I really wanted to like this film, and the limited martial arts action is quite nice, with some HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS-inspired wirework and even a few gore effects thrown into a mix. Almost all of the high drama from the original play has been removed and instead we get a familiar tale of court intrigue and a tyrannous emperor. The problem here is that THE BANQUET jettisons most of the good stuff leaving a flabby, overlong production that often looks fantastic but has no substance to go with the style. THE BANQUET is the Chinese martial arts retelling of Shakespeare's HAMLET, a play with which I'm very familiar. Reviewed by Leofwine_draca 4 / 10 Hamlet, Chinese style No Fortinbras or Horatio lay the dead to rest. Poison, treachery, Wu Luan's return, and the love of the innocent Qing for Wu Luan set up the final entanglements. The Emperor arranges for Little Wan's coronation and dispatches Wu Luan to a distant land he then calls for a midnight banquet on the 100th day of his rule. The Crown Prince eludes death and comes to court. His uncle murders his father, taking throne and Empress uncle sends assassins to kill Wu Luan. Wu Luan goes into exile, studying dance and music.
Crown Prince Wu Luan loves Little Wan, but his father takes her as his Empress. In 907 AD, the Tang Dynasty is in tatters infighting snarls the imperial family.
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