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The Banquet Reviews

2006

60
from 2112 members

Empress Wan harbors forbidden desires for her stepson, Prince Wu Luan. But the Emperor is no fool, and dispatches murderers that ultimately fail to kill Wu Lian. When the Emperor proclaims a big banquet, Wu Luan and Wan realize it is time to strike. Read more

Starring	Zhang Ziyi, Daniel Wu, Xun Zhou, You Ge
Director	Feng Xiaogang
Genres	Action/Adventure, World Cinema

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Critic's review of The Banquet
View all critics' reviews (2)
- Following on the heels of his impressive, more recent war movie, âAssemblyâ, this dazzlingly designed, mega-budget,... read more on Time Out
- 50616
- - Wally Hammond
  - Time Out
  - 04 Nov 2008 at 00:21
Write your own review »
Most helpful member's review of The Banquet
View all members' reviews (29)
- - 7
  - 2
  Chinese Hamlet
  
  THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS | Show review anywayHide
  
  This film very much reminded me of Shakespeares Hamlet. Transferred into an old Chinese Dynasty, packed with fantastic pictures (you could take the stills and ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 638834
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - a customer
  - Poole
  - 04 Oct 2008 at 09:16
Most recent members' reviews of The Banquet
View all members' reviews (29)
- - 0
  - 0
  Hamet through Chinese eyes
  
  Sorry to see negative reviews for what I consider to be one of the best films of the genre to come out of China in the last 40 years.
  
  No - it did not... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1110503
- - Kennochka
  - 5 reviews
  - Fareham
  - 12 Apr 2012 at 11:31
- - 1
  - 1
  Pretty poor movie
  
  No real substance to this film. Cinematography is pretty enough at times but not enough to make this movie worth watching. As a re imagining of Hamlet it ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1070538
- - a customer
  - 05 Dec 2011 at 16:17
- - 1
  - 1
  Absolutely brilliant!!!
  
  Excellent story that reached crescendo at the end. I loved immaculate costumes, the scenes settings, as well as the outstanding performances of the lead actress... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1051244
- - a customer
  - 14 Oct 2011 at 01:28
- - 2
  - 0
  chinese bacon
  
  Stepmother likes her stepson, when his father is killed after his departure to become actor she plans to marry his killer to stay empress or majesty. Major ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1028454
- - juradino
  - 703 reviews
  - London
  - 12 Aug 2011 at 20:32
- - 0
  - 0
  The Finger Dip
  
  Beautifully filmed - both aesthetically and technically. Excellent Blu-ray rendering (detail on swaying trees - you can see every branch, rather than the usual ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1018653
- - FileUnderCommonKnowledge
  - 3 reviews
  - Chalfont St. Giles
  - 18 Jul 2011 at 08:41
- - 3
  - 2
  Great story, great art!
  
  Some might find this movie dull, expecting a non-stop action packed martial arts film, with lots of crouching tiger like flying scenes, fights etc, but for me, ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 987578
- - wolffang
  - 1 review
  - 30 Apr 2011 at 12:32
- - 3
  - 2
  A beautiful and imaginative re-writing of a classic
  
  The re-location of the Hamlet story to mediaeval China is a fascinating example of cultural transference, and a beautiful and absorbing film. The Shakespearean ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 979470
- - a customer
  - 06 Apr 2011 at 12:42
- - 1
  - 2
  Crouching Tiger Hamlet
  
  THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS | Show review anywayHide
  
  Visually beautiful though not quite as much so for me as Crouching Tiger or Hero were.
  
  The plot essentially is the same as Hamlet, with a couple of ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 937976
- - kissandmakeup
  - 1 review
  - Wymondham
  - 08 Nov 2010 at 09:11
- - 2
  - 0
  Violent and dull
  
  I was very disappointed by this film. It started well but the action was ponderous and there was too much gory violence so I abandoned it.
  
  Report this review
- 840885
- - a customer
  - London
  - 18 Dec 2009 at 18:18
- - 2
  - 0
  same old same old
  
  THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS | Show review anywayHide
  
  Another po-faced, thoroughly miserable big-budget martial arts movie with the now all-too-familiar action sequences and a downbeat ending. I love martial arts ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 823975
- - 72trailsofsmoke
  - 3 reviews
  - birmingham
  - 23 Oct 2009 at 10:32
View all members' reviews (29)

- - 7
  - 2
  Chinese Hamlet
  
  THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS | Show review anywayHide
  
  This film very much reminded me of Shakespeares Hamlet. Transferred into an old Chinese Dynasty, packed with fantastic pictures (you could take the stills and ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 638834
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - a customer
  - Poole
  - 04 Oct 2008 at 09:16
- - 7
  - 2
  The Banquet
  
  Excellent entertainment. Visually stunning. Terrific movie - as most Asian movies tend to be.
  
  Report this review
- 687686
- - a customer
  - Bangor
  - 14 Jan 2009 at 12:08
- - 14
  - 13
  Boring and dull
  
  Very, very disappointed in this film, heard so much about it and was made by the, 'Crouching Tiger hidden Dragon' team I was expecting so much, but alas... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 571065
- - King1and
  - 148 reviews
  - South Gloucestershire
  - 01 Jun 2008 at 00:48
- - 5
  - 1
  The Banquet
  
  Very long winded, not much action and boring towards the end with all the main stars dying.
  
  Report this review
- 623442
- - stuthedragon
  - 5 reviews
  - Thirsk
  - 03 Sep 2008 at 14:40
- - 4
  - 0
  Pretty but forgettable
  
  Very blah compared to 'Crouching Tiger' and 'Hero' and so on, and at times confusing. In the early parts so much gratuitous blood is splattered ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 685927
- - a customer
  - Manchester
  - 12 Jan 2009 at 00:13
- - 3
  - 0
  Disappointing
  
  This is beautifully shot but lacks the wow factor found in the bold colour themes of Hero or House of Flying Daggers. It has fantastical wire work fight scenes ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 819160
- - Monkeybutler
  - 6 reviews
  - Harrogate
  - 08 Oct 2009 at 23:15
- - 3
  - 2
  The Banquet
  
  Loved it! - story line is quite good (not special) but good fighting skills in there
  
  Report this review
- 618823
- - a customer
  - High Wycombe
  - 25 Aug 2008 at 12:43
- - 3
  - 2
  stunning
  
  as with many similar stories of this type it was visually stunning wich sometimes papers over the cracks but it was ok
  
  Report this review
- 666266
- - ladd
  - 23 reviews
  - Hornchurch
  - 29 Nov 2008 at 15:33
- - 3
  - 2
  A beautiful and imaginative re-writing of a classic
  
  The re-location of the Hamlet story to mediaeval China is a fascinating example of cultural transference, and a beautiful and absorbing film. The Shakespearean ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 979470
- - a customer
  - 06 Apr 2011 at 12:42
- - 3
  - 2
  Great story, great art!
  
  Some might find this movie dull, expecting a non-stop action packed martial arts film, with lots of crouching tiger like flying scenes, fights etc, but for me, ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 987578
- - wolffang
  - 1 review
  - 30 Apr 2011 at 12:32

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Buy from Amazon.co.uk

- - Buy
- The Banquet - Blu-ray
  
  Empress Wan harbors forbidden desires for her stepson, Prince Wu Luan. But the Emperor is no fool, and dispatches murderers that ultimately fail to kill Wu Lian. When the Emperor proclaims a big banquet, Wu Luan and Wan realize it is time to strike. ...

- - Buy
- The Banquet
  
  Empress Wan harbors forbidden desires for her stepson, Prince Wu Luan. But the Emperor is no fool, and dispatches murderers that ultimately fail to kill Wu Lian. When the Emperor proclaims a big banquet, Wu Luan and Wan realize it is time to strike. ...