MOVIE RUINER ALERT: This is not a spoiler, this is a MOVIE RUINER alert. If you don't like watching movies in another language, DO NOT watch this movie. It's in Mandarin Chinese and you DO have to read the subtitles. Once again, DO NOT WATCH if you don't like subtitles.
Today I will be reviewing "Little Big Soldier," a 2010 action-comedy film by Chinese director Ding Sheng, and starring Jackie Chan. It's set in early China during a long period of war and oppression. Jackie Chan plays a soldier for the Liang army, simply called "big soldier." The movie opens with the tail end of a great battle between his army and their enemy, the Wei army. Almost every soldier on either side perished, except for Jackie Chan (who survives by playing dead) and the General from the Wei army. Chan captures the General and intends to use him as his ticket to freedom. By giving him up to the Liang warlord, Chan will be honorably discharged and set free to continue his life as a simple farmer. From there it's a film about their journey from the battlefield to the Liang territory, fraught with danger, excitement, and a little humor by way of Jackie Chan.
Pros:
1. What I like most about this movie is that it's a really an awesome war movie with some adult-sized slapstick humor sprinkled in. It doesn't sound like a good mix, but Jackie Chan makes it work so well. The epic battle scenes are amazing, and yet there's still a humor throughout the movie that helps it go from a hum-drum, sad war movie to a more light-hearted, fun action movie.
2. The story is by Jackie Chan, which I think is awesome.
3. The cinematography was amazing, and they used such different and interesting locations to shoot. The battlefield wasn't just a battlefield; it was in the middle of a gorge with enormous, beautiful mountains all around. There's a scene where they hide in a super intense looking and scary cave; the forests they traveled in were super dense and thick, and had a lot to work with. Nothing about the location was ordinary about this film, and it made all the difference.
Like this bear in the forest
And this awesome thing
And who wouldn't love to watch Jackie run through millions of flowers?
4. Speaking of, the costume design was also really awesome. There was a lot of variety, and honestly, Chinese film always has some of the best costumes around.
5. Not only is this movie an awesome war/comedy/action film, but what Jackie Chan movie would be complete without some AWESOME Kung Fu?! And trust me, there is some grade-A Kung Fu in this movie. Not only by the great Mr. Chan, but by everyone else as well.
Cons:
1. Okay, I'm just going to get this con out of the way: Jackie Chan wrote a song for the movie called "Rape Flowers." Yeah. Amazing singing skills, terrible song-titling skills.
2. There's a side character, Prince Wen, and he looks like he jumped straight out of an anime cartoon, which took me out of the movie a little bit every time I saw him. Not only that, but he was just an annoying character altogether. Kind of a spoiled brat/emo teen character. Just rubbed me the wrong way.
3. Like any epic war movie, it's kind of long. It's still exciting and a really good movie all around, but I must admit that the movie itself is quite a long one.
All in all, it was a super epic, funny, awesome, thrilling, great, super, amazing movie. I loved it, and I intend on watching more Chinese film because of this movie. 4 stars for you, Little Big Soldier! Thanks for reading!
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