Gloriously committed to a fantastical yet strangely traditional world of honor, romance, and treachery, Chen Kaige delivers a colorful, rousing, absurdly serious romp.
Stunning on the biggest screen of the Camelot Theatres complex in Palm Springs, it's easy to imagine that THE PROMISE will be much less impressive in smaller venues. Despite inevitable comparisons with Ang Lee's CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON and Zhang Yimou's HERO and HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS, Chen forges his own path through the CGI forest. From its opening moments, THE PROMISE enthusiastically fornicates with computer imagery, displaying a reckless lust for fairy tale settings and magical creatures.
Newly shorn of its unwieldy -- though not as silly as it first sounded -- original English title (MASTER OF THE CRIMSON ARMOR refers to a military title for the leader of one of the two warring armies in the film), THE PROMISE deserves attention for the over the top production design of Tim Yip, who creates luscious settings that integrate wacked-out computer game imagery. Peter Pau's usually fine cinematography tends to get lost in the digitized worlds that appear to predominate.
As for the plot, well, it's not the factor that will drive repeat business (we'll get to that in a moment). The story tends to get lost in the blizzard of effects, and I couldn't tell you the particulars even if I tried to jot down notes in the dark of the theater.
The romantic triangle is unconvincing; the acting is on par with Chen's embarrassing English-language feature KILLING ME SOFTLY. Cecilia Cheung bothers some people, but I love the throaty, head-cold timber of her speaking voice, which has apparently been dubbed here. Nicolas Tse is as petulant as ever as a spoiled rich boy. No one else in the cast, including the other two male leads, really stood out.
What should drive you to any cinema that plays this soaring, somewhat silly adventure is the insanity of the vision. When you see thousands of clumsily computer-drawn bulls and soldiers thundering through a canyon, and then watch our hero, a hitherto lowly slave, hopping and flying through the air dragging his master along, you will know you are in the presence of a genius. When your eyes bug out of your head from the blues and reds and blues and golden yellows that are splashed across every scene, and when you see how the romantic triangle is resolved in a glorious, madcap fight, played entirely straight, you will be glad you plunked down your money to see this wonder on the biggest screen possible.
The Weinstein Co. gave up on this one and returned their theatrical rights to the producers of the film, but we fervently wish that it will receive at least a limited run in as many cities as possible. If a DVD becomes available, sure, buy it, but treat yourself and don't watch it until you've seen it where it belongs.