Kong Zi (2010) Reviews

• Interesting and gripping movie with a wonderful Chow Yun Fat

  karsan123452010-02-06

  There has been some commotion around this movie concerning whether it did or did not force Avatar from the 2D screens in China. So many IMDb-voters thought it necessary to vote a '1' for this movie without even seeing it. It's a shame because it is a really good movie. I wasn't sure myself if a story around Confucius would be able to entertain me for 2 hours but it surely did! It's a fascinating and emotional story about the later years of Confucius, played by Hong Kong-actor Chow Yun Fat. It's shows the man behind the myth. I was very impressed with Chow's acting. I knew he was a great actor but this role is another milestone in his career. His Confucius is warm and gentle and you really feel his emotions. For his performance alone this film is worth watching. Beware: it might not be for the usual popcorn crowd, wanting to be entertained with lots of action and superficial story lines. It's an inspirational journey! Go see it!

• Messy and Long-drawn but Still Engaging

  changmoh2010-02-28

  The most controversial and dramatic thing about this movie happened off-screen in mid-January. Many Internet users and related groups called for a boycott of the film when it was reported that China had ordered 2D versions of "Avatar" to be pulled out so that more people would watch "Confucius". However, due to low attendance for "Confucius", and the high demand for "Avatar", the Chinese government reversed their decision and allowed "Avatar" to remain on some 2-D screens in China. The movie was to mark the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China and Confucius' 2,560th birthday. Yes, this is after Mao Zedong's Red Guards condemned the ancient scholar and destroyed his family cemetery and temple in his hometown of Qufu. Ironically, one of Confucius sayings is that "an oppressive government is more to be feared than a tiger". The first half of the movie traces the rise and popularity of Confucius (played by Chow Yun Fat) in the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period where he is known for his fair and just ideas about running the affairs of the state. He is promoted from town mayor to minister. However, his ideas and practices break with tradition and anger the ruling families. An example is when he saves a burial slave from being entombed alive. He incurs the wrath of the rulers of the surrounding kingdoms by tricking them into giving back seized territory without any violence. The second half, circa 497 BC, shows Confucius and his disciples in exile, wandering about for years and getting chased away by the locals. As you can see from the paragraphs above, the first half of this two-hour film is more eventful and interesting than the second. There is a gripping war sequence about the storming of a fort that recalls the action in "Red Cliff." And that's about it for the action fans. Chow rises to the occasion as the calm and collected Kong Qiu, the revered teacher whose philosophy and views helped to revolutionize some states in China. When political jealousy and fears about his influence send him into exile, the scenes get repetitious and languid. This is punctuated with a subplot about Nan Zi (Zhou Xun), consort to the Wei king who respects the wisdom of Confucius. However, her magnetic appearances are brief and almost cameo-like, leaving most of the second half as prolonged and protracted scenes of Kon Qiu's wanderings and sufferings. Technically, this US$23-million production looks rich and even stunning at times. Cinematographer Peter Pau (of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" fame) captures the period and locations in all their glory and helps to put us in the right mood and atmosphere of the times. "Confucius" is not a lost cause. It just looks long-drawn messy, like too many cooks having a hand at the broth. - LIM CHANG MOH (limchangmoh.blogspot.com)

• this movie is not extremely bad.

  wdxc20002010-01-29

  the extremely bad thing about this movie is Chinese government try to control movie market and push it eagerly. in order to do it, Chinese government forced hot movie Avator out from cinema. as a result, there is no doubt, Chinese internet users initiate a movement to boycott this movie. they say: we don't have votes. however, we have cinema tickets. so, box office of this movie is horrible now. that is also why so many people give it a very low vote, such as 1 out of 10. i consider this movie as an victim. without Chinese government's "support", the box office will be much better. the stories of Confucious are horrible, full of fake stuff. Confucius is THE most famous ideologist and educator in Chinese history. you can not see it in this movie. he is not a politician or militarist. However, it is very sad to see Confucius in this movie he is a politician and militarist, rather than an ideologist and educator. this will mislead so many people to recognize him, especially young people and non-Chinese. the CG is horrible, too. you can see scenes of the movie are copied from other movies. i am a Chinese. it is sad to see Confucius is deformed like this in order to cater somebody's taste.

• Great Epic Biopic

  chicagopoetry2010-03-15

  Confucius, the story of the greatest educator of all time, is a beautifully shot, poetically told, spectacular historical epic biography that stands shoulder to shoulder with great movies such as The Ten Commandments or Ghandi. It is not Braveheart or Patton, since it is not filled with thrills and spills, but you don't watch The Last Emporor of Kundun for the action: you watch them for the splendor and the drama, and splendid drama Confucius certainly delivers. Chow Yun Fat achieves a command performance as the gentle commoner who uses his wit and wisdom to quickly rise up in political ranks only to be exiled for his outsider ideology. Chow Yun Fat has come a long way since his two fisted gunslinging John Woo days, and his decision to sacrifice another opportunity that would have made him part of a more popular project, in order to participate in this rich cinematic experience, demonstrates his high integrity and his love for his heritage. Like Spartacus or Ben Hur, this movie is colorful, gorgeous, engaging and huge. The costumes are as awe inspiring as those of Cleopatra, and the only thing it is missing is a thick font "Technicolor" at the end, because this film is so reminiscent of the great days of biopic film making. Yet some of the music and camera-work reminds of the history of low budget Chinese films as well, which adds to the nostalgia of Confucius and makes it a more fun to watch. Confucius is grand. If you love epic dramas, you won't want to miss it.

• Stunned by the low ratings!

  lyx-12011-01-09

  I didn't watch this epic film for the longest time because of the low ratings and bad reviews about how boring, unexciting, etc. it is. I was also skeptical about Chow Yun Fat as Confucius, but it did work somehow, although I suspect there could have been better actors, though not as famous. However, after seeing Faye Wong's mv for the end song with the scenes form the film, it finally piqued my interest and was I glad I didn't miss this gem after all! It tries to stay close to the historic tales and records in describing Confucius' life, so it could come across as lacking in CGI action, but I think it helps rather than hurts the film. I MUCH prefer this epic to Red Cliff, the dialogue is much more intelligent and believable, and the acting is much better. It also dispenses with clichés that John Woo is fond of, with the exception of a couple of scenes. As it is a biopic, there isn't much of Confucius' teachings depicted, but more about political unrest and intrigues. Don't over analyze this - sit back and enjoy a great historic epic with beautifully created CGI scenes. It is much more enjoyable than what its solemn subject matter would suggest.