Mo gong (2006)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Chi Leung 'Jacob' Cheung

Writers:

Chi Leung 'Jacob' Cheung (writer)
Ken'ichi Sakemi (comic)

Release Date:

23 November 2006 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Plot:

Story centers on a battle during China's Warring States Period, a series of civil wars, which spanned from the 5th to the 3rd century B.C. Based on a popular Japanese manga, which was in turn based a Japanese novel inspired by Warring States history in China.

Plot Keywords:

Strategy | Based On Comic

Awards:

3 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

Andy Lau	...	Ge Li - the Mohist
Sung-kee Ahn	...	Zhao Commander Xiang Yan-zhong (as Sungki Ahn)
Zhiwen Wang	...	King of Liang
Bingbing Fan	...	Liang Cavalry Chief Yi Yue
Si Won Choi	...	Prince Liang Shi (as Siwon Choi)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Siu-hou Chin	...	Liang General Niu Zi Zhang (as Siu Ho Chin)
Tin Chiu Hung	...	Zhao General Gao He-yong
Shaan Price	...	Yuan Yu
Ma Wu	...	Royal Tutor of Liang
Nicky Wu	...	Liang Archer Zi Tuan (as Qi-long Wu)
Lixiao Yang	...	Girl spy

Directed by
Chi Leung 'Jacob' Cheung

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Chi Leung 'Jacob' Cheung		writer
Ken'ichi Sakemi		comic

Produced by
Chi Leung 'Jacob' Cheung	....	producer
Bong-Chui Hong	....	executive producer
Jianxin Huang	....	producer
Satoru Iseki	....	producer
Lee Joo-Ick	....	producer
Fumiko Osaka	....	associate producer
Siu Ming Tsui	....	executive producer
Zhongjun Wang	....	producer
Zhonglei Wang	....	executive producer
Kit Ching Margaret Yau	....	line producer
Yoshimitsu Yoshitsuru	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Kenji Kawai

Cinematography by
Yoshitaka Sakamoto

Film Editing by
Chi-Leung Kwong

Production Design by
Zhenzhou Yi

Costume Design by
Huamiao Tong

Sound Department
Steve Burgess	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jiajia Mok	....	sound effects editor
Paul Pirola	....	sound editor
Terry Tu	....	foley artist
Terry Tu	....	foley mixer
Sam Wang	....	sound editor

Visual Effects by
Yan Chan	....	lead compositor
Jesse Ho	....	animator
Keith Leung	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Wei Tung	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Takeshi Okubo	....	lighting technician

Production Companies

• Boram Entertainment
• Comstock
• Fortissimo Films
• Hark & Company
• Huayi Brothers
• Small Potato Productions
• Sundream Motion Pictures
• World Top

Distributors

• EDKO Film (2006) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2006) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Amuse Soft Entertainment (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• Comstock (2006) (Japan) (all media)
• Deltamac Entertainment (2007) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• Fortissimo Films (2006) (Hong Kong) (all media)
• Group Power (2006) (Taiwan) (all media)

Special Effects

• Menfond Electronic Art & Computer Design Company (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Cine Art Laboratory  film processing and developing
• Cinerent  camera and lighting equipment provided by
• Fine Art Film Production Company  subtitles (uncredited)
• Kodak (Hong Kong) Ltd.  film stock supplied by
• Kodak Japan  film stock supplied by
• Kodak  film stock supplied by
• Scarecrow Studios  Avid editing facilities
• Shogakukan  comic strip copyright owner
• Soundfirm Beijing Co. Ltd.  sound post-production
• Soundfirm  sound post-production
• Toei Labo Tech  digital intermediate (as Toei Labo Tech Digital Effect Group)
• Toei Labo Tech  film processing

Also Known As:

A Battle of Wits (Hong Kong: English title)
Battle of Wits (International: English title)
Bokkou (Japan)
Muk gong (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)

Runtime:

Hong Kong:133 min

Country:

China | Japan | South Korea | Hong Kong

Language:

Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Hong Kong:IIA | Malaysia:U | South Korea:12 | Australia:M | UK:15

Filming Locations:

China

Company:

Boram Entertainment

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Hot-air balloons may have been used for military signaling in China as early as the film's era. (According to tradition they were invented a few centuries later.) However, hot-air balloons of the size shown in one battle scene did not exist until at least 2000 years later.

A Nutshell Review: Battle of Wits (Muk Gong)

The warring states of Ancient China serve as a backdrop for this pan-Asian war epic, starring the charismatic Andy Lau. Going by the literal translation of the Chinese title, it's "Ink War", alluding to the fact that much of the battles in this movie relies a lot more on superior strategy in order to overcome a mammoth battle against a Goliath, with a 4,000 population up against the might of a 100,000 strong well-trained army.

Based on a Japanese novel/manga Bokkou, Battle of Wits fictionalizes one of the episodes during 370BC, where China was still divided, and each nation seizing opportunities to usurp the other. Those familiar with history will know that eventually, the kingdom of Qin will ultimately unite the Middle Kingdom for the first time. However, the story sets its sights on the Kingdom of Zhao leading an attack on the smaller state of Liang. In its defence lies a mysterious man from the Mozhi tribe known as Ge Li (Andy Lau of course), who galvanizes Liang's population to stage a stand against what seemingly looks like impossible odds.

While war movies of long, long time ago have been flogged to death recently by Hollywood, with films like Alexander, Troy, and fantasy epics like the Lord of the Rings series, Asian movies have rarely scratched the surface until of late, with Battle of Wits leading the charge, and coming right up are at least two film adaptations of episodes from the Romance of the Three Kingdom novels. For those expecting fantastical and romanticized wu-xia martial arts moves, you will be disappointed, as this movie is rooted much in reality.

Given the epic scale of this production, it still rings a sense of familiarity in its war scenes, and I thought that shooting most of them in middle-close range, loses much of its grandeur. The big spectacles shown have nothing new that will take your breath away, especially after Hollywood has plundered such productions. Nonetheless it augurs well that Battle of Wits managed to pull off a production of this nature, and has, surprise, a competent storyline to carry it through.

There is a strong anti-war message that got worn on the sleeves Ge Li, as smart and cunning as he is, he's the reluctant hero, willing to make sacrifices for the greater good. He finds no pleasure in war, nor killings, but in order to save the masses, he must do what he has to thwart efforts of bloodthirsty kingdoms. He's is the message of "loving thy enemy", naturally not shared by the incompetent leadership in Liang.

And since time immemorial, you always have the incompetents possessing the heart of insolence, with characters of sloth and ill intentions, straddling from a high horse. Inept leaders silencing their opposition through calls of treason is a tactic all too familiar, which makes it all the more despondent as you ponder about that aged old Chinese proverb about there being nothing wrong in looking after your personal interests first, instead of bothering with the affairs of others. Ge Li faces both the task of winning over the people's trust (since they're committing the state's defences to his organization), and the inevitable unappreciative, thankless task of having to do just that.

As I mentioned, do not expect to see "Qing Gong" or fancy swordplay. Rather I was in awe with the delivery of strategies and counter strategies in having two warring factions pitting their wits against each other. Sometimes they come rather unexpectedly, and will leave you with a smile, like when you're wondering just what everyone is up to when they close their eyes en masse.

Accompanied by an excellent soundtrack, the movie could be split down two halves, and while the first centered on the macro affairs, a more micro, personal affairs of the heart managed to creep in between Ge Li and Yi Yue (the gorgeous Fan Bingbing), a calvary officer, and though their romance sometimes stalled the pace of the movie, it added some gravitas to Ge Li the Man, questioning his strong beliefs on being unselfish, and made the finale all the more heart-wrenching to watch.

Featuring stars like Wu Ma and Nicky Wu (when was the last time I saw them in a movie) and Korean actor Ahn Sung-kee, this certainly is the movie to watch this week. Forget about them animated penguins, treat yourself to an epic worthy of your time, and well worth a weekend ticket.