This Chinese mythical story of China becoming one country is shot lavishly with great scenery, great colorful moments of fantastical images, and great magnificant sound effects. The storyline is powerful for American tastes and it definitely captures an often used plotline that my wife says that she's seen over and over again and again in Asian samurai movies to the point of tedium. The special effects seem out of place for this movie as it tries to balance realism with fantasy and the line isn't well marked. Dancing on water seems more of a irritating illusion than a solid depiction of more authentic and well-received Japanese samurai movies. I enjoyed the twists and turns, the emotional intensity and sacrifice capture in this film. However, it is more disjointed than I could continually enjoy and believe in even with its mythic eastern slant to the Medieval King Arthur and Merlin's Excalibur legend.