Legend Of The Black Scorpion / Ye Yan

Rating: Not Rated

Movie Release Date: September 14, 2006 (Hong Kong)

DVD Release Date: February 26, 2008

Plot 411: The emperor's death leads to a battle for the throne between his brother, his widow and his son.

Review: Like many Chinese films, this one was exceptionally beautiful to watch. Everything unfolded before the audience - from the lush wardrobe worn by the court to the dance-like choreography of fight scenes. Slow motion cinematography and crane-mounted camera shots crafted wonderful vantage points to look upon the action. The emperor's death causes a stir because there is a struggle for power between the crown prince, the emperess (Zhang Ziyi) and the emperor's brother. In addition to corruption within the court and betrayal by those thought to be loyal, a tangled love triangle is revealed. This is the twisted story of how power corrupts and can kill despite the strong ties of love.

Watch It: For a good Chinese period piece with flourishes of drama, romance and martial arts.

Skip It: If Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and other films aren't your style.

The Warrior / Musa

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: September 7, 2001 (South Korea) /

DVD Release Date: September 2, 2003

Plot 411: A group of Korean envoys protect a Chinese princess from Mongolians.

Review: This was an awesome Korean/Chinese film full of action, character, plot and cinematography and that makes this movie work. It has something for everyone to grasp on to. Envoys from Korea are exiled from China when they come across a Chinese princess who is captured by Mogols. They decide to redeem themselves in the eyes of the Chinese by saving her. But, by stepping into a battle that is not theirs, they commit themselves to fighting to the death. In addition to some great hand-to-hand combat and battle scenes, there are some scenes that are so picturesque and stunning they could be from another movie altogether. Even the violence is beautiful in a poetic way. Did you see the trailer? Best of all, you connect with the characters. To me, that's the sign of a good movie - when you get emotionally attached to the characters. Why is it that a lot of Asian cinema has makings of an epic? This movie stars Woo-sung Jung, Sung-kee Ahn and Zhang Ziyi.

Watch It: For a good foreign period piece with lots of action that boil down to fighting for honor.

Skip It: Because blood splatter and kill sequences are pretty dope and if you're not into it, it might upset you.