Jing Ke ci Qin Wang
Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: December 17, 1999 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
75
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 25 Critic Reviews
Positive:
19
Mixed:
5
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Few Hollywood action pictures are half as exciting or ravishing.
100
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
Everything about its scale is epic. Read full review
91
Portland OregonianDiana Abu-Jaber
This multistoried historical plot is packed with almost three hours of nuances and hidden meanings, and the slippery smiles and sly innuendoes often seem lost in translation.
90
Washington PostStephen Hunter
A stunner -- as big and messy as a war, as small and perfect as a diamond. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
A stirring, thought-provoking feat of filmmaking, accomplished in every facet. Read full review
90
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
This is a powerful story and a splendid spectacle. Read full review
88
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
Based on the true story of the first emperor of unified China, could be downsized and told as an American Western. Read full review
88
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Has a mixture of strengths and limitations often found in historical epics: lots of eye-filling action and spectacle, little in the way of psychology or human interest. Read full review
88
Boston GlobeJay Carr
As savage and as epic as film gets. Read full review
88
San Francisco ExaminerG. Allen Johnson
It's a more intelligent and dimensional epic than, say, "Anna and the King." Emperor is worth every single penny. Read full review
80
Dallas ObserverAndy Klein
For those with a taste for epics that integrate the historical and the intimate. Read full review
80
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
The sheer size of the production dwarfs the human drama. Read full review
80
Film.comPeter Brunette
It's epic in every sense of the word, and like most of Chen's historical dramas, not easy to follow. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleBob Graham
The look of the film is first class, with muted colors but deep textures, the opposite of historical kitsch. Read full review
70
The New York TimesStephen Holden
Crammed with enough melodrama to fill several soap operas. Read full review
70
VarietyDerek Elley
A string of striking set pieces hung on a dramatically shaky clothesline. Read full review
67
Seattle Post-IntelligencerPaula Nechak
Quite long and violent enough to have made several critics squirm in their seats during a recent press screening. Read full review
63
New York PostJonathan Foreman
Meanders along in a confused, confusing way for what feels like hours.
63
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
A gorgeous, gory epic, is a blow-your-mind masterpiece about the emperor who ruled more than 2,000 years ago.
60
Village VoiceDennis Lim
Solid middlebrow entertainment, a vast period epic with an almost DeMillean taste for excess. Read full review
60
Film.comGemma Files
It's sumptuous, archaic, and longer than a firehouse ladder. Read full review
58
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
A historical drama as static as it is stately. Read full review
50
Baltimore SunAnn Hornaday
A bit hard on the posterior, it is definitely easy on the eyes.
47
Mr. ShowbizMichael Atkinson
Strains our patience with overacting and photography so sumptuous you can't help but ponder why so much bloodshed and mayhem is being so expertly prettified.
38
USA TodayStaff [Not Credited]
A quagmire that reportedly has undergone multiple edits to reach its current incomprehensible state.
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