Sakra Movie Review: Donnie Yen In Actionpacked Adaptation Of Louis Chas Epic Wuxia Novel DemiGods And SemiDevils As Tragic Hero Qiao Feng
- Hong Kong martial artist Donnie Yen stars in and adapts the popular wuxia novel "Demigods and Half Devils" by Louis Cha, also known as Jin Yun.
- While some famous moments from the book come to life, Sakra is overwhelmed by the number of characters and breaks at an uneven pace.
3.5/5 stars
Hong Kong superstar Donnie Yin Jidan and his martial arts team bring their martial arts backgrounds to life in this homage to " Demi-Gods and Half-Devils ," literary giant Louis Cha Long Jung's beloved 1960s wuxia novel. aka Jin Yang.
Ian, who turns 60 this year, told the inquest that the writer is now at the stage where he sees every action film as his last.
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His passion for this great work is evident. Not only is Yen starring and directing the project alongside Chasing the Dragon's Wong Jing, Sakra is the first official director in two decades. Kam Ka-wai from Big Brother is assisting as co-director .
Yen plays Qiao Feng, the loyal and righteous leader of the Beggar Gang, a martial arts organization based in Han Chinese-dominated Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) China. This character is one of the most memorable tragic heroes of Chai's entire career.
Adopted by an abandoned son and raised by a Han Chinese couple, Qiao grew up to become a powerful martial artist; In order to protect his homeland from foreign invaders from the north, he led his sect to victory in various wars.
© Pictured by South China Morning Post Kara Wai (front) and Qia Liu at Sakra.At the beginning of " Sakra ," Qiao's fate is sealed when he is revealed to be a race of uncomprehending Kitan nomads, the very people he has spent his entire life fighting against. He then set out to kill the beggars' second in command, his foster parents, and a teacher at the Shaolin Temple.
The film is 130 minutes long and its broad story follows Qiao as she discovers the truth about her biological parents, the murder she is accused of and accidentally falling in love with a servant girl named Zhu (Chen Yuki). . . - and by the way, the master of face-shifting - from the evil Murong tribe.
One of the book's most famous scenes, where Qiao goes straight to a council meeting held by his former allies and long-time enemies and is drawn to kill him, leads to a particularly brutal life.
© Donnie Yen of the South China Morning Post in Sakra.But like other previous adaptations that tried to capture the epic scope of Chai's novels in a well-crafted film, Sakra falls short when it tries to meaningfully integrate the vast characters of the original story .
The influential role of Qiao's father (also played by Yen in a cameo) is consistently presented, with several characters playing intended lead roles, such as Kara Wei Ying Hung and Qia Liu Ras, Zhu's biological mother and sister. . - Go backwards through the film at an uneven pace.
Sakra may be a more enjoyable experience for viewers familiar with Chai's Buddhist-inspired story, but even for those who aren't, Ian's heroic foray into wuxia cinema should be deeply satisfying.
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