Kingdom

Name: Kingdom
Genre: Action, History, War
Released: August 16, 2019
Duration: 134 min
Rating: 62
Cast: Jun Kaname, Kanata Hongô, Kanna Hashimoto, Kento Yamazaki, Masahiro Takashima

2019

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 5 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Ratings

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7.4

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7.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Ratings

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Kingdom (US Trailer 1)

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Movie Details & Credits

Funimation Films | Release Date: August 16, 2019 | R

Starring: Jun Kaname, Kanata Hongô, Kanna Hashimoto, Kento Yamazaki, Masahiro Takashima, Masami Nagasawa, Ryô Yoshizawa, Shin'nosuke Abe, Shin'nosuke Mitsushima, Takao Ôsawa

Movie Facts:

Kingdom is a live-action motion picture based on the bestselling adventure-historical manga series of the same name created by Yasuhisa Hara and presents a fictionalized account of ancient China during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC).

Summary: Orphaned by war, a young boy and his friend dream of changing their fate and becoming the world’s greatest generals. And after his friend sacrifices himself to protect the future emperor, the young boy’s path to greatness is set in motion. Helping the King reclaim the throne puts the boy’s blade to the ultimate test as they go againstOrphaned by war, a young boy and his friend dream of changing their fate and becoming the world’s greatest generals. And after his friend sacrifices himself to protect the future emperor, the young boy’s path to greatness is set in motion. Helping the King reclaim the throne puts the boy’s blade to the ultimate test as they go against deadly assassins, large armies, and the dangerous mountain clan. In a country torn apart by war, only they can fight to unite the warring states! … Expand

Director: Shinsuke Sato

Genre(s): Action, History, War

Rating: R

Runtime: 134 min

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Critic Reviews

John DeFore

Aug 8, 2019

More than colorful enough to excite genre fans who like a dash of history with their swordplay. Read full review

Richard Kuipers

Aug 16, 2019

A dose of 21st century attitude mixes nicely with other winning ingredients in Kingdom, a thoroughly entertaining adaptation of Yasuhisa Hara’s hugely popular manga set in China, 245 B.C. Read full review

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Aug 13, 2019

This isn’t quite the spectacle that the signature films of the genre are, but lacking the seriousness of those isn’t exactly a shortcoming. Read full review

Ben Kenigsberg

Aug 15, 2019

The film acquits itself honorably, even if its ultimate message is disquieting. Read full review

Charles Solomon

Aug 15, 2019

Director Shinsuke Sato’s film may lack nuance, but fans of martial spectacles will have an enjoyable if exhausting time. Read full review

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User Reviews

ZachCoco

Aug 22, 2019

One of the first adaptations I've seen in awhile that stayed true to the source material down to the bone. Amazing casting and costume design made all characters represent their written counterpart very well. The only criticism I can think of is the shortening of some of the big battles IOne of the first adaptations I've seen in awhile that stayed true to the source material down to the bone. Amazing casting and costume design made all characters represent their written counterpart very well. The only criticism I can think of is the shortening of some of the big battles I would have loved to have seen fleshed out, towards the end of the movie. By any means, this certainly did not make or break the movie for me as I believe everything was well executed within budget constraints. Please continue to make more! This is a beloved story of which I hold close to my heart! Near perfect adaptation. I will surely add this to my movie collection when it releases in stores. A must see for fans of the manga series!… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

fightbackp

Oct 8, 2020

Wow, I haven't seen a great TV series like this in such a long time!!! The Kingdom is like 'The Walking Dead' but it doesn't have any PC / Feminist garbage in it so you can really enjoy the show. You have normal characters (feminine women, muscular men) which are impossible to find fromWow, I haven't seen a great TV series like this in such a long time!!! The Kingdom is like 'The Walking Dead' but it doesn't have any PC / Feminist garbage in it so you can really enjoy the show. You have normal characters (feminine women, muscular men) which are impossible to find from anything produced from Hollywood today. I've given up on anything made from Hollywood due to it being way too PC. If you want a normal show with a great plot and normal characters in a zombie apocalypse, this show is for you where it's easily a 10/10.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Rhm_89

Dec 29, 2020

Excellent movie. Follows the manga pretty closely. All the cast fit their roles perfectly and actually look the part. There's the sadness and tension I was hoping to see as well. All in all such a great job I hope they make another.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SoulWarfare

May 12, 2020

Unlike Rurouni Kenshin live action movies, I have no idea about the source material. I know it has 3 seasons of anime right now but I haven’t really considered giving it a read or watch. I stumbled upon this movie after looking into any other Japanese movies based on manga and this came up.Unlike Rurouni Kenshin live action movies, I have no idea about the source material. I know it has 3 seasons of anime right now but I haven’t really considered giving it a read or watch. I stumbled upon this movie after looking into any other Japanese movies based on manga and this came up.

The basic premise is a once slave boy named Xin unites with a king Ying Zheng to help him reclaim his throne from his evil younger brother Cheng Jiao. They battle assassins, mountain people and huge armies in China. My first praise is the story which is pretty well told and intriguing enough to keep me invested. The story isn’t the most original and is clearly inspired by chinese stories but it is pace very well so that the audience themselves are ever really bored. This maybe in part thanks to the movie using a lot of Star Wars wipes which surprised me at first but it keep things moving along. They do use it a lot but The stakes are also clear and very high which is compelling enough to make the third act feel really desperate and urgent. It also seems to be following the source material faithfully according to fans of the source material so in a way that is a plus. The set and costume design did a phenomenal job in making it seem like a China from B.C. which is in part thanks to them filming it in China. Despite the relatively low budget they still managed to make every costume feel authentic. The soundtrack is also quite good in bringing the scenes to life with its orchestral score but there isn’t any real memorable soundtrack like with the Rurouni Kenshin films. Although, it does have a ONE OK ROCK song in the credits just like the Rurouni Kenshin films.

The action scenes are not on the level of Rurouni Kenshin movies but they are still fun to watch nonetheless. One difference is that they are much more over the top with ridiculous jumping and huge crazy beat down characters take but this is part of the charm of Kingdom. There is a moment in this film where Xin hits an assassin with a sword and he bounces on 4 different bamboo trees,It’s as ridiculous as it sounds but entertaining to watch.

The cast also do a great job in bringing the characters from the manga to the big screen in a very accurate portrayal. This does end up creating a weird issue for me though. Xin and HeLiao Diao are two of the main characters and they are performed like the source material with anime-esque personality. However, Ying Zheng is performed in a more grounded performance. This isn’t only with the main leads though but with 70% of the cast giving more believable grounded performance but 30% giving an over the top anime performance. It’s mildly jarring and creates a weird tonal problem of the film with these contrasting performance. The film is definitely fun with its goofy action scenes but the goofy performances tend to be hit or miss depending on the scenario. In my opinion, one goofy character is fine but a lot can be a bit too much.

The film also overly indulges in a lot of flashbacks especially with Xin and his bromance friend Piao. Some the flashbacks feel necessary but near the end it gets a bit repetitive with it constantly reminding us that Piao inspired Xin. The film also kind of paints war a bit light heartedly which I feel clashes with the overall message of the film. Since its based on a long running manga which has 57 volumes, it ends with a very clear sequel bait ending instead of a conclusive ending. So if this movie doesn’t get a sequel the ending will be mildly annoying. In the end, the movie is a still a very good time. It’s a high energy movie that moves along at a great pace without stumbling towards the finish line. It’s colorful, fun, exciting and ultimately an entertaining ride of a film. You will come out enjoying it and that seems to be what the director was aiming for which in that case it succeeds very well.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Verax_

Oct 12, 2021

I watched the anime Season 1-2 first, then the movie, did not read the manga.

7/10 as an adaptation (2021 October) 6/10 as a movie Pros: Interesting Story mostly true to the original (anime point of view) Voice acting Costumes & Makeup Fight Scenes Cons: Pacing (i know... movies have lessI watched the anime Season 1-2 first, then the movie, did not read the manga.

7/10 as an adaptation (2021 October)
6/10 as a movie

Pros:
Interesting
Story mostly true to the original (anime point of view)
Voice acting
Costumes & Makeup
Fight Scenes

Cons:
Pacing (i know... movies have less time to tell the story)

If liked the movie and you did not read the manga or watched the anime you should it's really good.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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