Introduces American audiences to Luo Yan, a charismatic Chinese-born actress now living in Los Angeles. She single-handedly nurtured this project to fruition, serving as producer, co-writer and star.
50
USA TodayMike Clark
USA TodayMike Clark
It saves its clunkiest scene for the finale. No fair telling, but the key words are "political," "propaganda," "outdoors" and "orphans."
It might have been a satisfying if not terribly original piece of historical melodrama, but its clumsiness turns it, against its best intentions, into half-baked operatic kitsch.
The locations and production design are breathtakingly beautiful. But though cast largely with Chinese actors, it was shot in English, which no doubt made business sense but almost certainly accounts for many truly awful performances.
25
New York PostLou Lumenick
New York PostLou Lumenick
It's loaded with -- scenery-chewing melodrama, cornball pidgin dialogue and syrupy music.
25
San Francisco ChronicleWesley Morris
San Francisco ChronicleWesley Morris
This version is a well-meant but corny distillation -- a whole lot of bombast and phony exaltation in the name of entertaining enrichment.
20
VarietyRobert Koehler
VarietyRobert Koehler
Fails to stir the emotions despite its heavily melodramatic drive.