Ching Siu-Tung's An Empress and the Warriors is one bizarre amalgamation of film genres and film making talent that results in a frustrating viewing experience. At first, I thought I was watching a comedy film parody with exaggerated dialogue delivered from under exaggerated suits of Armour. In the second act, the scenario dives head long into a soap opera romance between Kelly Chen and Leon Lai, in an idyllic sequence clearly directed by Yip Wai-Man. The final act jumps into absurdist military epic battle mode with Donnie Yen sword fighting an army of thousands to save the empress, her kingdom, and foster peace around the world.

Frankly, I'm not a fan of these movies that shoot digital video instead of shooting on film. I like my movies to look like movies. This film had a huge $$ budget and the makers compromised on video. Disappointing.