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20 Great Contemporary Asian Epic Films

11. (, 2001, S. Korea)

Kim Seong-su focuses chiefly on the action, putting aside the rest of the story's aspects and particularly the romantic relationships, which are not developed at all. On the other hand, the characters' analysis is thorough, considering the nature of the film. The various battles are impressive as they are realistic, benefiting the most from Kim Hyun's editing and Kim Hyung-koo's cinematography, which also presents images of beauty in various surroundings, including desert, forests and rivers. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

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12. (, 2007, Mongolia)

One of the most good-looking films in this list, thanks to the many wide-angle shots of the great, beautiful outdoors of China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan, “Mongol” is not so much the story of the fearless and ruthless warlord the world now knows, but that of young Temudjin, the young boy who would go to any lengths to protect his bride, the love of his life Borte and would survive betrayals and imprisonment to forge his own destiny to become the ferocious Genghis Khan. While many may argue the fact that the script waters down the story to provide a rather sympathetic look at one of the most blood-thirsty warlord the world has ever seen, this is old-fashioned, large-scale filmmaking at its finest with an engaging central performance by Japanese star as Temudjin. Too bad that the planned trilogy never came to be. (Rhythm Zaveri)

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13. (, 2008, China)

John Woo had $80 million to spend and he delivered by filming a plethora of spectacular action scenes, as well as providing impressive production design and set decoration, stunning visual effects and cinematography, and sublime guidance of a record number of supernumeraries. Moreover, Woo presents a story regarding the way a vast group could lose against powerful individuals, and the way the strength and intelligence of a single person could unite a nation.

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14. (, 2014, S. Korea)

“The Admiral: Roaring Currents” is an impressive film that manages to implement its large budget to the fullest, and in the process becoming utterly entertaining. Fans of Joseon and epic action films in general are bound to have a blast. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

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15. : (, 2011, Taiwan)

Te Sheng Wei's focus was to depict the natives and their culture as realistically as possible, and to accomplish that, he went to a plethora of extremes, particularly in the technical department, which almost resulted in the film not being completed.Additionally, in his efforts to use actual Seediq in the movie, he cast two local non-actors in the protagonist roles, a model to play young Rudao and a local priest to play the elder. However, both them acted wonderfully, with their performances being some of the biggest assets of the film and a triumph for Wei's tactics.

The portrayal of the indigenous is another point of excellence, with their depiction being highly realistic, including their many faults (violent, cunning, ruthless, sadistic) and their virtues (heroic, selfless).

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16. (, 2018, China)

Zhang Yimou directs a wuxia that follows the “other rules” of the genre, as dictated by King Hu, particularly in films like “A Touch of Zen” and “Dragon Inn”. Firstly, the script does not exist solely to provide a background for the action, but is elaborately written and includes interwoven stories, conspiracies, treacheries, and in-depth analysis of the characters and the circumstances of the era. Not much more to say, “Shadow” is one of the greatest wuxia films of all time, an audiovisual poem and overall, a true masterpiece. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

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17. (, 2004, S. Korea)

The part that “Taegukgi” truly excels is the action scenes, where the film's budget becomes evident the most. The depiction of the conditions of battle is utterly realistic, depicting the desperate circumstances of war to the fullest, with mud and blood dominating the scenery. Particularly the sequences when the brothers arrive to the front and throw themselves into battle are magnificent, as is the case with the final battle. Hong Kyung-pyo‘s awards for Best Cinematography from both Grand Bell and Blue Dragon were well deserved.

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18. (, 2017, S. Korea)

Managing to work as a fun, high-energy series of action set-pieces but full of overwrought melodrama and too much going on, “Battleship Island” is certainly a worthwhile spectacle experience.

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19. (, 2018, S. Korea)

In the end, “The Great Battle” is a slightly overlong but still wholly enjoyable historical action epic that manages enough spectacle to be rather entertaining. Give this one a chance if you're a fan of these brands of films or looking for a different entry in the genre, while only those who are not interested in the genre should heed caution. (Don Anelli)

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20. (, 2011, India)

Even though ostentatious blockbusters are not the signature features of Malayalam cinema, Keralan “Urumi” remains one of the most enjoyable Indian epic period pieces. Directed by Santosh Sivan, also known as an excellent cinematographer, film is an entertaining eye-pleaser, soaked in monsoon rains, offering the package of action, breathtaking adventure and fiery romance. It starts in recent times, to quickly take viewers to the fantasy-like past of XVI century, where warrior prince Chirakkal Kelu (Prithviraj) is on his path to avenge the death of his father and to plot the uprising to banish the Portuguese from the Malabar Coast. Extravagant costumes, beautifully-visualized songs, herds of extras, some historical figures like Vasco da Gama, sword fights (including those involving unique Keralan weapon urumi), sharp dialogues, feisty fearless princess played by Genelia D'Souza and the rest of the star-packed cast ensure a well-spent evening.

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