An Empress And The Warriors

Hong Kong director Ching Siu Tung's Chinese-language period drama, An Empress And The Warriors, is also about arduous love, but set against war and political upheaval.

Kelly Chen steals the spotlight as a princess who assumes the throne of the Yen kingdom after her father is killed.

Unfortunately, she doesn't have the acting range (as displayed by Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth) to breathe life into a role torn between her longings for love, represented by her loyal general (Donnie Yen) and a mysterious hermit (Leon Lai), and the tenacity to fulfill her royal duties.

The battle scenes are not quite spectacular, while plot developments are sometimes preposterous.

But one saving grace is how the film, like many wuxia classics, emphasises the virtues of love and living life without regrets.