Forbidden Empire
Forbidden Empire

Forbidden Empire

2014Movie128 minRussian

Early 18th century. Cartographer Jonathan Green undertakes a scientific voyage from Europe to the East. Having passed through Transylvania and crossed the Carpathian Mountains, he finds himself in a small village lost in impassible woods. Nothing but chance and heavy fog could bring him to this cursed place. People who live here do not resemble any other people which the traveler saw before that. The villagers, having dug a deep moat to fend themselves from the rest of the world, share a naive belief that they could save themselves from evil, failing to understand that evil has made its nest in their souls and is waiting for an opportunity to gush out upon the world.

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Insights

IMDb6.1/10
Google Users74% liked this
Director: Yimou ZhangGenres: Action, Fantasy, Adventure

Plot Summary

In ancient China, a fearless warrior and a mysterious sorceress must battle a tyrannical empire and a formidable army of clay soldiers to save their kingdom. Their quest takes them through treacherous landscapes and into the heart of the enemy's stronghold, where they confront dark magic and uncover hidden truths. The fate of the land rests on their courage and their ability to overcome overwhelming odds.

Critical Reception

Forbidden Empire, also known as 'The Taking of Tiger Mountain,' received a mixed to positive reception from critics and audiences. While praised for its stunning visuals, ambitious action sequences, and the performances of its lead actors, some critics found the plot to be somewhat convoluted and the pacing uneven.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its spectacular visual effects and grand-scale action sequences.
  • The film's ambition in blending historical elements with fantasy was noted.
  • Some viewers found the narrative to be dense and occasionally hard to follow.

Google audience: Google users generally appreciated the film's visual spectacle and action, with many finding it an entertaining fantasy adventure. However, some users commented on the complexity of the story and wished for clearer character motivations.

Fun Fact

The film was originally intended to be a contemporary action film but was reimagined as a historical fantasy epic during its development.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

3 reviews
patient1

patient1

If this is a remake, then I must find the original story and any films created from this story. It has all the earmarks of a great Brothers Grimm tale. Even when you think you know what is going on, you're only following breadcrumbs that ...
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

It seems to be that if your name is "Jonathan" then maybe you ought to avoid Romania? This one is called "Green" (Jason Flemyng) and he is trying to do some intricate cartography between Europe and Asia. With his stagecoach equipped with al...
Per Gunnar Jonsson

Per Gunnar Jonss...

This movie is probably quite unknown by most people. I certainly had never heard of it when I stumbled on it. It is a quite entertaining little fantasy / supernatural / crime movie though. I am actually not sure what to classify at as. It s...