A Battle of Wits (Mo Gong)

Mo Gong is a manga to movie project helmed by HK producers.
However like Initial D, it's one of those projects that almost seems to be dead since there was ZERO news after acquiring the rights for sometime.

And damn right time this movie is ever relevant (If I am not wrong, it was more 10 years since the project was announced)with all that chaos running all over the world.

Andy Lau stars as Ge Li (the character is botak in the manga), a mohist who arrives at Liang to save the city from Zhao's Invasion during the troubled times of Warring States Periods of China.

However his arrival wasn't too welcome, especially when the King of Liang has decided to bow down and surrender. Met with distrust at first, Ge Li proved his worth after putting down siege after siege. However as time goes by, Ge Li found himself in a dilema as the savagery of war takes form and goes against the ethnic of his Learnings. Lack of the tactful social skills and too bounded by the rules of Mohism, Ge Li not only lose trust from his very employer but also lost the woman he love.

The movie has the essense of a thoughtful anti-war film however within the execution comes some flaws that almost marred the beauty of it:

- Dancing Zhao Troops in the fire trap. It's probably the most horrifying and moving (via shock) scene in the movie, if it's not for the extras thinking they were playing drunken pirates in a celebration scene in PoTC.

- Fan Bing Bing's Yi Yue. Bold passionate Female General or lust-filled Female General? It doesn't helps when it's Fan BingBing.

- Guys!Guys!!!Don't talk so close to each other!!!It didn't help when that Brokeback Mountain was shown this year and still fresh!!!!!

Despite the drawbacks, Mo Gong is the most enjoyable period movie made by Chinese filmmakers (come on lah. HK is part of PRC) this year. It's a honest film without resorting to cheesy artsy fartsy acting and poke your eyes out special effects. The costumes were practical looking enough (althought the traveller garb Ge Li appeared in is so "jedi").

Banquet?Curse of the Golden Armour?Man those are made for Ang Mohs. Mo Gong is something that is for everyone.


http://www.abattleofwits.com.hk/tw_main.html