A collection of folklore works known as "Generals of the Yan Clan" has served as the basis for numerous films, television series and operas over the years. "The Rescue of General Yang" tells of an earlier period in the patriotic history of the clan than the recently published "Legendary Amazons" (2011), and has nothing to do with the campy retro vibe of said film. This big-budget heroic war drama focuses on the events in the life of a general. Yana and his seven sons, determined to save their father from the hordes of Tsidan nomads, after a lively first 20 minutes subsides to the level of a kind of odyssey called “let’s bring dad back alive”. Although it is a high-quality, spectacular film, it does not evoke any special emotions.
"The Rescue of General Yang" began filming in August 2011 in Henan province, and it took quite a long time to reach the screens. It feels like there was a longer original version that was gradually trimmed down to a modest 102 minutes during post-production.
The end result was definitely a success, but it had to sacrifice an important element - the fleshing out of the characters: along with the problem that one person invariably has distinct images of all seven sons stored in his head (especially when he is dressed in armor), none of them has a strong personality or has its own backstory. This turns the second half, in which they fight their way home through hostile terrain, into a mere series of action sequences when the full drama of heroism and filial duty should have been explored within the confines of the production budget. Composer Kenji Kawai tried to compensate for this deficiency with his thunderous music, but, as is the case with most of his compositions, in the end it turned out to be too pompous.
In theory "The Rescue of General Yang" resembles a colorful presentation of an all-Asian male cast, but even the Hong Kong Ekin Cheng, the most experienced and instantly recognizable, looks unconvincing as the eldest son. The rest (two actors from mainland China (Yu Bo, Li Chen), singers from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan (Fu Xinbo, Raymond Lam, Vic Chow) plus Brunei-born, Taiwan-nurtured singer-model Wu Chun) in themselves do not make a strong impression, and their subsequent fates, given how little their characters’ personalities are developed before the start of the rescue expedition, are even less so. The overall relationship is weak.
They approached the writing of steel roles more thoroughly: the Hong Konger Adam Cheng, who played his father in his sixties, became the embodiment of restrained nobility, equally experienced Brian Leung in the role of a rival general is not inferior to him in his cunning, and the Chinese Shao Bing He played their enemy Tsidan very well. However, they mostly delight with their performances during the first half, after which the film begins to decline as younger actors begin to dominate the frame. The female leads are mostly just decoration, with the exception of a highly paid mainland Chinese star Xu Fan in the image of the no less noble wife of the general Yana.
However, two things bring “extra points” to the film. Firstly, this is an extremely impressive scale of scenery from the Hong Konger Kenneth Mack (Ip Man - 2008, Bodyguards and Assassins - 2009, A Chinese Ghost Story - 2011), and secondly - battles choreographed by experienced Stephen Toon with a cinematic quality that can evoke superstitious fear. The peak of the Hong Kong director's career Ronnie Yuya dates back to the early 90s (The Bride With White Hair - 1993, The Phantom Lover - 1995), and since then he has had both ups and downs, but with his last film "Fearless" (2006) he proved that he was still capable of a lot visually. Special effects produced in South Korea are made to last. The Chinese title of the film means "Valiant Generals of the Yang Clan".
Author: Derek Alley
Derek Alley's score: 7/10
Source: filmbiz.asia
Translation: EvilDollaR
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Tags: Saving General Yang, Adam Cheng, Brian Leung, Vic Chow, Li Chen, Ronnie Yu, Raymond Lam, Stephen Tung Wei, Xu Fan, Wu Chun, Fu Xinbo, Shao Bing, Ekin Cheng
Tags: Saving General Yang, Adam Cheng, Brian Leung, Vic Chow, Li Chen, Ronnie Yu, Raymond Lam, Stephen Tung Wei, Xu Fan, Wu Chun, Fu Xinbo, Shao Bing, Ekin Cheng
I think I need to watch this movie, I’ll wait. :)