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Just perfect...

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

This is NOT Hollywood type Kick-Ass. This is NOT an Arty House of Daggeers.This is a historical drama with some neat kung-fu thrown in. Beautiful to look at. From the elegance of the costumes to the dirty streets in the ghetto. Bodyguards and Assassins has charm, tragedy, drama, loyalty, respect, ignorance and more going for it. Slightly long but thoroughly enjoyable.I was unaware of this part of Chinas history (boy do the English come off bad yet again) and I'm glad I watched it.

I had the pleasure (but discomfort) of watching this on the plane from Taipei to Bangkok and have never been so engrossed in an in-flight movie. It was heartbreaking and exciting and, although perhaps slightly out of place, the action sequences were excellent. The acting was great and this may well be my favorite film so far this year. I am unaware as to how accurate the story is but I would bet it is much closer to reality than most "Based on a True Story"-type films. Another reviewer said they were expecting a Hong Kong "Gangs of New York" and I think it does fall somewhere near this but I would rewatch this film 100 times before watching "Gangs" again... this is mostly due to Cameron Diaz's atrocious performance. I hope this film receives a subtitled release on DVD as I will definitely want to add it to my collection.

Very disappointing film. This film last's 138 min. In my opinion it was at least 45 min too long. I find it a overlong film!. i think it had too little action. When a action showed up, i think it was poor. Even the drama and story was very boring. I think it should be renamed to Boringguards and Assassins. I like some Drama films and TV series, but i think this was not any good Drama.I think the camera angles and editing also was poor. It was hard to follow the action. I thought this film would be action packed, considering Donnie was in it. I don't think it was. With all that money, how could they make such a bad film? I don't know how they managed to do that. Also, Donnie wears a silly unconvincing bald-cap making his head look like a watermelon. Hahaa.It has only max 15 min of action out of 138 min. I felt cheated since, before it was released it was promoted as having 1 hour of action. More drama film than action film. I will never watch this film again. See only this if you like a boring drama film with very little action. Watch Ip Man instead, than this junk. I think it does at least have much better, story, acting, and fight scenes

Set in 1906 this is the story of a bunch of revolutionaries in Hong Kong looking to make China a democratic nation no longer under corrupt feudal rule. To that end the seek to protect Mr Sun (Sun Yat-Sen) who is coming into Hong Kong in order to meet with the heads of the various revolutionary groups in all of the provinces. Unfortunately his arrival is known by the ruling Chinese authorities and they have sent a team of assassins into the British controlled city to kill him. Our heroes must assemble a team of men to get Mr Sun from the boat to the meeting and then to distract the assassins while the meeting takes place.This refreshing mix of drama, action and politics is the first great film I've seen in 2010. I might argue that its one of the high echelon of action films for reasons other than just the spectacular fight sequences.Perhaps I should begin by saying that the film is essentially divided into two parts. The first half of the film is a very character heavy, mostly light on action stretch where we get to know the characters, their backgrounds and their reasons for doing what they are doing. Unlike most action films there really isn't a clichéd character in the bunch. All are human beings, all of them want a better place. Because the film doesn't jump into the action but takes the time to not only build the characters, but to set up the situation, the film creates a huge amount of tension by the time Mr Sun arrives and the rag tag bunch has to try and keep him alive. This second half of the film is pretty much an hour plus long set piece as the various characters fight to stay alive. Its an hour that will exhaust you.The film works primarily because we have real characters. This is due in part to the casting of 15 big name actors Donnie Yen, Eric Tsang and Simon Yam among them. Normally the casting of so many actors can work against a film, but here it adds weight and makes the vast number of characters more easily recognizable. Better than the casting in the writing which allows for many small moments that add nice shading to everyone in the tale. The rick shaw driver who quietly tinkles his bell so the lady he loves will look up, Donnie Yen and the little girl, the flashes of wishes and the past. All these little moments come together so that we're watching a bunch of characters who make us hurt when something bad happens to them. When was the last time that you were so invested in bunch of characters that you actually feared for them in a film? Everything that happened made me wince. These are characters that pay a heavy price for what they do and we feel it.I know some people are not happy with the overt political message of the film. This is a film that wears what it feels on its sleeve. The point of the film is that in order to be free one must shake off the shackles of oppression and that the pain of today is for the happiness of tomorrows children. Some people don't like the message because its coming from a film that was made under the watchful eye of the Chinese government, however the statement that what we do today to assure freedom is not just a message for the people in China, its a message for everyone everywhere. Its a call for vigilance and for action anywhere in the world. The film says flat out that the struggle for your rights today will hurt, but if you are successful your children will have a better place. Its not specifically aimed toward any philosophy beyond the general promise of freedom, which makes me kind of wonder why people are unhappy about it.In all honesty if it wasn't for the intensity of the politics the film wouldn't work as well. The politics, right or wrong, provides the reason for the events to unfold. Why are you doing this? The reason is the politics. Even the intensity that drives the final hour, the need to have this meeting for freedom, comes from the politics and the desire to be truly free.The reason many people are going to watch this film is the action. Outside of one battle early on and one or two small moments nothing really happens until the second half. When the explosion of violence happens its pretty much an hour of solid fighting as the bad guys try to kill the good guys in every way possible (knives, fists, arrows, guns, explosions). There are pauses but thats just waiting for the next wave. This final hour takes place on a huge street set that recreates a large chunk of the Hong Kong water front area. Its put to good use as we watch as the cast winds their way all through it.Its amazing Its also heartbreaking since not everyone lives and as I said you feel each death as it happens. By the time it all breaks loose these are no longer characters on the screen but friends, with the result that what happens has so much more added weight. By the end of the film I felt broken. This is the rarest of action films, not only are you affected by what happens to each character, but you also fear for what might happen. Its never really clear what will happen, and the film is so much better for it.For the most part this film is a masterpiece. Easily one of the best films of the year. Its so much more than a drama or a political film or an action film. It is something else, simply a great film.