The Assassin

Well Go USA Entertainment | Release Date: October 16, 2015

6.3	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 89 Ratings

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remoadventureFeb 26, 2016

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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YorkManJan 16, 2016

Films designed for audiences of a specific country/filmed in a specific language only tend to fare well internationally if the conform to dedicated tropes established as being popular by existing audiences.

Unfortunately for WesternFilms designed for audiences of a specific country/filmed in a specific language only tend to fare well internationally if the conform to dedicated tropes established as being popular by existing audiences.

Unfortunately for Western audiences, The Assassin doesn't do this.

As a film it's meticulously crafted, well directed, gorgeous cinematography, fine acting and, for a film that includes martial arts sequences, well choreographed.

The problem for the vast majority of Westerners, who might not appreciate all those positives, is that the story the film is expressing has absolutely no resonance to anyone without a knowledge of Chinese history and the books/novels that have turned the stories into legends.

The Assassin tells one such tale, but as it's marketed/filmed/produced for the Chinese, it pays absolutely no lip service to a global audience.

The result? It's a very slow and seemingly ostentatious mess. Dialogue plays second fiddle to the visuals, meaning there are huge gaps filled with complete silence as the camera pans across a room etc that never draws you in.

I, personally, am a massive fan of Oriental cinema (and have been for 30 years), and despite my own understanding of the visuals and the subtle references made within them, the movie really dragged on.

Disappointing, is the most flattering term for the film I can think of.… Expand

3 of 5 users found this helpful32

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BertoflyingfoxJan 15, 2016

I'll start off by saying Qi Shu deserves recognition for her fight choreography in this movie, it was spectacular. Props to the whole crew involved with that.

Sadly I didnt enjoy much of the film. While the landscapes were beautiful,I'll start off by saying Qi Shu deserves recognition for her fight choreography in this movie, it was spectacular. Props to the whole crew involved with that.

Sadly I didnt enjoy much of the film. While the landscapes were beautiful, scenes just hung there with characters that have nothing to say to each other. "Silence" describes this movie well. I would've liked more dialogue explaining these complex characters/situations and a lot more fight scenes because (again) they were top-of-the-line.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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