十月圍城 (Bodyguards and Assassins)

Leon Lai (黎明)
Donnie Yen (甄子丹)
Nicholas Tse (謝霆鋒)
Fan Bing Bing (范冰冰)
Tony Leung Ka Fai (梁家輝)
Simon Yam (任達華)
Eric Tsang (曾志偉)
Hu Jun (胡軍)
Zhang Han Yu (張涵予)
Wang Bo Chieh (王柏傑)
Jacky Cheung (張 學友)
Michelle Reis (李嘉欣)
John Sham (岑建勳)
Lyu Zhong (呂中)
Zhou Yun (周韻)
Li Kang (李康)
Xing Yu (行宇)

Director: Teddy Chan (陳德森)
Producer: Peter Chan (陳可辛)

Intense and suspenseful with an all star cast collaboration of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The Bodyguards and Assassins takes you on a journey with ordinary men and women with extraordinary courage to protect the future father of modern China visiting the City of Victoria (British Colony of Hong Kong). The Qing royal army led by Xiao Guo (Hu Jun) was instructed by the Qing dynasty queen to assassin Sun Yat-Sen; a revolutionist. Activist Xiao Bai (Tony Leung Ka Fai) and businessman Li (Wang Xueqi) recruits a team of ordinary men and women to seek safety of Sun Yat-Sen. The first half of the movie focus on planning and recruiting an army to protect Sun Yat-Sen. With little action and lots of dialect; essential to building each of the characters who plays a big role in the movie. The second half of the movie is fast pace, intensed, action pack of battle between bodyguards and assassins which keeps you at the edge of your seat.

Bodyguards and Assassins is definitely a breath of fresh air against the ridiculous movies Hong Kong has been releasing. The quality in the dialogue, acting from superb actors from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, music score and fighting sequence is exhilarating. Everything ties in really well and done superbly to draw the audience into the story and empathize with all the characters. You understand what each of the characters are fighting for, bodyguards or assassins. Though not everyone may be fighting for or against the revolution, but you know exactly what each of the characters are fighting for; let it be for democracy, loyalty, or just simply following orders. Movies with so many high profile actors usually don't do very well in building characters, but it's definitely not the case in Bodyguards and Assassins. You're sucked into the lives, hopes, aspiration of each of the characters and you end up rooting for each and every single one of them. Nicholas Tse did an amazing job portraying a rickshaw driver Ah Shi. He has definitely proven himself to be a worthy actor in Hong Kong Cinema. What's scarier than a man without eyebrows? A man without eyebrows with wild long hair played by Hu Jun. Hu Jun was introduced to America in movies such as Lan Yu (藍宇) and East Palace West Palace (東宮西宮); very controversial films during the released with full frontal nudity and homosexuality. If you enjoyed eye candy Wang Bo Chieh, you may want to check out his breakout role in Winds of September (九降風) where you'll get a treat for the eyes when a group of friends decide to break into the school swimming pool for a mid-night swim.

Bodyguards and Assassins is a must see for the superb acting and awesome fighting scenes. There are some moves you have to see to believe and appreciate. Hong Kong cinema needs to produce more quality movies like this on a more regular basis. With Bodyguards and Assassins, Hong Kong cinema is definitely on the right track in redeeming itself from the gutter.