User reviews

This movie is really funny and brutal at the same time. Which is a hard thing to balance. Violence is "real" (with consequences for the characters involved that is), but the humor still works. Two factors play into that in my estimation: The script and the really good actors playing in this.

Mixture works and the CGI effects are really good too. Then you also have some wonderful dialogue between the main characters that is so rich, the translation might not do it entire justice (watched it with subtitles on and was hard to follow from time to time). But it's apparent how much fun they had shooting this movie. If you like eastern movies, I do not need to convince you to watch this. But maybe this can be your entry into a whole new (fascinating) world for you ...

There are so many funny metaphors but you do need to be somewhat acquainted with Chinese to understand them. I think this will be a difficult film for non-Chinese to grasp, especially with a lot of deadpan satire and dark humor. It is extremely funny in a way, especially the scene between Jiang Wen and Carina Lau where she displayed a series of objects to him in bed. You won't "get it" if you don't understand Chinese proverbs and surreptitious meaning. So I'm not surprised if this movie will be rated exceptionally intelligent to its Chinese audience but will appear to many as silly, improbable and illogical.

This is a movie that I thought would have a simple story and a lot of shoot em up. But it was actually the other way around. In fact this movie sort of reminded me of Quentin Tarantino movies. And wouldn't be shocked if Quentin got some ideas from this movie for "Django Unchained". One thing I was disappointed with this movie is how it has Yun-Fat Chow is shown holding a pistol in the back cover of the DVD for this movie. And was hoping for a dual pistol wielding showdown with Yun-Fat Chow and Jiang Wen but that never happens. In fact Jiang Wen is the one that shoots the most in this movie. Chow Yun-Fat and Jiang Wen is just excellent with the roles they are given and are charismatic while also giving off strong impressions. Even is one is the sharp shooting cool anti-hero guy and the other one is a bit obnoxious and yet dominant bad guy. The plot is cleverly crafted although it might have few plot-holes and don't make sense during few scenarios. It's just a very small gripe because everything else is just entertaining to watch. From the dialogue, the acting and the way Pocky Zhang(Jiang Wen) and Huang(Chow Yun-Fat) try to beat each other with mind games and strategy. Overall this is a well crafted movie and clever one as well. It's a movie well worth checking out and I personally will check out more past and future Jian Wen movies.

8.1/10

I'm shock no one talked about the political satire and representation towards Mao, this was the whole point of this film, Jiang Wen grew up in Beijing, with a military family background and he is best at the discrete and obscure political representation in his films. The character Jiang Wen plays is a distortion of Mao, and his sidekicks are the political friends Mao had, just watch this film with this information in mind, you'll get what this is truly about. At the end, the protagonist is betrayed, he left alone, but still pursuing his dreams. A tragic ending just like Mao's. Btw, Jiang Wen is a big fan of Mao if that wasn't clear.

Review: What a brilliant movie but I must admit, I missed a lot of the plot because the subtitles are going too fast. With that aside, the witty script and brilliant performances from Chow Yun- Fat, (Master Huang) and Wen Jiang, (Pocky Zhang), made this crazy, unique, and definitely unpredictable ride, a joy to watch. When I heard that this movie had a western backdrop, I thought that it was going to be, more like a Cowboys & Indians type of storyline but once the movie gets going, it's a funny political comedy about a ruthless bandit who steals from the rich to give to the poor. The script is top class but it does get a bit complicated after a while, mainly because you have to concentrate on the annoying subtitles. The cinematography and costumes are authentic and the real governor, who wouldn't stop going on about losing his wife, cracked me up. The clever mind and coolness of Pocky Zhang is truly something to watch and the few action scenes were also impressive. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, even though I lost the plot but it's definitely worth a watch, for its originality and crazy storyline. Enjoyable! 

Round-Up: When this movie was released in December 2010, it broke several box office records in China, and has received critical acclaim. It became the highest grossing domestic film until 2012, when it was beaten by Painted Skin: The Resurrection, which grossed $140million worldwide. The movie was directed by Wen Jiang, 53, who also played the leading character, so he really did give this movie his all. He also contributed his directing skills to New York, I Love You in 2008, which had a top cast, and he brought you Devil's on the Doorstep, The Sun Also Rises and Gone with the Bullets. This movie definitely has something for everybody but you have to be a fast reader to keep up with it.

Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: $104million

I recommend this movie to people who are into their action/comedy/westerns starring Chow Yun-Fat, You Ge, Wen Jiang, Carina Lau and Jon Hu. 7/10

In early 1920s, China was in civil war and it was an era when disorder became part of life. Bangde Ma ( GE, You) who just became the mayor of a remote town through bribery was robbed by a group of bandits led by Pock Zhang ( JIANG, Wen). However Ma could not afford any ransom because he had used up all his money for bribery and the only way to collect money was to use the ruling power of the mayor title. Zhang decided to take Ma's position as the new mayor while Ma posed as his private adviser under the name of Tang.

Their destination, the Goose Town, was actually controlled by notorious mafia clan of the Huang family and the only way to collect money was to fully cooperate with the family and handed out most of their gains. However Zhang was only interested in rich families black money and believed in fair justice for each person, which made Huang the IV ( CHOW, Yun-Fat), the boss of the clan, very very unhappy. Almost immediately Zhang and Huang became enemies and the Goose Town would soon turn to be a battle field as well as a stage of hypocrisy, cheating, apathy and snobbery.

The first impression of the movie is that it is no doubt of a typical Hollywood style action comedy composed by every piece of commercial element you can find in other Hollywood action movies such as gun firing, explosions, beauties, muscles, fast moving, slangs, and etc. The movie itself is of great fun and you will laugh from the beginning to the end. Also the story is told in a straightforward way and there would be no problem of understanding it even if you have no idea where China is located. The problem, however, is how to interpret Jiang Wen. Let the Bullets Fly is becoming one of the hottest and the most appraised movies in recent years in China neither because it is more dazzling than the Avatar nor because it is more surprising than the Inception. It is welcomed because many Chinese viewers regard the story as a mirror of present China and a movie with strong critical acclaim should have not been approved for public show by the authority such as Jiang Wen's previous movie the Devils on the Doorstep. Interestingly, different people can interpret the movie in a way they like and this may be the power of a comedy. Frankly speaking, if you are not a Chinese, chances are you will enjoy the movie for funny stuff while not the metaphor of the movie.

"I do not care about being rich but I must come up with a game plan to rid of Huang once and for all. Give me time, Pop will avenge your death." When bandit chief "Pocky" Zhang comes to a remote Chinese village he says he is the new mayor. After things go too far and someone ends up dead a battle for revenge begins between him and Master Huang (Yun-Fat). This is a movie I was actually really looking forward to. The preview looked really good and action packed. The first 15 minutes was great and full of action. Then it started to gradually slow down. The story was very interesting and kept me watching, but it really lost momentum and by the end I was starting to lose interest. I'm not saying this is a bad movie but it was like coasting down a mountain, the closer you get to flatting out the slower you go. This is worth seeing but don't expect excitement all the way through. Overall, a good movie that could have been better I think. I give it a B-.

Although the movie is allegedly set during the Chinese civil war, the first phase of the war between the Nationalists and Communists did not start until 1927, and the movie appears to be set in a time before the first phase began.

The underlying story is about a bandit (played by Wen Jiang) who disguises himself as a local "governor" (mayor of a town). His motive is acquiring wealth through fraud, or so one is lead to believe initially. Instead, the movie turns into a complex mind-game between the bandit, named Pocky Zhang, and a local war lord (Master Huang, played by Yun-Fat Chow). A struggle ensues, and the storyline turns on who will prevail. Prostitutes (with hearts of gold, of course -- something movies seem to love even though divorced from reality) also play a major role in the story.

The joy of the movie is watching the two protagonists (each served by loyal and capable side-kicks) try to one-up each other. There are plots within plots within plots. The film is also laced with farce and a few guest appearances by an excellent traditional Chinese drum band. All characters have traits that are both admirable and foolish.

Can you stay one step ahead of the protagonists as they scheme and counter-scheme? Good luck.

My one criticism is that the English language subtitles are small and pass by on the screen so fast that it is often hard to read them completely.

If you enjoy watching cleverness unfold, with the hero ultimately prevailing, and you do not mind struggling with the dialog, this is a cute movie. It is a much more sophisticated sojourn into Chinese culture and greed that the traditional kung-fu movie. It is likely that the script reflects more than a tad of Party influence since our hero, the bandit, ultimately turns out to have a heart of gold (no pun)and care only for "the people." Fortunately, this does not distract from the plot or the characters. Wen Jiang and Yun-Fat Chow are superb lead characters, as one would expect of actors of their quality.

The movie is long at 132 minutes, but you will never be bored. Even the special effects are exceedingly well done.

At the time of this writing, this is listed as China's highest-grossing domestic film. I went into it expecting some kind of action-packed blockbuster (especially with the title "Let the Bullets Fly," got me expecting stylish John Woo style gunfights or something). I should have known that this film couldn't be identified by blockbuster terms; it's actually a pretty weird and goofy film, with far less emphasis on action and much more on setting up intricate dialogues and intricate plot points. On its own merits, the film is very fast-paced and dense; it has some gunfighting and action, and a few rather violent scenes, but most of it is focused on the storytelling.

The storytelling is satisfying. Even though the comedy can be a huge hit-or-a-miss, and there are a few unbelievable scenes, the characters shine through and dominate the spotlight. It's hard not to enjoy the antics of the bandits and the thugs, and their complex interactions. It's especially hard not to appreciate the complexity of the plotting and counter-plotting that both gangs go through; with the rapid-fire pacing, it may be convoluted for some viewers, but I was never fully lost. Each scene is set up to advance the plot in strange new directions, leading up to a rather fun climax. In the end, I enjoyed watching the chemistry between the characters and their intricate mind games, more than the action.

This film has quality photography, and some really fast editing. Acting can be very over-the-top, but Chow Yun-Fat and Jiang Wen both put on iconic performances. Writing is quite witty and sharp. This production has fine-looking period sets, props, and costumes. Certain special effects look awful, but they are few and very far between. Music for this picture is okay (it includes a pretty odd use of drums and chanting toward the end).

Chances are that some folks will find the comedy, fast pacing, and complex plot a little hard to follow, so I'd recommend it as a rental. Connoisseurs of Asian cinema will probably enjoy this a little more easily than average western audiences.

4/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 4.5/5, film: 4/5)

This is one of those movies where it's really hard to enjoy if you're not from its origin country and/or know the language and cultural references. There were a lot of smart and funny parts of the movie even without knowing these details but I don't think its really meant for a foreign audience. But besides that it had very good acting by some of the familiar faces in Chinese cinema and a different very fast paced style of storytelling.

The story of a bandit who goes to a small village posing as their new mayor to make some money off of them has to face the strongest local family.

Jiang Wen is a good actor and great director. He reminds me of Clint Eastwood, who is also a good actor and great director. Wen Jiang only have 4 films as director, he is not productive but every film he made is masterpiece to me. I love the Devils on the Doorstep most, it tell some truth no one fear to say.

Let The Bullets Fly is newest work of Jiang Wen. I watched the Chuan idiom edition today, very love it. Chuan idiom is one of Chinese hundreds idiom, the people live in Sichuan Province and Chongqing use it in their daily life. The reason why the movie have a idiom edition because the script is adapted from a novel of a old Sichuan writer. That's too much fun to watch the movie with the familiar idiom. However I love it not because the idiom, the reason is it's a good movie.

This movie is mixture of Quentin Tarantino and Sergio Leone, full of bizarre funny idea and masculinity. The last film The Sun Also Rises is criticized too vague, so this one is totally a commercial film. But as the one said in this film, he can made money without knee to others, Jiang Wen not knee to business, there's no disgusting ads and low-grade lines only passion for a good work, that's not easy for present Chinese film. This is why I respect him.

Some sensitive people like me aware some political metaphor in this film, this feeling is similar to the one I felt in Devils on the Doorstep. Jiang Wen knows Chinese deeply, or maybe he just so brave and smart can tell the public what he knows. Someones know the truth but they keep it and exchange it with fortune. Someones speak it loudly and directly, they only scared the public and get suffering. Of course in Jiang Wen's way, only small amount of people know what he want to say, but that's enough. Truth always rests with the minority.

Although this is a good movie, the non Chinese native speakers may found a little difficult to understand it, it like more a Cult than a commercial film to them.

With the current election fever brewing in Singapore, one can't help but to view this through a tinted prism and taken note of the surreal, and perhaps coincidental parallels in this Jiang Wen film about the relentless grab for power and money amongst officials and wannabes, of that fight for moral justice against another hell bent on consolidating ill gotten gains and fending off new entrants to the turf. Jiang Wen doesn't make as many films as he stars in, but here's a Chinese filmmaker with an interesting vision, almost always successfully blending stylish art-house sensibilities and visuals with mass entertainment, bearing the biggest names and featuring the hallmarks of a rich Mandarin language.

The incredibly strong story centers around three major characters set in the warring 1920s in China, with Ge You playing Bangde Ma, a man who had unscrupulously bought his position of governorship and is on his way to claim it, having done his sums and understanding the material wealth that comes with holding that position through partnering the rich and the exploitation of the weak. However the train he's travelling in with his wife (Carina Lau) gets hijacked by infamous bandit Pocky Zhang (Jiang Wen) and his band of loyal merry men, who decide to take on Bangde's identity as the incoming Governor of Goose Town, while keeping the real Bangde Ma by their side as a councilor for his political savvy. But standing in their way is the local godfather and real seat of power Wang (Chow Yun-Fat) and his gang, which obviously sets a showdown between the two camps.

And I'm not kidding you when I say there are parallels drawn here with our sunny little island, since the introductory shot of Goose Town made it seem like an island that Bangde Ma and Pocky Zhang had to cross into, before confronted with by a wily, scheming political incumbent determined to hold onto his turf and not yield it without a fight. Like politicians, they plot and counterplot against each other's schemes, with deep mistrust all round even when smiling at each other during a round table discussion. Those amongst the elites horde most of the wealth of the town, and it is not until Pocky Zhang had a change in heart and strategy of wealth distribution and moral justice did he find it within himself and his lean, mean team to inch toward power in his fight for the little man. Though of course it's pretty clear still who's being manipulated for someone's objective.

As a film, Let the Bullets Fly is sheer spectacle for its action sequences, lush cinematography, and comically awkward CG at times, with some scenes being deliberately and extremely over the top. But that's part of the fun, as the narrative is kept tight with nary a wasted scene, and what would be one of the best parts of the film is the rapid fire dialogue exchange between characters. Black humour is rampant as well to make this very close to a laugh a minute affair through its wickedness, though I have to admit at times things do get lost in translation, especially when required to read between the lines of what's said when the characters try to outdo one another, or in attempts to understand their opponents, through many twists and turns.

Stellar performances from the leads make this a must watch as well. Jiang Wen has this air of gravitas associated with his presence, and he makes for a believable bandit who found the moral courage to turn his life, and that of his followers, around to fight the good fight against Chow's Wang. Chow Yun Fat redeems himself from his really cringeworthy foray into Hollywood with dubious roles in films like Dragonball Evolution, and his performance here in dual roles as Wang and his body double, reminds us why Chow is top of the class when he gets his act together in the right charismatic role. Ge You himself is no pushover, although his character gets the least screen time. Still, when all three share the same frame or scene, the mood is nothing short of electrifying, as they banter and feed off one another's energy.

And Jiang Wen also assembled a credible ensemble support group with the likes of Carina Lau, Hu Jun in yet another cameo as a make pretend Pocky Zhang, Chen Kun as a cocky young upstart in Wang's camp, and even Feng Xiaogang making a cameo in the beginning of the film trying to suck up to Bangde Ma. You can label it a satire, or an action comedy, but one thing's for sure, this Chinese film showcases just what their industry is capable off in pulling something quirky, offbeat and yet entertaining for the masses. Jiang Wen continues to expand his filmography in a slow but assured pace, and hopefully we can get to see another one of his films soon. Highly recommended as one of the best this year, and I'm really tempted to get the DVD in order to watch this battle of wits all over again.

"Pocky" Zhang is a notorious bandit who robs trains and any other soft target. When a train robbery turns up no loot, a different prize is sought as it does contain a con artist (Tang) who was on his way to Goose Town to pose as their Governor for a while then make off with the taxes. Zhang agrees to spare Tang in exchange for the role and together they head to Goose Town, however once there they discover that the role of Governor is secondary to that of Godfather – a role held by Master Huang.

I came to this film having heard that I wouldn't "get it" because it was a Chinese film which was not for the international market. Whether this is the case or not I do not know, but perhaps regardless of nationality, the film only partially worked for me. The plot and the characters weren't an issue for me and I enjoyed the back and forward of the various twists and turns of the story. The action was not quite as good and those coming here for the action suggested by the title will almost certainly be disappointed since it doesn't deliver on that front as much. The comedy aspect is a strange mix and maybe this is the thing that I wouldn't "get" by being from Northern Ireland.

At times it is quite playful and witty but then at the same time it is pretty violent . In and of itself, I don't have a problem with this because it can work but in this case I didn't feel like it did as the violence was almost too jarring and too heavy or serious to really be able to be darkly funny in the way needed. The direction is a little bit excessive in the same way – not making its different extremes really work together particularly well, but it does still have some things about it which I enjoyed and mostly the tone of the film is consistent. The winner for me was the performances from the lead actors because they sold their characters better than the material did. Chow overplays it perhaps but he is a good foil for the rather calmer playing from Wen Jiang (who I really liked here). Xiaogang Fen is fun too in support as Tang.

Although I am not Chinese, I did still quite enjoy this film even if I didn't think it totally worked. The comedy aspect is odd and the violence doesn't always work with it as it should, although the playful spirit of most of the film combines well with the delivery of Chow and Wen to make it better than it otherwise would have been.

LET THE BULLETS FLY has an extraordinarily fast pacing to recommend it, so you better be ready to pay attention with this one. It's a twist-a-minute tale of gangsters battling corrupt politicians in a remote township, where everybody is saddled down with greed and rivalry and death is only a footstep away. The film it most reminded me of is THE GOOD THE BAD THE WEIRD, with both films revelling in their quirkiness and action-packed narratives, although this isn't quite as good as the Korean movie.

I was thinking about LET THE BULLETS FLY after I'd finished watching it and I realised that in reality this is quite a slight tale; not much in the way of substance really happens come the end, but it's the journey there which is so entertaining. This is highbrow, intelligent humour for the most part, where the fun comes from watching Chow Yun-Fat and Jiang Wen doing their best to constantly outwit each other. What the film has going for it are two fine performances from the leads and some great cinematography, which makes the various violent interludes highly enjoyable. It's a film that brims with energy and gusto, although I did find it quite wearying especially in the second half. Good fun but now I know the outcome I don't see any need to watch it again.

A lot of dark humors and metaphors will confuse 80% of native Huaxia audience.

I watched this movie several times and it not only commercial but also has some point of views to dig deeper.This virtual history reflect true Chinese society characteristics.Some may have changed after new China was established, some still deep rooted inside the nation's spirits.If China wants to develop even further and become a law-constrained country, it must face up to something this movie referred and truly change some way of acts.

i ain't gonna talk about the storyline or something like that, i just gonna tell you, you will need some insights for this excellent movie. living at U.S i don't often watch movies from mainland China, not that i can't. it's just Hollywood and Hongkong cinema got my attention most of time. Until this one [ Let the Bullets Fly - for a little ]. if you think this is just action, comedy, Western, you are wrong. there are much much more of the story and secret behind that you need some insights in order to get it. the things that they do and the version that someone or somebody die inside this movie, they all links together, and what's so amazing about this movie is, it is a great movie where you can just watch like a comedy and don't think too much about it. but, if you wanted it more,re-watch it again. and then you will know, for some of them to die, it isn't just because they got shot, cut, or whatever. there is a untold storyline behind it. and that makes this movie from great to excellent.

sorry for my poor English.

I don't know what to make of this movie. The trailer promised lots of action and remembering some of Chow Yun Fats best movies, I had high hopes. But instead of tons of action, we get a movie about two men trying to outwit each other in a macabre duel of treachery:

A robber becomes an impostor, assuming the role of a towns new governor. He soon begins to oppose the towns true ruler, a crime lord in a game of deadly schemes. This could be very entertaining, if most of the humor wasn't lost in translation. The non verbal humor is basically slapstick and seems kind of outdated.

The acting was okay, the characters had some depth to them, especially the "robber". There were some CGI effects in the movie and they were terribly bad.

It's an uneven mixture that'll probably prove to be boring or confusing to most watchers.