ViewGuide

Created Jun 11, 2017 01:28PM PST • Edited Jul 15, 2017 12:06PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Great 4.0

   The Chinese vs. the Japanese in the 16th century makes for a great martial-arts war movie, full of Shaolin vs. samurai, kung fu vs. karate. This Chinese production tells the tale from the Chinese POV, with Japanese pirates raiding peaceful Han Chinese villages and engaging in war crimes as part of their pillaging. For an Occidental viewer like me, it’s a reminder that China and Japan have been in conflict for centuries.

   God of War is mostly a hagiographic portrait of General Qi Jiguang, the Ming Dynasty hero who led the successful defense against the Japanese-led Wokou Pirates. While clearly designed for nationalistic Chinese consumption, God of War works as a compelling war movie, martial arts extravaganza, period piece, and lens into an important chapter of east Asian history, jingoistic though that lens may be.

4. Acting

   Great 4.0

   Martial arts moviestars from China and Japan headline the strong cast.

   Chinese Warriors

   • Wenzhuo Zhao essays the God of War himself, General Qi Jiguang.
   • Regina Wan plays his strong-willed wife, a warrior herself.
   • Sammo Kam-Bo Hung plays the older general he relieves, but who ends up a hero himself.

   Japanese Warriors

   • Yasuaki Kurata as a pirate commander
   • Keisuke Koide as a royal mucky-muck

5. Male Stars Great 4.0

6. Female Stars Great 4.0

7. Female Costars Great 4.0

8. Male Costars Great 4.0

10. Film

    Great 4.0

    The dialog is often turgid in this too-long film, but director Gordon Chan does a masterful job creating the horrific and often beautiful battles. The internecine conflicts are also well drawn, e.g., between disciplined samurai and thuggish ronin.

11. Direction Really Great 4.5

12. Play Good 3.0

13. Music Very Good 3.5

14. Visuals Perfect 5.0
15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 2.5

    Beware, there are lots of heads on pikes, as one example of the savagery.

17. Sex Titillating 1.7

18. Violence Savage 4.0

19. Rudeness Salty 1.8

21. Reality

    Glib 1.3

    God of War apparently takes major liberties with the historical accuracy. The movie also indulges in martial arts movie tricks.

    Movie trickery aside, the film is a fascinating look at the early use of firearms in organized warfare, along with Asian warfare techniques during the 16th century.

    Finally, one wonders about relations between the Japanese and Chinese cast members in this Chinese production.

22. Circumstantial Glib 2.0

23. Biological Natural 1.0

24. Physical Natural 1.0