• Starring: Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Ziyi Zhang
  • Summary: The year is 859 AD, and China's once flourishing Tang Dynasty is in decline. Unrest is raging throughout the land, and the corrupt government is locked in battle with rebel armies that are forming in protest. The largest and most prestigious of these rebel groups is the House of Flying Daggers, which is growing ever more powerful under a mysterious new leader. (Sony Pictures Classics) Expand
  • Director: Yimou Zhang
  • Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Runtime: 119 min
  • More Details and Credits »
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 37
  2. Negative: 0 out of 37
  1. 100
    Forget about the plot, the characters, the intrigue, which are all splendid in House of Flying Daggers, and focus just on the visuals.
  2. It's as thrilling and lushly beautiful a movie as has been released all year, matched only by Zhang's epic "Hero." And I think this film is the more powerful.

See all 37 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 62 out of 94
  2. Negative: 16 out of 94
  1. PhillipR.
    10
    I am not a film buff and don't normally have much time for watching films, but this one just grabbed me and kept me enthralled. The twists and turns of the story are mesmerizing and the beauty of Mei is captivating. The depiction of the Martial Art fighting leaves you in awe, even if a little unbelievable. The closing scenes of fighting and death leave you emotionally drained. Fantastic Expand
    • 1 of 1 users said yes
  2. groundfisher
    5
    Incredibly over-rated. This is a silly movie. About two-thirds of the way through the film the plot is forgotten - and major aspects remain unexplained and unresolved - in favour of a love-story. Because it's merely a love story, the martial arts scenes lose all meaning and relevance - even the last scene. And the ending is nothing but preposterous. Sure, there are moments of visual beauty, but so what. What's the point of tacking on a somewhat adolescent melodrama? It started well enough, but by the end my companion summed it up using only four letters. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. GarethTagg
    1
    Amazing scenary & stunning costume design... ...lousy plot, poor acting, little or no continuity & a laughable ending (apparently, I walked out about 30 minutes before the end). For those of you who saw this movie & felt cheated here are some less flattering quotes from the critics: "a tedious...excuse for this director to indulge his fetish for digitalized blood and daggers and...immaculately composed nature shots" -- Jay Antani, L.A. ALTERNATIVE PRESS "The worst kung fu movie since Sammo Hung's Heart of Dragon." -- Jeffrey M. Anderson, COMBUSTIBLE CELLULOID "An outsized and endlessly pretentious romantic action-melodrama, in which the director has clearly lost any sense of moderation or self-discipline." "Its 2 hour length seems like 3 and the feeling of being cheated by an unending set of directorial switches becomes as inescapable as those boomeranging daggers." -- Jules Brenner (FC), VARIAGATE.COM "While Hero leaves you pondering meanings for days, House of Flying Daggers doesn't leave you with anything more than, 'Swords are sharp. Ziyi Zhang is pretty. There sure is a lot of bamboo in China.' " -- Carlo Cavagna, Aboutfilm.com Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 94 User Reviews

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