meganbmoore: (flz: lian cheng)
meganbmoore ([personal profile] meganbmoore) wrote2011-08-05 10:47 pm

cmovie: Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame

Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame is a 2010 wuxia/mystery movie from Tsui Hark starring Andy Lau, Carina Lau, Li Bing Bing and…uhm…other people. Set in the days leading up to the coronation of Empress Wu, a conspiracy that involves people spontaneously combusting is hatched against the empress, forcing her to turn to a former rebel, Detective Dee, to find out what’s going on. Dee is aided by the empress’s girlfriend chief henchwoman, and an albino from another political sect.

And there is a talking deer.

Actually, the best scene in the movie is Andy Lau fighting a squad of deer bodyguards (followed by what may or may not qualify as a crossdressing monk) while surrounded by terracotta.

You don’t believe me, but that’s because you haven’t seen the movie.

Anyway, talking deer and all, it’s actually a pretty serious movie with a pretty tight plot and interesting take on Empress Wu. There were a couple of events about ¾ through that decreased my interest some, but it’s a pretty good movie.

Have the trailer:

demimonde: (Default)

[personal profile] demimonde 2011-08-07 11:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh gosh, I think I've seen this!