the film which is worthwhile. It's really quite extraordinary what Hong Kong filmmakers used to conjure up on what were usually tiny budgets and rushed productions.
Matti-Man
MOON WARRIORS is without doubt one of the best examples of Wuxia (not "sword and sorcery" as some reviewers have labelled it) cinema. Wuxia, as I've noted in my other reviews, is a genre akin to the Japanese samurai movies, in that it is about honour, loyalty and the code of the warrior as much as it's about kick-ass fighting. There should always be a bit of romance in Wuxia movies as well, something that's almost always missing from its sister genre, kungfu films ...If the story seems a tad corny to Western sensibilities, that's probably because Wuxia films take their inspiration from the traditional writings of the Qing and Ming dynasties. But then, STAR WARS (a film that MOON WARRIORS resembles) is pretty corny too, and we don't love it any the less.Starring a whole flock of Hong Kong pop singers (Andu Lau, Kenny Bee and the late, great Anita Mui), MOON WARRIORS is chock full of astonishing moments. The "ninja" attack as Yuet (Anita Mui) and her ladies-in-waiting fly their kites and the 14th Prince's (Kelvin Wong) incredible skill with the bow when he ignites the logo that reads "Heaven and Earth" (not his name as another reviewer writes).It should also be pointed out that Sammo Hung also cast his female leads against type deliberately. It would have been more obvious to have cast Maggie Cheung as the delicate princess who knows martial arts but has never used them before and Anita Mui as the hardened assassin. But Sammo is a film-maker who avoids the obvious.MOON WARRIORS has just about everything - great action, epic storyline and it's achingly romantic - and seems to work best for those who are not kungfu film fans and thus have no preconceived expectations.But the killer whale - what was Sammo thinking of?
jpopphan
After seeing this film I fell in love with Andy Lau, Maggie Cheung and Anita Mui. I adore the style, the costumes... The acting in this work is brilliant. I highly recommend this film even if you are new to the Hong Kong style.
Dr Worm
The only reason I rented this was due to the fact that Maggie Cheung was in it, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a very enjoyable film. All the good guys are like-able and the bad guy is a right b******!! Excellently choreographed fight scenes, great cinematography (especially the scenes with the Fei and the killer whale Hai Wei(sp?)), and an extra bonus surprise about a third of the way into the movie - Anita Mui!!The ending shocked me somewhat, but didn't detract from my enjoyment the movie in any way. Well worth checking out.