The Promise

With a budget of 300,000,000 yuan (which translates to about US$35 million), Kaige Chen's swooning wu xia epic is the most expensive movie ever made in China. That money certainly didn't go to waste: Chen's tale of mythic chivalry is filled with beautifully designed sets, lovingly detailed costumes and elaborate martial-arts sequences. Unfortunately, it also sports amateurish digital effects that often mar the beauty of this world instead of enhancing it. As a young girl, the lovely Qingcheng (Cecilia Cheung) encountered a goddess (Hong Chen) who presented her with the option of leaving her poverty-stricken existence behind for a life of luxury. Naturally, thi...