A heroic tale of three blood brothers and their struggle in the midst of war and political upheaval. It is based on "The Assassination of Ma," a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) story about the killing of general Ma Xinyi.
The Warlords gets a release in the United States nearly 2 1/2 years after its Hong Kong premiere, and it's a wonder it took so long.
– Peter Hartlaub,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 Apr 2010
rotten:
In The Warlords, war is heaven. In fact, it makes everything else seem tedious by comparison.
– Michael O'Sullivan,
Washington Post,
9 Apr 2010
fresh:
A tale of noble brotherhood compromised by self-interest and a messy love triangle, The Warlords, ultimately, tries to speak to the futility of war - but it does so by staging one gargantuan dustup after another.
– Steven Rea,
Philadelphia Inquirer,
15 Apr 2010
fresh:
The film has the dirty-fingernails realism of a Peckinpah western, and the same remorseless pessimism about the ultimate fate of men who live near death.
– Colin Covert,
Minneapolis Star Tribune,
29 Apr 2010
fresh:
Doesn't break ground; in fact, it carries on a tradition. But it does so with both flair and passion.