Red Cliff II 赤壁：決戰天下

Lin's debut role in the first "Red Cliff" was highly criticized by the local media, who qualified her as simply a "flower vase" (only included for her good looks). She redeems herself in the second installment of the film with her convincing portrayal of a quiet woman who is highly sensitive yet possesses a fierce inner strength.

A surprising highlight of "Red Cliff II" is the friendship between Sun Shangxiang and Sun Shucai (Tong Dawei). Although a subplot in the film, the strong bond that forms between these two characters adds a powerful element of humanity amid the war-torn camps. Tong Dawei plays the naive, trusting and good-hearted Sun Shucai to a tee, inviting the audience to root for him. Despite his brief onscreen time, Tong delivers a moving performance that manages to steal away some of the spotlight from the main storyline.

Contrary to what the ending of the first film might lead the audience to believe, "Red Cliff II" does not jump right into battle but takes its time to build up to it. Director John Woo does not disappoint. He delivers a veritable feast for the eyes in the much-anticipated war scene. Battleships are burned down quickly and mercilessly. Cao Cao's camp follows its naval force's timely end in an inferno that engulfs its ranks.

Woo's "Red Cliff II" rightfully does the first part justice with added thrills and frills. Not a scene is wasted in the two—and—a—half hours leading up to the grand finale. Woo meets highly built-up expectations and crafts an epic that is as entertaining as it is moving, in a way that only he knows how.

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