Fridae

Andy Lau headlines this lavish and ambitious war epic about the life of Zhao Zhilong, one of the bravest and most memorable characters from the literary classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Zhao (Andy) is an ordinary man who, dismayed by the state of his wartorn land, decides to heed the call of duty and join the army. Starting off as a humble foot soldier, he quickly rises through the ranks to become a general, leading his men through numerous victories.

Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon is certainly a visual spectacle spanning several decades and covering various episodes of his Zhao's life. Structurally, the film seems somewhat erratic and patchy in the first hour, but the last segment of the film reveals why this is so.

War junkies, in particular, would appreciate director Daniel Lee's confident staging of the battle scenes, and screenwriter Lau Ho Leung's smart script that makes much of Zhou's military strategies and manoeuvres.

This isn't the perfect war film, but it's still very watchable.