Best Asian Epics of the Past Two Decades (1992 - 2012)
As this list is being composed in February 2013, the final year of this list shall be 2012, which makes the first year of the list 1992. This list is a direct response to the poorly conceived list titled "Best Asian Epics of the Past Two Decades" composed by DigitalRitual. Any list that discusses Asian Action Epics from the 1990s & 2000s should adhere to three strict rules: first (1) The list should begin with Jet Li's "Jing wu ying xiong (Fist of Legend) (1994)", as any list without this film already proves the list unworthy of its own claim; next (2) The list should not include any Hollywood-backed films [such as "Forbidden Kingdom" or "The Warrior's Way" (The Warrior's Way was filmed in Korea and New Zealand, but it was backed by Hollywood production company Rogue Media)]; and finally (3) that list should include any epics produced by any Asian-based company, including any true epics that fall in the genres of action, animation, comedy, or drama. The list that I offer is not all-inclusive by any means, but should provide enough recommended titles to prove satisfactory to any true lover of Asian cinema.
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- DirectorRaymond LeeSiu-Tung ChingHark TsuiStarsTony Ka Fai LeungBrigitte LinMaggie CheungDuring the Ming Dynasty, Tsao Siu-yan, a power-crazed eunuch who rules his desert region of China as if he were the Emperor, ruthlessly thwarts plots against him and sets a trap for one of this enemies at the Dragon Gate Inn.This magnificent remake of the 1966 classic by King Hu features exceptional performances by Tony Leung Ka Fai, Maggie Cheung, Brigitte Lin, and the incomparable Donnie Yen. While Yen moved on to other projects, Leung Ka Fai, Cheung, and Lin joined up again in Wong Kar Wai's trippy cult classic "Ashes of Time."
- DirectorGordon ChanStarsJet LiShinobu NakayamaSiu-Ho ChinIn 1937, a Chinese martial artist returns to Shanghai to find his teacher dead and his school harassed by the Japanese.One of the finest martial arts remakes ever produced, this film elevated Jet Li in the eyes of critics to be acclaimed as Bruce Lee's true successor. It features one of the most revered and strategically choreographed one-on-one fight scenes in kung-fu cinema.
- DirectorHark TsuiStarsWenzhuo ZhaoXin Xin XiongSonny SuA swordsmith trains his friend's orphaned son. The boy seeks revenge for his father's murder but loses an arm rescuing the swordsmith's daughter. A hermit girl nurses him, and he learns swordsmanship with his father's broken sword.What could be more epic than a tale of a one-armed man who becomes a master swordsman to take his revenge against a tattooed villain. This film blends wicked wire work, surreal swordplay, and rage-filled heroic insanity on a blood-soaked canvas that only comes from Asian cinema.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsYôji MatsudaYuriko IshidaYûko TanakaOn a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.This instant classic from Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli focuses on the dawn of blackpowder projectile weapons and the futility of the ongoing war between man and nature. While many fantastic films came from Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli prior to 1992 (such as "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind" and "My Neighbor Totoro,") this film and "Spirited Away" remain two of the very best of the past two decades.
- DirectorKaige ChenStarsGong LiFengyi ZhangZhou SunIn pre-unified China, the King of Qin sends his concubine to a rival kingdom to produce an assassin for a political plot, but as the king's cruelty mounts she finds her loyalty faltering.Starring the beautiful Li Gong, this film was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, the Grand Jury Prize at AFI Fest, and the Best Foreign Independent Film for the British Independent Film Awards; and it was one of the earliest showcases for rising star Xun Zhou. While not always recognized as an epic, it's a beautifully rendered telling of a concubine whose loyalty to her cruel king is tested by the treacherous task that he demands of her.
- DirectorAng LeeStarsChow Yun-FatMichelle YeohZiyi ZhangA young Chinese warrior steals a sword from a famed swordsman and then escapes into a world of romantic adventure with a mysterious man in the frontier of the nation.First and only Kung Fu Best Picture Academy Award Nominee ever. 'Nuff said.
- DirectorSantosh SivanStarsShah Rukh KhanKareena KapoorDanny DenzongpaThe epic tale of King Asoka's life is recounted.To those who may argue that a Bollywood film is not truly an Asian film because it is not an East-Asian epic, I would point to my list of identifying features and note that this film was made by an Asian-based production company. With that said, this film is the epic saga of the violent warrior king Asoka, who eventually becomes a pacifist. This film has one of the greatest tag-lines of any movie: "Only the dead have seen the end of war."
- DirectorKim Sung-suStarsJung Woo-sungAhn Sung-kiJu Jin-mo1375. Nine Koryo warriors, envoys exiled by Imperial China, battle to protect a Chinese Ming Princess from Mongolian troops.I first saw this film in the wake of all that was "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," when I was longing for a film of equal scope and ferocity. The title on the cover box only read "Musa." While this film had both scope and ferocity, it also had that gritty "Die Hard" attitude, and far less wire work than most of the other movies coming from Beijing producers at the time. It quickly became one of my favorites.
- DirectorYimou ZhangStarsJet LiTony Leung Chiu-waiMaggie CheungA defense officer, Nameless, was summoned by the King of Qin regarding his success of terminating three warriors.Arguably one of Jet Li's most memorable works, this film is a truly poetic epic. It plays on the screen with incredible artistry by director Yimou Zhang, and it brings together the very best talent available at the time in Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Ziyi Zhang, and Donnie Yen.
- DirectorTakeshi KitanoStarsTakeshi KitanoTadanobu AsanoYui NatsukawaThe blind masseur/swordsman comes to a town in control of warring gangs, and while bunking with a farming family, he meets two women with their own agenda.No list about Asian epics is complete without a true Zatoichi film. Sadly, I've limited this list to only the past two decades (though, as previously stated, this list is not all-inclusive;) and as such I shall not throw in Hiroshi Inagaki's classic Samurai Trilogy, anything from Akira Kurosawa, or the "Lone Wolf and Cub" tales (though supposedly a remake is due in 2014!) However, this film is one of the must-see Zatoichi tales, and it deserves a place on this list.
- DirectorKang Je-kyuStarsJang Dong-gunWon BinEun-ju LeeWhen two brothers are forced to fight in the Korean War, the elder decides to take the riskiest missions if it will help shield the younger from battle.While it could be argued that this film is not an epic in the classic sense, the story of Jin-tae Lee and his brother Jin-seok Lee is truly an Asian masterpiece in the way it unfurls the story of bravery and tragedy during the Korean War.
- DirectorYôji YamadaStarsMasatoshi NagaseTakako MatsuHidetaka YoshiokaA 19th Century samurai, held in low esteem due to an action by his late father, must resolve his history with a maid and with his close friend.As much a love story as it is an epic about the samurai Munezo Katagiri, this film thrives on the drama surrounding the end of the age of the samurai. While the film is often compared to the Academy Award Nominated "The Twilight Samurai", this one fits more into the category of an epic in that there are certainly "hero trials" and a climactic final battle. Critic David Noh of Film Journal International called this film "one of the crown jewels of the genre."
- DirectorSergei BodrovStarsTadanobu AsanoAmadu MamadakovKhulan ChuluunThe story recounts the early life of Genghis Khan who was a slave before going on to conquer half the world in 1206.Of all of my entries in this list, this one is most questionable, due to the fact that some of the production expenses were provided by companies in Germany and the U.S.A. However, it should be noted that (a) the main production company and the films director were both from Russia (still in Asia,) and (b) the movie was filmed on location in the Republic of Kazakhstan, located in Central Asia. With all of that said, however, it is important to note that the film is an epic in the very historical sense, and the sweeping battle scenes rivaled The Lord of the Rings films without using CGI fillers. This movie was phenomenal to watch, and I believe it truly deserves to be on this list.
- DirectorPeter Ho-Sun ChanWai-Man YipStarsJet LiAndy LauTakeshi KaneshiroChina, 1860s: Having his army slaughtered, General Qingyun joins 2 bandit leaders in raids on rebels and in blood oath. They form a Qing loyal army with eyes on rebel held Suzhou and Nanjing.While it isn't fair to keep throwing in Jet Li epics, this film also features fantastic performances by Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro. However, it should be noted that Jet Li really shines in his role as General Pang Qingyun in this gritty epic about brotherhood and war.
- DirectorWilson YipStarsDonnie YenSimon YamSiu-Wong FanDuring the Japanese invasion of China, a wealthy martial artist is forced to leave his home when his city is occupied. With little means of providing for themselves, Ip Man and the remaining members of the city must find a way to survive.Has there ever been a more heroic tale than that of the man who would come to train Bruce Lee? This awesome action extravaganza featuring Donnie Yen is already a classic of Asian cinema. It's an epic in every sense of the word.
- DirectorJohn WooStarsTony Leung Chiu-waiTakeshi KaneshiroFengyi ZhangThe first chapter of a two-part story centered on a battle fought in China's Three Kingdoms period (220-280 A.D.).In the late 80s & early 90s, John Woo gained my fascination and respect with hardcore action films like "The Killers" and "Hard Boiled", but then he came to Hollywood and disappointed us all with a string of over-the-top flops like "Hard Target," "Broken Arrow," "Mission Impossible II," and "Paycheck." Then Woo went back to China and made Red Cliff and Red Cliff II (aka: "Chi Bi" and "Chi Bi Xia: Jue Zhan Tian Xia") and he instantly earned my fascination and respect once again. Forget the Western version that combines highly edited versions of both Eastern cinema releases. See "Chi Bi" and "Chi Bi Xia: Jue Zhan Tian Xia" back to back. It is so worth it.
- DirectorJohn WooStarsTony Leung Chiu-waiTakeshi KaneshiroFengyi ZhangSecond and final part of epic tale about a legendary battle that changed the course of China history.See above.
- DirectorKazuaki KiriyaStarsYôsuke EguchiTakao OsawaRyôko HirosueBased on a Japanese folk legend that echoes the tale of Robin Hood, this ninja thriller follows the exploits of Goemon Ishikawa (Yôsuke Eguchi), who leaves his fighting clan after its chief is murdered and uses his skills as a thief to help the poor. But after learning the identity of his leader's killer - the traitorous Hideyoshi (Eiji Okuda) - Goemon sets out on a bloody path of vengeance, joined by his loyal friend, Saizo (Takao Ôsawa).The tale of Goemon Ishikawa's rebellion against Hideyoshi Toyotomi is one of my favorite Sengoku-era legends, and while this version of the story certainly puts a new spin on an old classic, it does so in a wholly imaginative way. Many viewers may be put off by the manner in which director Kazuaki Kiriya uses CGI to tell this tale, but I personally believe that Kazuaki's rendering is part of what makes this epic great.
- DirectorTakashi MiikeStarsKoji YakushoTakayuki YamadaYûsuke IseyaA group of assassins come together for a suicide mission to kill an evil lord.This update to the 1963 classic "The Thirteen Assassins" is immediately compelling and wholly entertaining. This film is perhaps the best possible entry from Takashi Miike, the brilliant director who brought us "Audition," "Ichi the Killer," and "Sukiyaki Western Django." The main protagonist is Shinzaemon Shimada, who is asked to bring together a group of assassins to kill the shogun's sadistic brother before he can rise any higher in power. I thoroughly enjoyed this film from beginning to end.
- DirectorTe-Sheng WeiStarsMasanobu AndôJun'ichi HarutaSabu KawaharaAn indigenous clan-based people living in harmony with nature find their way of life threatened when violent interlopers from another culture arrive, intent on seizing their natural resources and enslaving them.This film tells the historic tale of Mouna Rudo, a young warrior of the indigenous Seediq people of Taiwan, who witnesses the oppression of his people by Japanese soldiers. Thirty years later, Mouna is Chief of the Seediq, and he leads his people in an uprising against the Japanese. A true Eastern epic, this film is what Apocalypto should have been.