THE BANQUET

Synopsis:

• A prince returns to the palace to kill his uncle, who the prince believes murdered his father to ascend to the throne.

Pros:

• Very high production values in the movie
• The fight choreography is smooth and graceful

Cons:

• Plot rambles around quite a bit
• Just about all the main characters are unlikeable
• Not much character development
• The main character is especially weak-willed and seems to wander aimlessly in the movie - one would thing he would be more driven considering he wants revenge for the murder of his father
• The climax of the movie was somewhat underwhelming and the ending seems a bit forced

Notable:

• This movie is loosely adapted from Shakespeare's Hamlet, although it seems to be from the viewpoint of the queen

Bottom line:

• This movie is another artsy-fartsy kung fu movie that looks beautiful, but has a very weak plot and an unsatisfactory ending.  Only recommended for hardcore fans of artsy-fartsy kung fu movies.

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