The Promise (2005)

Overall: This is my favorite type of Chinese film, fantasy with a little romance and action thrown in. Most Chinese films have gorgeous views and this one was no exception. I'll admit that among those there were some that looked a little fake, but to be honest it didn't take away from the beautiful images it was invoking. It was like watching a painting move. Although, there was one scene which made me laugh a little when I'm sure they, also, meant it to be beautiful. ALL the costumes were gorgeous and these added to that moving painting feel.

Story: I love fantasy stories and this one as far as a story goes was great. This is not focused on battles and action, it is more like a Fairy Tale.

Acting/Cast: The acting wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible either. It was just enough to keep you interested in what was happening on screen.

Music: The music was amazing and went great with the story.

Re-watch Value: Since this is a movie, it's very likely I'll re-watch it sometime in the future.

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It's a story well told.

The beginning of the story got me engaged and instantly gave the premise that it's a fantasy movie, following the lives of the poor little girl who exchanged her fate for a piece of bread and the man who could turn back time but could not remember his past.

It's a delight to watch, if you're the type who likes romance wrapped in a mysterious fantasy-action story that unfolds bit by bit. The scenes are shot against a cinematic background (makes you recall those Chinese paintings in color and detail)and they flow seamlessly one after the other.

The story develops as the characters reveal their true selves and strangely, I found myself sympathizing more for the man in the mysterious feathery black coat and scarred white face. In the end, he helps Kun Lun to remember his past and sacrifice himself for their kind's last hope.

Story - an outstanding 10 in my book
Cast - Stellar cast:
Liu Ye - as the scarred and damaged Snow Wolf
Hiroyuki Sanada as the warrior-general in the sun helmet
Jang Dong Gun - as the Princess' hero, Kun Lun (I didn't even know this ahjusshi was from S. Korea)

Music - this is a Chinese movie, of course it's a 10
Rewatch value - I watched it for like 4 times and had to restrain myself from watching it again. Darn why did it have to end so soon!

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Promises, promises...

I was drawn to The Promise because Nicholas Tse and Sanada Hiroyuki were in the cast. It sounded like a fairytale which also had possibilities. If the characters hadn’t been so shallowly drawn, the promise of an entertaining film might have been fulfilled.

Qian Cheng is a starving child with a sick mother. After scavenging food from a battlefield, she is approached by a goddess who offers her a deal she can’t turn down. Qian Cheng can be wealthy and adored by men. The catch, there’s always a catch, she can never fall in love or she will lose her love. Years later during a battle, a slave named Kun Lun displays a propensity for running---fast. General Guang Ming knows talent when he sees it and makes Kun Lun his personal slave. Duke Wu Huan is determined to take over the kingdom and have a grown Qian Cheng for his own. The table is now set for a love square.

The whole premise of the story is that Kun Lun, Guang Ming, and Wu Huan were all obsessed with Qian Cheng. It had to be the spell, for while she was beautiful, she wasn’t charismatic. Qian Cheng fell deeply in love with the masked man who saved her and had no qualms about giving herself to her supposed savior despite never having seen his face. Instead of coming across as a seductress, she appeared vapid to me. I found it difficult to care about any of the characters or root for any of the possible love combinations. They all seemed fairly vacuous. Aside from Kun Lun being able to enter the Speed Force, they just weren’t that interesting. Sanada and Tse camped it up a little in their portrayals of foes and besotted men, though Wu had other reasons for his obsession.

The CGI and special effects were rudimentary at best. There were luxurious costumes, especially for the opposing armies. You would not miss Guang Ming’s men in their bright red armor. The wigs left a lot to be desired though.

I enjoyed the premise of The Promise, or rather, I wanted to enjoy the premise of the film. The one-dimensional characters were difficult to become invested in. I appreciated most of the performances, it would be hard to ignore Sanada Hiroyuki and Nicholas Tse. The sets, scenery, and costumes were beautiful even with the low grade CGI and occasional editing glitches. It just felt like the movie promised so much more.

2 December 2024

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