An exiled detective is recruited to solve a series of mysterious deaths that threaten to delay the inauguration of Empress Wu. In 689 A.D., the Empress Wu Zetian is building a 66 m high statue of Buddha for her inauguration as the first empress of China under the objections and conspiracy of the other clans. When the engineer responsible for the construction mysteriously dies by spontaneous combustion, the superstitious workers are afraid since the man removed the good luck charms from the main pillar. There is an investigation of Pei Donglai and another investigator that also dies after withdrawing the amulets. Empress Wu assigns her loyal assistant Shangguan Jing'er to release the exiled Detective Dee from his imprisonment to investigate with Donglai and Jing'er the mystery of the deaths. They ride in a mystic and epic adventure to unravel the mystery. This is a visually sumptuous and stunning-looking film by Tsui Hark who has directed or produced some of the classic Hong action films of the last 25 years. The Hark films I've seen, which often have great fight sequences, are hit and miss in terms of the cohesiveness of the stories, though when they work the films can be fabulous (Peking Opera Blues, the Once Upon A Time In China, series, etc.) <br/><br/>This period film has an interesting mystery at its heart with lots of red herrings and twists. The story follows Detective Dee as he's brought out of his political imprisonment to investigate a series of murders during the lead-up to the coronation of the first female Emperor. There some plot inconsistencies and problems, but they're small. The lead actors are all very good, including Andy Lau, Bingbing Li, Carina Lau, and Chao Deng. All in all, it's a compelling film not overloaded with action-for-the-sake-of-action that looks at an interesting period in China's history. Andy Lau stars as Detective Dee, a disgraced detective who was against the dowager Empress taking the throne. Thrown into jail for 8 years for his disapproval, he is called back to the capital on the eve of the the Empress taking official power because it seems that people are suddenly bursting into flames.<br/><br/>Grand spectacle of the sort that is only possible with computer generated imagery this is a film that works for most of its running time. Sure it's big and clunky like a grand summer epic here in America, but the plot is such that you get pulled into it, the action is simply amazing to the point you can't stop watching, and the characters are intriguing enough that you can't stop caring. Its a grand epic that Hollywood should be ashamed they didn't produce.<br/><br/>Mark this as two in a row for the up and down Tsui Hark. Certainly this is a radical departure from his last film, the romantic comedy All About Women. It's also a departure from his recent blockbusters like The Blade (which some people love and I file dull, to the point a Korean spy spoof that sent it up crashed in burned for me) Seven Swords (a three hour epic snooze fest based on the Seven Samurai that was cut down from an even longer cut) or even his semi-recent Zu sequel (which was incoherent). Where his recent epics crashed and burned for this was simply a story that took me to another time and place. Certainly the world it creates is full of computer generated imagery, but it really doesn't matter since it's so high in the gee whiz factor.<br/><br/>While I wouldn't put this on my list of the best films of the year, the film kind of disappoints in the final half hour (it's a bit too much like a typical mystery and a tad too clear cut) it is one that was totally enjoyable and one I can recommend pretty much without reservation. Its also a film that I will happily see on a big screen if this gets some US screenings.<br/><br/>This is one to watch for. While there's a casual dissonance to each twist in its winding plot that results in a disconnected and emotionally vapid experience, Detective Dee unquestionably achieves the escapism it intends.
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