Ratings: 7.5/10Film Class: B
Genre: Action Suspense
Set in 690 AD, an exiled detective is resummoned by Empress Wu to investigate a series of mysterious cases involving spontaneous human combustion. Detective Dee teams up with Officer Shangguan and Commander Bei to uncover the truth behind the murders.
This movie felt like a chinese version of Sherlock Holmes fused with a chinese martial arts film. Storyline was easy to follow and though it wasn't as suspenseful as Sherlock Holmes, the action scenes compensated for it. I was impressed with the CG as well as the engaging plot which didn't fail to keep the excitement up throughout. Love the "supernatural" aspect of it which made this film distinctive in its own right. I have to commend, whether it was intentional or not, the director for making a subtle effort in concealing the twist in the movie.
Despite the ridiculously-looking eyebrow makeups for the lead ladies (Empress Wu and Officer Shangguan), the casting wardrobes were impressively elaborate. For the entire 2 hours of screentime, the film was able to take me on a journey back to the dynasty era with a hint of mystery in it. One of its kind, been a while since a mandarin movie was able to deliver such a spectacle of delight and awe.
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