TIFF Report: Seven Swords Review

Thanks for this review Mack, though it confirms my badest misgivings. So this flick seems to be another $$$-generating movie produced just for the westerners who don't know better. As it was already with 'Hero' and 'Flying Daggers', sad...

I sat through it...but I wish I hadn't. The end fight is the only good part in the movie, the rest is just boring. I almost fell asleep and wished I had 2 1/2 hours of my life back.
I had high expectations and well it just wasn't good...

The more negative reviews I read, the more I wanna see this movie!

But it comes from a guy who loves Starship troopers, Showgirls and hated Saving private Ryan, so... ;)

My friends and I were standing around, talking about why we didn't like it. We honestly tried to like it, since it's Tsui Hark's film. Sadly, the storytelling was terrible and I think the editing was rushed. Rumour is that this is a 4 hour film, that was cut down to 2 and 1/2 hours. With that in mind, I'm hoping to see that and I hope that it'll actually be good.

Awesome fight sequences, though. I think it's worth watching, just for them.

Hark has to be the most overrated director in history.I have friends who worship this guy claiming his impact on film is more important than Kurosawa.And as for this 4 hr version coming out.God,watching that must be the equivalent to one of the levels in Dante's hell.Sitting through 4 hrs of Hark's over exaggerated Evil Dead shaky cam.No thanks.

There was nothing spectacular of his fight scenes. even the last confrontation with the big boss was a re-hash of the fight sequence seen in "Once upon a time in china (Part ??)".

truly disappointing, on all aspects. :(

I heard news over here in asia that he is going to make another 6 episodes of "seven swords"...

my goodness...

I haven't liked a Tsui film since 1995. Don't know how this'll turn out, but I will watch it anyway, at least for 소연양~ (Who's still a wonderful, underused actress) ^_^

To me this film is far better than even masterpiece like Seven Samurai, period! Oh, and Kurosawa is my the most favorite director. You guys are crazy and don't know what you were watching. Time will help you. Hark is an experimentalist who's using technique completely alienated to contemporary tastes. I love this film and i don't give a damn what you think. Get back to your ordinary fake wuxia flicks ala Hero.
lol

tell 'em. Mifune Toshiro's got nothing on Leon Lai!

OKAY, had to jump in here. Love Tsui Hark; can't wait for Seven Swords on DVD and I LOVE both versions of ZU -- BUT 1 - there is no way it's better than Seven Samurai. No way. And 2 - how is Hero "fake wuxia"? Yes, admittedly Zhang Yimou did do a wuxia film pretty late in the game BUT Ching Siu Tung worked with Hark on his pioneering wuxia films. That's like saying Spielberg is doing fake Spielberg! Since people hated Legend of Zu and I liked it, I'm sure there will be stuff to love in Seven Swords although Leon Lai sucks -- Dream of a Warrior is just ungodly -- which is not entirely his fault -- but he does suck as an actor -- City of Glass would have been much better with someone else in his part.

glenn; Of course, Leon Lai is not in the same league of T.Mifune, but it'd be childish putting these films to such details, they're different. Leon Lai is there more or less for his charisma, even if he had no dialogue still would have the impressive screen presence. SSamurai is the greatest film because of its sheer perfection and accessibility to contemporary audience. BUT, SSwords is so great because of its unique audacity in style and narrative, it's a very exceptional film, not so much directed at the general public as i believe rather at some individual, personal feelings. And yes, neither i don't care what the general public thinks when this film works for me personally.

Seven Swords is a pure Wu xia unlike Hero - that's just trying and pretending to be of this same wuxia spirit, and i don't like these films that are full of style and no heart!

Foster:

You make me laugh, Seven Swords is a huge incompetent mess, complete with bad lighting, some of the worst editting I've seen in recent chinese cinema, poor storytelling, laughably bad acting, a 5 minute scene devoted to one characters love of a HORSE, which has little to do with anything. 3 of the 7 swordsmen are barely given more than 5 minutes screen time (and that is saying something considering this is a 2.5+ hour film).

Hark has squandered whatever talent he once had. Time and Tide is but a blip in his resume over the past 10 years which has sucked, and sucked hard.

I'll post my review later, but it won't be any more positive than Macks.

And by the way Axleu, Starship Troopers is a CLASSIC, and SHOWGIRLS is fun in a MST3K, how does liking this put you in the minority here? Those tastes are probably the norm for this site!

Partially agree, actuly seven swords has relly one of the most unique ways how to tell a story. its beatifuly done, jut give me one more time to watch this agan and i defenetely calling it masterpiece.

Kurt: Time a Tide being very considered as one of his best, so let me know when yu know what yu talking bout ok. Yu maybe new to Tui Hark, yu shuld love his inconsistency, fasinating editing, storytelling, his known for these innovative tricks many years, he do it all on purpose. Yu shuld forget the standard of typical filmaking when vatch Hark's films. I don thing im only one who think his talent is even stronger.

glenn:

You're telling us that you have yet to watch Seven Swords and already daring to say it's no way better than Seven Samurai??? Honestly, you make me laugh my ass off. You people are over the years already so accustomed to this gossip how great Seven Samurai is that you're not even able to accept another films in the coming years. For the record, i've seen Seven Swords, sure, it could've been better (it has some flaws but what film doesn't) but over all of that it's still a great piece of film and i have no difficulty to see it on the same line of Seven Samurai!

What especially i love how these kids coming here thinking they know everything about filmmaking. Hahaha, here it has no validity, you have seen NOTHING yet to form some pattern how to judge this film.

Well, evidently i'm in majority here, i'm 100% sure this film is the best wuxia i have ever seen. By the way i'm one of those who think Legend Of Zu was a joke. It was about time, Tsui Hark is back!!!

to theredaction, i'm of course with you but you can't argue with someone who's wondering why Hero is a "fake wuxia". It's a bit much.

First off, for those who are unaware of why Tsui Hark would make more additions to this movie is because Seven Swords is a classic comic read by most of the people of his generation. It was huge, like the marvel comics, it goes on and on. This is probably why people though the movie was rushed, there's actually more to this story and many more characters. The book is so much better. Most of the people that I brought, who grew up reading it, did not like this movie version because it veered off from the original comic and took away 2 1/2hrs of their life, which they can't take back! Some of the characters were wrong wrong wrong and most were left out. Tsui Hark's adaption was a huge disappoint for me, since I grew up being read this story. Better off just watching SPL!

Tsui is the man. He is the one that came up with the vision, idea and look of the martial arts world. Hero and and crouching tiger? He created that vision. Now he's daring enough to go into another side and people are critizing him?

Seven Swords is based on a book, a real thick book. For him to tackle this and having so many characters is a challenge. When you look at it in this perspective you will see that he truly is talented.

I agree that the characters were not developed well, maybe the 4.5 version will be more clear and much better. This is not an easy movie to film. As for the fighting scenes, Yen steals the show once again.

Another unfortunate is the English caption. It was horrible, and it missed a lot of dialogue and meaning.

I must say that this is way better then Hero (basically about a love triangle repeating again and again in different color schemes, truly pointless, except Yen and Li's fight, of course). And way better the crouching tiger (flying around and boring dialogue), and anything is better the flying daggers (cos it's not even about the "flying daggers", weather changes suddenly, the actress doesn't want to die...)

I'll be waiting to see the 4.5 hour version, I'm sure it will capture what Tsui wanted to deliver.

Tsui is the man. He is the one that came up with the vision, idea and look of the martial arts world. Hero and and crouching tiger? He created that vision. Now he's daring enough to go into another side and people are critizing him?

Seven Swords is based on a book, a real thick book. For him to tackle this and having so many characters is a challenge. When you look at it in this perspective you will see that he truly is talented.

I agree that the characters were not developed well, maybe the 4.5 version will be more clear and much better. This is not an easy movie to film. As for the fighting scenes, Yen steals the show once again.

Another unfortunate is the English caption. It was horrible, and it missed a lot of dialogue and meaning.

I must say that this is way better then Hero (basically about a love triangle repeating again and again in different color schemes, truly pointless, except Yen and Li's fight, of course). And way better the crouching tiger (flying around and boring dialogue), and anything is better the flying daggers (cos it's not even about the "flying daggers", weather changes suddenly, the actress doesn't want to die...)

I'll be waiting to see the 4.5 hour version, I'm sure it will capture what Tsui wanted to deliver.

Tsui is the man. He is the one that came up with the vision, idea and look of the martial arts world. Hero and and crouching tiger? He created that vision. Now he's daring enough to go into another side and people are critizing him?

Seven Swords is based on a book, a real thick book. For him to tackle this and having so many characters is a challenge. When you look at it in this perspective you will see that he truly is talented.

I agree that the characters were not developed well, maybe the 4.5 version will be more clear and much better. This is not an easy movie to film. As for the fighting scenes, Yen steals the show once again.

Another unfortunate is the English caption. It was horrible, and it missed a lot of dialogue and meaning.

I must say that this is way better then Hero (basically about a love triangle repeating again and again in different color schemes, truly pointless, except Yen and Li's fight, of course). And way better the crouching tiger (flying around and boring dialogue), and anything is better the flying daggers (cos it's not even about the "flying daggers", weather changes suddenly, the actress doesn't want to die...)

I'll be waiting to see the 4.5 hour version, I'm sure it will capture what Tsui wanted to deliver.

YunLi: My comment was that Time & Tide was the ONLY GOOD film Tsui has made in the past 10 years, and while it was no classic, is was solid. Double Team, Knock Off, the remake of his own Legend of Zu Mountain, Black Mask 2? All junk of the highest order. They are all laughably bad, incoherent storytelling, bad acting, passable if not great visual look.

Thanks for telling me what I 'SHOULD' like...inconsitent editing, bad story telling and an off-visual look...I'll keep this in mind when I watch my next Hark film. I'm glad you are praising the man's incompetence. But i'll take my wu xia films made like films, not high-school stage-drama.

Frankly I don't understand why people still cling to this guy. Sure, I loved all of his Wong fei hung movies, and even his original 1983 Legend of the Zu Mountain was great for it's time...But c'mon they guy is a 3rd rate hack these days. And invented the genre? Please watch some King Hu and get back to me. Zu Mountain was as close as he came to the master who made Come Drink with Me, and a Touch of Zen, which are both bonafide CLASSICS in the Genre. And Chang Cheh could make a better film than Hark in his sleep.

And not to be overly petty, but YOU is spelt with an "o" in it.

And to others in this thread: Anyone comparing Hark to Kurosawa needs to get a better education in cinema...it doesn't have to be at film school, just watch (and think) about more films outside of genre. The best possible comparison to Hark I can think of would be John Carpenter (who has also put out some pretty damn good genre films, but has his list of heavy-duty stinkers...Ghost of Mars anyone?). And even that comparson is being pretty damn generous to Hark. To complete my point, I'm certainly not going to put John Carpenter in the same league as Fellini, Bergman or Scorcese.
That is just silly.

Now that Carpenter has been mentioned I can now ask this...

Kurt, have you run out of bubblegum?

Gosh, its so clever no one may even get it.

Kurt, you're IDIOT plain and simple!

You totally have no idea what you're talking about here.
You're the first one who needs film school smartass.
Btw, even Hark's failures are much more worth to behold than tons of other director's great movies. This man has a unique mind but that's probably what hasn't yet blown over your mind. Well, it's a bit hard for some half-wit to see.

King Hu's Come Drink with Me or Touch Of Zen? huh, Jesus, are you serious??? You must be on crack or you obviously know shit about HK cinema. You need education! I show you the way: The Lovers, Peking Opera Blues, Butterfly Murders, Legend Of Zu, Green Snake, Once Upon a Time in China, The Blade, Dangerous Encounter-1st kind, shitting all over these so-called classics!

What's sad that today nearly no one knows in the world who is actually King Hu.
Tsui Hark on the other hand gathering more and more fans every year.

You're truly funny little man.
Have a nice day in discovering more movies.

Oh incidentally, if you don't mind i would put Tsui Hark to Fellini in no time. And i have the reason to do that because i saw lots of great films from both of them unlike you.

Maybe you should spend more of your time finding in your vocabulary what means the word "artist".

And what??? he didn't reinvent genres. Who do you want fool with this? some little 10 year old kids.

No, simply i'm done with you, you really need film education fast.

Donnie Yen is cool~

Well, critic, we are at an impasse. I think anyone who would put Hark in the same category as Fellini has munched on some powerful shrooms and has lost grip on reality.

This conversation can only generate into petty flaming at this pointof which I would prefer not to indulge you.

(we are clearly rooted in our positions on Mr. Hark - although you misunderstood me, I only think his work is Hackery for about the last 10 years or so, before then, his films are passable if not necessarily master-works), You have your opinion, I have mine. (To further get your goat up, you may vigorously shake your head while reading my review which is now posted on the main site.)

And once again, if you didn't notice "Kurt" from your previous posts, it was you who's acting like a smartass who can not respect others opinions. I tell you only this - you don't know how to watch his films, maybe you should read some book on him or watch his films more than once or maybe you should never watch his films again.

Btw, what reality you're talking about? lol, maybe you have your own reality we don't know about. Oh yeah, i know we're just all bunch of morons and you GOD yourself knows everything and seen everything. Oh gosh, how i miss those the likes of you.

Critic, give it a rest. You'v edegenerated into open flaming and I won't tolerate that here. You disagree with Kurt's opinion, that's fine - you've made your point, now move on.

erm, i watched seven samurai a month or so ago. Didn't like it that much, i think Kurosawa is only hype. 3 hours of the purest boredom. It doesn't transmit any kind of feeling or emotion. Doesn't have any good fight scene. The music also sucks. I can't think of one positive aspect of the movie really.
I haven't watched seven swords yet because i can't find subtitles anywhere.But it just has to be better than seven samurai.actually everything i have seen is better than seven samurai so i'm pretty sure this won't be an exception.

I wholeheartedly agree, this film is a JOKE, the biggest joke of 2005! I haven’t seen such poorly made film in a very long time, i tell you that. Nearly nothing works in this film, from script, direction, choreography to actors. We can only hope this film will be rotting along with Ed Wood’s Plan 9 from Outer Space as the most embarrasing attempt to make some exceptionally great film. Nice try Tsui. Now it looks like that Legend of Zu will end up as the only really good film from Tsui Hark in his last 10 years. It’s a shame.

Fuck all your hater and stupid motherfucker white trash...enjoy ur gay ass brad pitt and all that those people could kiss my asian ass you piece of shiet don't even know nothing and especially you MATT the reviewer you piece of trash stupid don't even understand english don't u get the story you little piece of shiet...donnie yen is korean and the girl is korean too u piece of crab and they use to be slave for the fire-wind...dam you all white trash don't even understand asian movies your white trash movies is gay especially wat u called james bond, he could kiss my ass too...stupid all stupid white piece of trash....

I loved the film, and gave it a complete opposite review on my site, check it out:

http://www.genrebusters.com/film/review_sevenswords.htm

Tsui used to be pretty good...like 10 years ago.

I just watched this film 2 months ago on satelite TV...what a horrible mess!!! There's absolutely zero story, the connection between the scenes/story are broken up so badly and it's just more crash, boom, bang like all his crap in the last 10 years...all those Van Damme spoof. At least the last remake of Legend of Zu is watcheable.

This film is total thrash at the pinnacle. Tsui Hark basically goes all the way downhill eversince his fallout with Jet Li on Once Upon a Time in China. He thinks he's a great director that don't need a the star power. Unfortunately, it was Jet Li who was the main star in Once Upon a China, not him.

He should have retired 10 years ago instead of disgracing himself in front of the world.

People who still clinging to this guy for whatever strange reason should just give up.

Don't even bother wasting ur life with this film. You're better off watching re-runs of 70's kungfu movies.

Seven Swords > Seven Samurai > Magnificent Seven

All three groundbreaking masterpieces and each one very different and very memorable.

All the ppl who don't get this tremendous film should rather give up immedietely and stop embarrassing themselves by showing their lack of intelligence and taste. It's already disgusting reading all the negativity which has absolutely no weight and just lots of biased close-mindedness and no objective judgement.

This is the second film i saw after Tsui Hark's Once Upon a Time In China and already among the best i could have ever seen in my life. And now i'm a new Tsui Hark fan looking forward to many of his upcoming films. He was never better! This guy is quite simply the biggest genius in the world. Whereas Jet Li lost absolutely all his dignity and spark he once had by selling himself out in the world.

Seven Swords > sublime, lyrical, flawless, brilliant and totally unforgettable! A true masterpiece.

Seven Swords is the most pathetic martial arts/wuxia movie i've ever seen. First of all, it's a horrible attempt at imitating 7 Samurai. It couldnt produce the same effect. I didnt give a damn to wat happens the the swordsmen. All 2 1/2 hours the movie just drags on. The editing is terrible, i had no clue how one scene and plot detail moved to the next. The focus of the action is devoted almost entirely on how cool the swords look instead of the choreography. It's impossible to see the action since most of the fights are shot in close-up.

Wuxia fans should not waste their time with this embarrasment. Instead, watch a real wuxia masterpiece like Wong Kar Wai's Ashes of Time.

Seven Swords, yes, is quite boring. Because 1) It's narrative is either a mess or it's script is totally out of the storyline. 2) Unecessary scenes (Joy the horse? What the?) 3) The action is dragging--BAH!

But let me enlighten you for a while.

The Seven Swords is an adaption of a very thick book about Wuxia. It has been said that this film will have at least 6 sequels in the making. It is also based on a TV adaption which took long than 2 1/2 hours.

If I maybe frank, you all guys don't realize that this movie was made to introduce each and every character. It's given that the script will be scatter and the scenes will be cut character per character. It's because (based on my opinion) Tsui Hark wanted to portray these Seven characters and how they came to be the Seven Swordsmen. Sure, it's a draggin and the only thing that keeps you is the fighting scenes. But I disagree that this movie is not worth watching.

AND PLEASE, don't compare Seven Samurai to this movie. We all know that Akira Kurosawa is the best.

I must agree. Seven Swords is out of question 100 times better film than Seven Samurai. But then again, Kurosawa is no Tsui Hark, that's for sure. Hardly as groundbreaking and hardly as uber-talented. We all know that Tsui Hark is the world's greatest filmmaker.

And to that ridiculous joker who said Ashes of Time is a "wuxia" (what the f..) and even a "masterpiece" (ooo la la), i think this gentleman will hardly ever be taken seriously here or anywhere else.

Seven Swords is a real wuxia masterpiece, and quite possibly the best film i have ever seen in my life. I'll never forget this film as long as i live. Never. never.

PS: Let me clear something here. I'm honestly and proudly as biased as i can, so what i'm writing here is coming from my heart and not from some pseudo-objective point of view. I'm not here like most of these clowns playing being a wanna-be critic talking for millions of others, who hardly can ever be taken seriously, i'm here to stand up for my own personal feelings. And i'm telling you this film is one of, if not the greatest i have ever seen in my life, and faaaaar better than Seven Samurai. Now take it and shove it up your ass.

Listen. 1. I am a martial artist for over 30 years and believe that you have to be a martial artist FIRST in order to accurtely assess ANY martial arts movie. Period. End of story. If you want to talk ACTION films, then you are talking something else entirely. This is a period martial arts film and as long as I can learn something from it, ok. Now with that said, Tsu Hark has always been one of my favorite directors. Twin Dragons with Jackie Chan and others come to mind.

Is this movie better than Hero or Flying Daggers or Crouching Tiger? From a martial arts perspective, I will have to see the entire film, I have only seen 40 minutes. However, if a movie can motivate me to work out, then it is good. End of story. I can quote many martial arts movies that make me want to kick the actor/directors ass. Crouching Tiger is one of those movies. I don't fly off walls nor do I use swords (I do use weapons though). Therefore I could never like Crouching. However, Lar and Donnie in the same movie and I am watching because they are so good, I can never miss them in a movie. So even though the scene with Jet and Donnie in Hero was the only scene in the movie worth seeing (and ultimately purchasing on DVD) then it was worth it. This is how it goes sometimes. I purchased the Hero DVD just for tht one fight scene, which was in the mind of the characters. It wasn't long enough but it was good enough for purchase. The same can be said for this movie.

I know what it takes to move my body and perform the movements that these martial artists perform. Then you add the fight choreography and camera angles. It takes alot of mastery of this genre in order to master it like Jackie has since Police Story (1, 2 and 3).

My point is that we can expect them to get better. Look at Tony Jaa in Ong Bak and The Protector. So just wait a bit for movies to get better. I would let Tsu Hark direct any of my martial arts movies because he knows what he is doing. Martial arts movies are just for martial arts, not cinema buffs. We artists watch a martial arts movie for the realism of fighting. I watch these movies like I would watch dancers from Alvin Ailey perform on stage. So I can appreciate the movements and action and would rather watch SS rather than the new movie 300. I would get bored watching the movie 300 because they do not have the style of asian martil arts. Now when period MA movies start looking like the movie Gladiator or 300, then I will mark the death of asian martial arts movies.

amen

Listen. 1. I am a martial artist for over 30 years and believe that you have to be a martial artist FIRST in order to accurtely assess ANY martial arts movie. Period. End of story. If you want to talk ACTION films, then you are talking something else entirely. This is a period martial arts film and as long as I can learn something from it, ok. Now with that said, Tsu Hark has always been one of my favorite directors. Twin Dragons with Jackie Chan and others come to mind.

Is this movie better than Hero or Flying Daggers or Crouching Tiger? From a martial arts perspective, I will have to see the entire film, I have only seen 40 minutes. However, if a movie can motivate me to work out, then it is good. End of story. I can quote many martial arts movies that make me want to kick the actor/directors ass. Crouching Tiger is one of those movies. I don't fly off walls nor do I use swords (I do use weapons though). Therefore I could never like Crouching. However, Lar and Donnie in the same movie and I am watching because they are so good, I can never miss them in a movie. So even though the scene with Jet and Donnie in Hero was the only scene in the movie worth seeing (and ultimately purchasing on DVD) then it was worth it. This is how it goes sometimes. I purchased the Hero DVD just for tht one fight scene, which was in the mind of the characters. It wasn't long enough but it was good enough for purchase. The same can be said for this movie.

I know what it takes to move my body and perform the movements that these martial artists perform. Then you add the fight choreography and camera angles. It takes alot of mastery of this genre in order to master it like Jackie has since Police Story (1, 2 and 3).

My point is that we can expect them to get better. Look at Tony Jaa in Ong Bak and The Protector. So just wait a bit for movies to get better. I would let Tsu Hark direct any of my martial arts movies because he knows what he is doing. Martial arts movies are just for martial arts, not cinema buffs. We artists watch a martial arts movie for the realism of fighting. I watch these movies like I would watch dancers from Alvin Ailey perform on stage. So I can appreciate the movements and action and would rather watch SS rather than the new movie 300. I would get bored watching the movie 300 because they do not have the style of asian martil arts. Now when period MA movies start looking like the movie Gladiator or 300, then I will mark the death of asian martial arts movies.

amen