It stars Jackie Chan and Leehom Wang as soldiers on opposite sides of a conflict during China’s Warring States Period. Chan is a drafted peasant from Liang and Wang plays the general of the Kingdom of Wei’s opposing army. Both armies are destroyed during an ambush, leaving Chan and Wang as the only survivors. Chan decides that he is going to capture the enemy general and bring him back to his king for the reward that was promised.
The journey home is, of course, not that easily made. Groups of Wei soldiers are looking for the general, the general is constantly trying to escape and the two are beset by gangs of hungry peasants and marauding bandits. The atmosphere of the film carries with it a very genuine historical feel, bringing the story to life.
Ultimately, the underlying story is about the conflict between the two kingdoms and how it affects the people who get involved. Chan is taken from his farm and forced to fight, while Wang is following his desire as a general and leader to conquer. The story examines the way these two interact as well as the consequences that such war brings to the people of the land.
It was a pleasant surprise to see Chan, who both wrote and directed this film, bring to light some of the important philosophical issues which revolve around war and the differences between people. Anyone with a love of historical film or Chinese philosophy would do well to give this movie a try.