喋血孤城 (Death And Glory In Changde City) is an 2010 film out of Zhong Guo. The movie stars an ensemble of people, but the stars were Ray Lui and Ady An.
The movie is placed in 1944 when Japanese troops are trying to take down the Nationalist Chinese army in the Changde area. We follow the lives of one particular troop. This troop ends up holding off the Japanese long enough for reinforcements to show up. However, in that process, many lives are lost and the movie moves to make the Japanese the bad guys with honor. In this mix is couples that wonder if they will ever get married or survive.
The movie was quite a surprise. An Nationalist army movie released in Zhong Guo? And a very patriotic tone to it. Yes, it was about overcoming the Japanese invasion, but it wasn't about the communist army. I thought it strange and continue to try to reconcile that. Unless I am completely wrong and those uniforms have confused me. Which is quite easy. Ady An plays a part in the bigger ensemble but still shines.
YTTLJ starts off about 100 years after the events of The Return of the Condor Heroes. There are 2 items in wulin (martial world) that can allow you to rule it via your supreme martial arts. The Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre. The Dragon Sabre is discovered and the rest of the wulin is out to get it. Wu Dang sect is no expection as they send out the 3rd hero of the Seven Heroes of Wudang, Yu Daiyan. Daiyan and Yin Susu fight for it and Susu wins. Susu sends Daiyan back to Wu Dang. Along the way, Daiyan is injured and crippled. Susu goes and displays the Dragon Sabre in a gathering. Xie Xun shows up and takes it. Susu is there with Zhang Cuishan and they get taken on a boat. But the boat runs into problems that get stranded on a fire and ice island. Susu and Cuishan become wife and husband and give birth to Zhang Wuji. Xie Xun is blinded and becomes Wuji's god-father. But they don't want Wuji to spend his life on the island. So after 10 years, they make a boat and set sail for the mainland so they can find Wuji a mate. Unfortunately, the martial world's problems follows them and Cuishan and Susu commit suicide. Wuji is also kidnapped and injured. This injury is a poison and he will eventually die.
Wuji somehow makes his way to a hidden valley and finds the Nine Yang Manual and learns it. This manual eventually helps him get rid of his poison. A beneficial side effect is that his inner chi is extremely powerful now. Wuji sets back into the martial world and becomes the leader of the Ming Sect.
Wow, what a mouthful. And that summary only covers the first 12-13 episodes. Deng Chao as Wuji is in roughly 28 episodes. The first 12 where back story on CuiShan/Susu and Wuji as a kid.
I zoomed through the first 30 episodes, but took a really long time to finish the last 10. I just lost interest in the story and the characters. However, the last 5 were pretty good and brought everything together. The ending however was a little strange.
How does this compare against the 2002 one? I liked the 2002 one much better because I liked the 2002 actors better and the story was more fluid. The 2009 seemed to spend episodes on a plot lines that I found boring. The 2009 version also censored out Shaolin and Persia. Very strange. I may have to get the Taiwan version to view the uncensored text. The 2002 version had a much lower production value. The 2009 version was made as an "epic", which include beautiful scenery and highlighting the old buildings of China.
Should you watch this? Yes if you are a Jin Yong fan. The story was pretty good and it was "epic" in comparison to the other older versions.
新倚天屠龍記 (Yi Tian Tu Long Ji/Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre) started broadcasting in Taiwan on December 28, 2009. It's two episode a night Monday through Thursday. Which would lead it to a conclusion on January 28.
The CTS version is prefixed with "新" signifying that it is "new". Instead of going with the year of first broadcast.
I myself just finished it last week after spending a good full month watching it. I'll be writing it up during the next couple of week as free time is hard to come by these days.
I am not sure how the China market makes money from the wuxia dramas. But to broadcast some 40 episodes within a month seems like you would lose money. You're hoping each episode's ad revenue makes or goes beyond the costs of producing (making) costs. So, they play it all in one month? It doesn't make sense to me. Unfortunately, I only really understand the US television market and to a much lesser extent, the Taiwan market.
In China, the cost is $60 RMBs for the DVD set. On YesAsia, its going for $64 USD. Um, its much cheaper to buy it in China. Six fold cheaper.
I am just glad that within a couple of weeks, I think I might be actually watching this via DVD. Review of the 2009 and 2002 series to follow.
If you're looking for English subs, unless there's a fansub, I don't think you're gonna get one for this version. At least not in 2009. If Tai Seng picks it up and goes for a US DVD release, you might get one.
下一站,幸福 is set for release next month and SETTV released the first teaser for it. It's a comeback for Ady An to Taiwanese dramas and a starring role for Vanness Wu. Both no longer possess the youthfulness of their F4 and Outsider days, but this seems to be a more mature drama aimed at young professionals to young adults. Although I am no longer part of that demographic, I still have a few years left before this stuff is like cartoons to me.
I'll be looking for this series when it makes it state side at the beginning of 2010. But there are plenty of ways of getting it before than. I just rather watch it via DVDs. Call me old skool!
My translation for 下一站,幸福 is Next Stop, Happiness. Let's see what the marketing folks in Taiwan end up with.
倚天屠龍記 (Yi Tian Tu Long Ji/Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre) is set for release this fall. The pictures are in and the official poster is out. I am eagerly awaiting it to make it to the US in good quality on DVD by Christmas time. Oh, there's gonna be the bargain bin $5-$10 versions crammed into 2 DVDs. But I shall wait.
I was mid way through the 2003 version with Alec Su when I found out that they were making this version. I had to stop so that I could try to forget the story. Knowing it all isn't a good thing.
I am not that happy with the 6 female leads. In the 2003 and 1986 one, I liked at least 5 of the 6. In this one, judging from the pics, only 3 seem to fit the role.
But I am eagerly awaiting this. I think that the scenery for the this will be the best yet. Getting a scenic view of China via this series will be awesome. Also, from the pics, it looks like it'll depart from the 2003 storyline a lot after they get back to the mainland from the island.
It's got a tough act to follow. I think the 2003 Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre is my favorite series ever, followed right behind by the 1986 one.
