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07/04/08
The Children of Huang Shi (2008)
25 %
Reviews Counted: 55 Fresh: 14 Rotten:41 Average Rating: 4.4/10
Consensus:
This beautifully photographed but dramatically flat war drama recounts an important chapter in history with little cinematic freshness.
Rated: R [See Full Rating]
Runtime: 2 hrs 5 mins
Theatrical Release: May 23, 2008 Limited
Box Office: $511,619
Synopsis: Based on real events, The Children of Huang Shi is a story set against war-torn China in the 1930’s. The film centers on a young English journalist (JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS), an American nurse (RADHA MITCHELL) and the leader of a Chinese parti- san group (CHOW YUN FAT) who meet in desperate and... [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Radha Mitchell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Director: Roger Spottiswoode
Reviews
Unfortunately, like so many movies that celebrate a historical hero, Children is plagued by an overblown sense of its own importance.
07/03/08
The Children of Huang Shi is so desperate to be the Asian Schindler's List, an example of atrocity draped in abject artistry, that it forgets to lay out the context.
07/01/08
... an affecting portrait and a strong story with a compelling backdrop, and Chinese cinematographer Xiaoding Zhao makes the gorgeous locations look magnificent.
06/29/08
The settings in remote China are wonderfully diverse as seen through Xiaoding Zhao's lens, and the passionate and heartfelt saga unfolds beautifully, capturing our hearts.
06/28/08
Director Roger Spottiswoode captures some gorgeous Chinese scenery, much of which is chewed by Rhys Meyers' histrionic performance.
06/27/08
Its wartime, period and regional production values are persuasive, the character is larger than life and the climax is sobering.
06/26/08
Frankly, we'd much rather hear the stories of the orphans themselves.
06/26/08
The film's closing credits ironically emphasize its dramatic shortcomings: Here we see the real, now-elderly children of Huang Shi, reflecting on their adventure. Their compelling recollections suggest that... perhaps a documentary would've been better.
06/20/08
The Children of Huang Shi is an old-fashioned story of courage and self-sacrifice in the face of war and deprivation. It's also sappy, boring and obvious.
06/20/08
It's a sturdy film, vivid if utterly workmanlike, that builds to a crescendo of personal sacrifice and misty noble uplift.
06/20/08
Top Critic
What should be a moving story is ruined by hideous acting and sloppy filmmaking.
06/15/08
The characters in The Children of Huang Shi can conquer famine, war, disease, natural disasters and addiction but not a truly horrible script.
06/13/08
If it doesn't measure up to the label "epic," it's still an engaging account of one man's journey through war and those circumstances that give meaning to the saying, "Heroes are made, not born."
06/13/08
Audiences tolerant of clichéd uplift may dab their eyes, but demanding moviegoers will look elsewhere.
06/13/08
Top Critic
A dull dramatization of -- and ill-fitting testament to -- British journalist George Hogg's experiences in war torn China.
06/12/08
Clearly made with the best of intentions but never anything but boring.
06/09/08
The Children of Huang Shi means well and actually has a solid story at its core. But what Spottiswoode and company do to that good story is unforgivable.
06/08/08
There's a feeling of skimming the surface of a true story that would be better served by being grittier or more challenging. As well, the narrative deserves more than an obvious and improbable love story between two good-looking movie stars.
06/07/08
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