Panorama HK DVD Synopsis: When social unrest plagues a Kingdom in ancient China, the Imperial Court collects stockpiles of gold from local governments to expand the royal army. However, the gold is robbed while in transport. In a desperate move to retrieve the stolen treasure, elite royal guards are sent on a mission to go after the gold but soon find out they are not the only ones in pursuit of it. (103 Mins)

​

Views: I remember 7 Assassins getting a lot of negativity on its release. I'm not sure just why, but I have watched it a few times now and find it very entertaining. Of course, I can see the flaws going on – most of which are small, but apart from that the film is a pretty damn good homage to the 70's and 80's golden generation of Hong Kong cinema. It's big on sets and big on sweeping action scenes, but most of all, 7 Assassins is big on cast. In fact, big is the wrong word. This film is huge on cast!!

​

Based on a true story, 7 Assassins begins in the desert, with a huge sand storm hitting the entourage led by Felix Wong. The winds are so strong, that many men (and horses) are blown off the cliff edge, with others dying due to the heavy stone and sand in the air. As the storm passes and the surviving men continue their journey, they are soon attacked by a small army of bandits who have been ordered by the Prince to bring in Wong at any cost. The bandits succeed, and make a deal with army Governor Ti Lung to turn a blind-eye on their actions if they hand Wong over. It was nice to see Waise Lee share the screen with Lung once again, even if it was just a cameo. I'm not 100% positive, but it may be the first time since their days on A Better Tomorrow. Elsewhere, Eric Tsang is returning to his village in the Golden Valley, in a scene that reminded me of Gandalf coming back to the Shire. This gives us a great introduction to most of the characters, with a very light-hearted approach, luring us into a false-sense-of-security before things really kick-off. The mood soon changes when Felix Wong, who is unconscious on his horse after a lucky escape, rides into the happy village of retired warriors. Here, he reveals to Tsang and co his plans to over-throw the Qing government, in a bid to save China. We soon learn that Ti Lung was the saviour of most of the villagers, and it was him that sent Wong to them with a message to join forces, and continue the mission. Little do they know, that at the same time, Lung has been killed by the bandits who soon arrive at Golden Village for their prisoner. It's here that we get to enjoy the first major fight of the film, with plenty of hand-to-hand action, swordplay and stunt-work – all of which definitely pleases. From here, the mission begins with Wong, Tsang and the village fighters joining forces to take on the bandits and Prince's army – which all kicks-off well before the half-way mark, offering some epic action scenes. After a dark period, leading into the second half of the film, the 70-minute mark sees the warriors set out for revenge, collecting old friends along the way in the shape of Simon Yam, Leung Kar Yan, Fong Hak On, Chen Kuan Tai, Jason Pai Piao, Lawrence Ng and many more. After the death of yet another brother, Eric Tsang fuels his men with an inspiring speech that kick-starts a fantastic, action-packed, 20-minute end-battle as the villagers fight for gold, revenge, and their freedom!

​

The fights, which are mainly handled by Hung Yan Yan, are (for the most part) gritty and realistic with the odd spat of wire-work, but its nothing overly distracting and mainly for his own fight scenes in which he channels his inner Clubfoot for fun. A number of fights also include a blade of some sort, the most of them are wonderfully choreographed and it would be fair to say that almost everyone in the main cast gets to throw a punch or kick somewhere along the way. The initial attack on the army camp is just great, packed full of fists, kicks and sword fights that is well worth the watch - with Gua Tao getting some of the better choreography. It was also nice to see Dick Wei back in action after a good decade or more, but for me it has to be the showdown in the church between our heroes, Ray Lui (the Prince) and Ellen Chan (the bandit leader), that is the highlight of the show. It's a tightly choreographed and violent clash of swords, that shows Lui as a force to be reckoned with...

​

With so many major Hong Kong stars playing good and bad guys, its hard to think why the film didn't gain more attention. Co-director and star, Eric Tsang, shares the leading role with Felix Wong (Drunken Master 2) with his co-director Xin Xin Xiong popping up to kick-ass when needed – often wrapped in a quilt of some-sort. The wonderful Ray Lui delights as the nasty Qing Prince, who destroys everyone and everything in his path. He is aided by two bodyguards who are played by the awesome Dick Wei and Ken Lo who probably hadn't shared the screen for some time up to this point. Michael Wong (Beast Cops) co-stars as a priest trying to keep the peace, although he still gets a bit of action, and the handsome Max Mok gets to return to his Assassin roots as a scarred-swordsman with a vengeance. And it goes on! It was such a delight to see an amazing cast of old-and-new talent share the screen, with more and more showing up as the movie went on – some as co-stars, others in cameos. But regardless of their time, it just made the experience all the more impressive, and I can't think of one that gives a poor performance. Think Seven Swords meets Bodyguards & Assassins meets A Battle Of Wits. The movie plays like a Hollywood Western, taking place between the deserts of China and a little village between the mountains, offering gun-fights on horseback, and a soundtrack that often carries twangs of a John Wayne classic. The scenery is often kept bland with its sepia-toned natural settings, but when some colour finally gets the chance to pop up on screen, it certainly does just that – pop!

​

I must also mention the great cast of females led by Gigi Leung, who plays the matriarch of the villagers as well as love interest to Eric Tsang. She is joined by Ni Hong Jie, Rose Chan, Ellen Chan and the wonderful Kara Hui, who joins the fight in the final act. For me, it just adds to what is already a great film. Even with such a huge cast and vast amounts of action, there's still plenty of dramatic moments, romance and little sprinkles of humour throughout. Fan's of Hong Kong cinema's golden years should be getting behind 7 Assassins. It really is an underrated all-star gem and I can't understand why there isn't more love for this epic...

​

Overall: A fantastic movie that deserves a bigger audience, 7 Assassins is almost epic in its own right!