Epicism is a dodgy business in cinema, yet it is a "genre" (for want of a better word) which has seen a rapid increase in the number of films being labelled with this description. Epic in the modern sense of the word relates to any period drama film which has scenes of intense action coupled with an overly emotive story line, and clocks in at over two hours. Seven Swords fulfils this requirement.
However, as the film neared the end of its two hour plus tenure, my mind began wandering into a critical standpoint, with anticipation of the review I was to write. I concluded that I had viewed far superior fighting sequences (with Donnie Yen) in Hero, and was far more engrossed by the superb story of Flying Daggers, yet to completely right off this film would be wrong. As it would be with many other modern "epics". Films like Kingdom of Heaven, Alexander, all in the Gladiator mold are inoffensive but never truly captivating, thus the underlying problem with the film.
The antagonists are ripped straight out from Mad Max, and I was half expecting an articulated lorry to emerge and our seven swords to fight on it.
There is no issue with understanding the film, in fact I adore foreign cinema, hence my purchase of this on DVD, yet the story felt slightly forced and often static and incoherent in places, with far too many changes of camera angles. Harking back to an earlier point, the fore-mentioned issue with angles often effects the fighting sequences (billed as some of the most awe inspiring and "epic" - by The Daily Telegraph) you never truly feel immersed in the action, nor do you feel a voyeur of it, it's somewhere in the middle. It's inoffensive yet never truly captivating.
This film is truly a modern day epic. Characters have their moments to reach out and touch the audience, but due to the action based nature of the film never really connect, and we never really identify any real reasoning for the alleged ban on martial arts, it merely seems a cunning ploy to justify grandiose sequences with Donnie Yen. However, for all the slating it is severely watchable, and possibly worth a recommendation to fans of the genre who have time to spare for an Asian epic, but perhaps it's time directors return to their dictionaries and truly find out the meaning of the word, epic.
However, as the film neared the end of its two hour plus tenure, my mind began wandering into a critical standpoint, with anticipation of the review I was to write. I concluded that I had viewed far superior fighting sequences (with Donnie Yen) in Hero, and was far more engrossed by the superb story of Flying Daggers, yet to completely right off this film would be wrong. As it would be with many other modern "epics". Films like Kingdom of Heaven, Alexander, all in the Gladiator mold are inoffensive but never truly captivating, thus the underlying problem with the film.
The antagonists are ripped straight out from Mad Max, and I was half expecting an articulated lorry to emerge and our seven swords to fight on it.
There is no issue with understanding the film, in fact I adore foreign cinema, hence my purchase of this on DVD, yet the story felt slightly forced and often static and incoherent in places, with far too many changes of camera angles. Harking back to an earlier point, the fore-mentioned issue with angles often effects the fighting sequences (billed as some of the most awe inspiring and "epic" - by The Daily Telegraph) you never truly feel immersed in the action, nor do you feel a voyeur of it, it's somewhere in the middle. It's inoffensive yet never truly captivating.
This film is truly a modern day epic. Characters have their moments to reach out and touch the audience, but due to the action based nature of the film never really connect, and we never really identify any real reasoning for the alleged ban on martial arts, it merely seems a cunning ploy to justify grandiose sequences with Donnie Yen. However, for all the slating it is severely watchable, and possibly worth a recommendation to fans of the genre who have time to spare for an Asian epic, but perhaps it's time directors return to their dictionaries and truly find out the meaning of the word, epic.