The Butcher, the Chef, and the Swordsman

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08/17/2014 It was good for a few laughs, but it is hard to follow..... use your imagination to fill in the confusing parts and all is well... See more 04/06/2013 Dao jian xiao is an off-kilter buddhist allegory that combines some fairly strong drama with a good dose of rather vicious sense of humor, tossing in a bunch of genre and popcultural references and spicing it all up with a generous serving of Chinese bawdy slapstick. All that is wrapped in some pretty stunning visuals (apparently Wuershan's strong point). The revenge story is the best balanced and best executed bit and it is definitely where most of the emotional appeal of the film springs from. Second best would be the story of the ambitious Swordsman - a stylish play on wuxia tropes and stereotypes. Sadly, the one story that frames the whole narrative (Butcher) is the weakest of all and it throws the whole film off balance. It does have its charms (especially if you happen to like Chinese bawdy slapstick or if you at least tolerate it well), but it is plagued by unnecessary popcultural references and it is a bit of an overkill in terms of crude comedy... Also, while the connection and transition between the Chef and the Swordsman stories are quite seamless and organic, the transition from the Butcher to the Chef and back is a lot less convincing. Wuershan definitely needs to learn some discipline. "I've got lots of insane ideas and I won't hesitate to use them ALL" is not the best narrative strategy. However, Dao jian xiao is by no means a stupid movie and while its main purpose is to entertain, it's not as hollow or as empty as lots of critics make it out to be. Swordsman (lobha) - 80%. Chef (dosa) - 100% Butcher (moha) - 60% 80% total. Om mani padme hum. See more 10/12/2012 at first , i don't really understand what the story is . but as long as the story goes, the plots becomes clearer and interesting , and also it is funny too. loves it. See more 06/29/2012 Razocaranje. Dolgocasno, nepovezano, rezija tudi cudna, zgodba kr neki, skratka skoda cajta. See more 05/11/2012 The kinda film that makes me wanna say "HUUUHH??" in both English AND Mandarin See more 02/24/2012 What the heck, this had some promise and a few cool parts, but it is visually all over the place, and some of the story and acting is just terrible, so it was kinda disappointing. See more Read all reviews

The Butcher, the Chef, and the Swordsman

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