BATTLE OF WITS is a film in which Andy Lau attempts to defend a city under siege from a huge army camped outside the walls. Yes, it's a typical Chinese big budget historical epic, in which all the money's up on screen and the cinematography is sweeping and epic-feeling. The story engages you from the outset, the twists and turns occur at speed and there are a series of inventive battle sequences that don't disappoint.

In the end, though, I'd say that the film is good, but not great. It's never as suspenseful or exciting as it might be, and doesn't emphasis the siege warfare in a way that a shorter, simpler film like Ironclad does. Instead, much of the conflict comes from inside the city rather than outside, building up to an unpredictable chain of events that you'll never quite see coming. While this makes for interesting viewing, it's not quite the spectacular war epic I was hoping for.

The director is far more interested in exploring some of the political themes (such as the concept of non-violence) by showing the opinions of different characters rather than making a straightforward war film. Thus the battle takes almost a second place to the philosophy behind the characters. This isn't a bad thing per se, but it makes for a totally different film than the one marketed.

Andy Lau is as stern and stoic as ever and the supporting cast are efficient in their parts, while the action that does occur is well handled and inventive. All in all, this is a decent film – just not one I'm in a rush to re-watch.

Andy Lau is the main actor in this one, although not listed first on the IMDb cast list here. His role is really great and his character arc even better (that is, if you get the message behind all the fighting and so forth). It might not be apparent to everyone, but this movie has something to say. And that's what I loved about it. The fight scenes were well executed as well, but it's more about the characters than the action.

Of course this is not everyone's cup of tea, as you can see by the voting and comments here. But if you like Asian cinema (Easterns so to speak),than you should give this a shot!

This film is based on Bokko, one of the finest Japanese manga ever crafted, about one man - Ge Li - sent to defend a besieged city in ancient China. Andy Lau here plays the main character, effectively downplaying his super-stardom with a delicate, subdued and humble performance. Apart from him, we get epic battles with twists, a couple of very nifty strategic ideas, and all the grievances and politics of the besieged city of Liang come to a boiling point. Ge Li has to fight enemies from within and without.

Chinese filmmaking often draws upon that nation's very rich literary heritage, and it's often exciting to see the best it has to offer when that heritage blends with great aesthetics backed up by an important budget. "Hero" comes to mind of course, probably as the pinnacle of the genre. But even that film belies a worrying trend in mainstream Chinese film: ideological bullying. Back to this in a second...

Technically, the film is of course very competently made, the period and city are created to perfection, even if the visual style is never more than generic. Where things begin to go sour is in the characterizations. The source manga has very rich, complex characters, and while it is unfair to condemn a film under 3 hours for failing to capture the wealth of a 400+ page graphic novel, one wonders why the filmmakers did not cut content for the sake of depth rather than the opposite. A lot happens very quickly, and it is very hard to care for anyone but Lau's Ge Li. This problem is further compounded by the apparently chronic irrationality of many characters: they act in frustrating ways, seemingly just because the film requires them to in order to complicate the hero's predicament.

On the previously mentioned ideological front, things become downright risible. The source manga is a tribute to the value of the individual and the vices of the ruling class. On the other hand, the film suggests (word for word in one scene) that only unity will end war in China, and the leader of the invading army is made into a far more compelling human being than any of the inhabitants of the besieged city.

In the end, the film is a case study in how filmmaking by committee leads to bland and idiotic results: nonexistent character, crude ideological content, spectacle for its own sake and a total absence of personality.

But it has two good things going for it: first, it might get you to read the infinitely superior manga. The second reason is a man named Andy Lau.