Last Hurrah for Chivalry: John Woo+Swords=awesome

Last Hurrah for Chivalry” has all the elements of a John Woo film: copious use of slow motion, expertly choreographed action sequences, extreme blood-letting, and a strong theme of friendship. The only difference is, the heroes wield swords instead of guns. But everything else is in place and this movie is all the better for it: “Last Hurray for Chivalry” is a John Woo movie for people who like John Woo movies. And with the swordplay and ancient Chinese setting, well, if you’ve ever wondered what a John Woo-directed Shaw Brothers movie would have been like this is probably about as close as you’re going to get. The story is a deceptively simple tale of revenge. A man is disgraced and left for dead on his wedding night and he slowly but surely assembles the means to claim vengeance. His closest allies in the upcoming battle also end up being his closest friends. This is a movie about men who are devoted to each other, to the point where they would willingly lay down their lives for one another. There are plenty of sword-fights and martial arts battles strewn throughout the entire movie and they are often long, complicated affairs with jaw-dropping choreography. All in all, if you love John Woo movies, chances are you’ll love “Last Hurrah for Chivalry”. While it may not reach the emotional or visceral heights of “The Killer” or “Bullet in the Head”, this is jut as exciting and action-packed as the first two “A Better Tomorrows”. Highly recommended for fans of the director and anyone else looking for an old school epic with plenty of swordplay.