Shadow
Well Go USA Entertainment | Release Date: May 3, 2019
7.3
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 56 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
43
Mixed:
9
Negative:
4
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
6
bataguilaJul 10, 2019
Esta muy bien hecha, tiene buenos efectos, la historia es interesante, el problema que no es peli para cualquiera
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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8
josecaioMay 3, 2019
excelente ambientação, fotografia, direção de arte e de coreografia de lutas. o roteiro peca em alguns momentos mas não compromete o todo. vale muito a pena!
4 of 5 users found this helpful41
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9
BikerjamesAug 19, 2019
Shadow is a mesmerizing movie experience. Shot in a monochromatic style, but with accurate flesh tones, it is beautiful to look at. The over exaggerated acting style makes it feel like you are watching opera. The fight scenes are asShadow is a mesmerizing movie experience. Shot in a monochromatic style, but with accurate flesh tones, it is beautiful to look at. The over exaggerated acting style makes it feel like you are watching opera. The fight scenes are as beautiful as they are brutal. The scene where the warriors are sliding down the street with their metal umbrellas spinning has to be seen to be believed. You're not really sure who is in complete control of the outcome until the end of the film. If you're going to watch it at home on video, watch it in 4k.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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4
netflicMay 13, 2019
The last film by a famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou, known for “Coming Home”, “Raise the Red Lantern”, “To Live” and many more.

The movie is visually stunning but quite shallow in general. Made is black-and white with lots of gushes ofThe last film by a famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou, known for “Coming Home”, “Raise the Red Lantern”, “To Live” and many more.

The movie is visually stunning but quite shallow in general.
Made is black-and white with lots of gushes of blood.
Even though I liked the style of it, it was too formalistic and quite empty for me.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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6
KeithDowMay 16, 2019
Chinese writer/director Yimou Zhang’s ‘Shadow’ is largely an example of a trailer being better than the film itself. The trailer is captivating, leading one to believe the movie is going to be mixture of martial arts fighting and palaceChinese writer/director Yimou Zhang’s ‘Shadow’ is largely an example of a trailer being better than the film itself. The trailer is captivating, leading one to believe the movie is going to be mixture of martial arts fighting and palace intrigue. However, the full extent of the film is largely unbalanced in this regard, with most of the runtime bogged down with political maneuvering and the action sequences only ramping up towards the last quarter of the movie. What stands out most is the strikingly beautiful set design, featuring a stark black and white color palette inspired by the ancient Chinese painting tradition of ink brush.

Yet the most challenging aspect of the movie is trying to keep track of the plot’s myriad twists and turns. It’d assumably be easily to do if one were fluent in the native language. However, trying to follow the labyrinthian storyline is exceedingly difficult given the fact that the plot is dense and the film is subtitled. As a result, we’d recommend watching 2016’s ‘The Handmaiden’ instead, which is a better representative in the genre.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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7
Meth-dudeSep 7, 2019
With beautiful visuals, impressive fight sequences, an interesting story and a satisfying story, Shadow is a slow burner that might not please every one, but it's a slow burner worth watching.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
MaxPayneIsGodAug 2, 2020
Beautifully crafted and masterfully shot. Fantastic choreography.
A bit more intrigue and story that I expected.
We really enjoyed it
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
DeanomiteJan 12, 2020
Zhang Yimou movies are all very similar to me (Except the fantastic House of Flying Daggers) in that they are all pretty to look at but have very little substance, no character development and overall neither bore nor interest me. They putZhang Yimou movies are all very similar to me (Except the fantastic House of Flying Daggers) in that they are all pretty to look at but have very little substance, no character development and overall neither bore nor interest me. They put me in an entertainment limbo zone, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I almost feel a sort of meditation looking at beautiful images and hearing sounds but not feeling anything what so ever. Here the color is drained to a monochrome except for flesh tones. Hero was the same way, colors represented the acts but nothing meant anything. It ends when the credits roll, other wise I would not know it's over.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
JLuis_001Aug 14, 2021
The director of two of my favorite Wuxia films has added a third one to my list.
It doesn't match them, in terms of emotion and quality, but it's still a very good film.
The first part is somewhat confusing because it doesn't seem to be veryThe director of two of my favorite Wuxia films has added a third one to my list.
It doesn't match them, in terms of emotion and quality, but it's still a very good film.

The first part is somewhat confusing because it doesn't seem to be very focused, since the story needs to explain the setting and the characters, but as it begins to develop, it also begins to be more enjoyable.
The defects don't go away, but the film makes up for the viewer's patience.

When the fights take center stage, Shadow stands in a perfect state where choreography, sets, costumes and of course cinematography combine to deliver a splendid show.

I admit the film doesn't solve everything, and frankly I wasn't a fan of its ending, but even with its flaws, I had a good time, and it reminded me of getting up to date with the last three films of its director.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
ty92Aug 27, 2019
This movie was like Hero meets The Departed. What a great ending. One of the best looking movies I have ever seen. The story started off really slow. But the wait was worth it. It's a movie I will have to go back and watch a couple times toThis movie was like Hero meets The Departed. What a great ending. One of the best looking movies I have ever seen. The story started off really slow. But the wait was worth it. It's a movie I will have to go back and watch a couple times to get everything. The action scenes were epic. I never seen a umbrella used as a weapon before. It sounds lame but it's cool. I loved the slow motion shots in rain. If you liked Hero and like crazy endings then watch this movie. The only thing that brings this down from a 9 or 10 is the slow start.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
amheretojudgeOct 14, 2019
The choreography is not a commercial trick, the slow motion is not to splash around, it expresses ruthlessly.

Shadow Yimou Zhang, if not a filmmaker, should be a fashion designer. I don't know why I said fashion designer. Just designerThe choreography is not a commercial trick, the slow motion is not to splash around, it expresses ruthlessly.

Shadow

Yimou Zhang, if not a filmmaker, should be a fashion designer. I don't know why I said fashion designer. Just designer would suffice. But I suppose it his elegance in the eye popping fabric; i.e the crux of the game, war to be precise, that stylizes the storytelling to its pinnacle. There is not a single element- technical element- that goes waste by. And I have to mention the visual spectacle that this film is. Almost sung by two colors in unison the set pieces, the clothes, the weapons and the sacrifices are only and could only be poisoned by the abhorrence that the color red is.

And it is not just the act that spills the screen with the color red. It is also the evil side of the sacrifice, balancing this honorable world of Zhang. The reasoning, more honestly, the betrayal isn't seduced nor is challenged in Zhang's film. And instead it is very much inherited. There is arrogance in the blood that has to come out. The bad boy nature of the film that rattles yours and theirs morality, is something to ponder about. And it is not a film that stays with you for those two hours.

Not only does the film keeps you at the edge of your toes with its thought provoking themes, but also leaves you halfway through, not situationally but ethically, to start rediscovering the map. That bit, right there. Is breathtaking. Not a lot of film gives you that satisfaction. Or doesn't give you that satisfaction. Until you're done with the last act, you will find it difficult to know where will this tale land. It keeps you guessing, mostly because the characters itself are. Not just the Shadow is guessing and hoping for a safe way out, but even its master is bound to.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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2
IpoitaloMar 23, 2020
I loved his previous movie... But this one bored the bejesus out of me... Visual pretty nice... Choreography meh... Story even more meh.... Just really mediocre... Or maybe i expected way more...
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
ajzeg01Sep 17, 2019
This movie was actually kind of awesome! This is a Chinese film, released last year in its home country but released in 2019 in North America. In ancient China, an army commander’s decoy, or shadow, trains for a one-on-one battle to the deathThis movie was actually kind of awesome! This is a Chinese film, released last year in its home country but released in 2019 in North America. In ancient China, an army commander’s decoy, or shadow, trains for a one-on-one battle to the death with the commander of the enemy army to determine who wins a captured city, and it just gets crazier from there. While this movie was kind of slow for the first half hour or so, it really picks up after that! This movie is absolutely beautiful. It has a colour scheme of mostly black and white. It is always cloudy and it is always raining. It looks like a painting, it’s just a feast for the eyes. The performances were really good. A lot of the acting in this movie is very subtle and you need to pay close attention to their facial expressions and body language. The fight choreography is also brilliant. It’s super bloody and brutal, and also very creative! The main character fights with one of the coolest weapons I’ve ever seen in a movie, an umbrella made out of blades! The music was also pretty fantastic. Overall, I highly recommend this movie! It’s beautiful, unique and awesome! Check it out!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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