In the year 198 BC, Cao Cao (CHOW YUN ), Prime Minister of the
Han Dynasty, ventured to the east and defeated China s greatest
warrior Lu Bu, terrifying every ambitious warlord across the
country. Several years later, after taking the Han Emperor under
his wing, Cao crowns himself King of Wei. He built a magnificent
Bronze Sparrow Island to symbolize his power and rumors spread
that he would replace the Emperor. Meanwhile, young lovers Mu
Shun (TAMAKI HIROSHI) and Ling Ju (CRYSTAL LIU YI FEI) are taken
from a prison camp to a hidden tomb, where they spend five cruel
years together, training as assassins for a secret mission. In
the year 220 BC astronomical signs predict dramatic change. As a
result, Cao s son Cao Pi (QIU XIN ZHI) and Cao s followers urge
Cao to become the new Emperor - but unknown and sing forces
plot against him. Starring international film legend Chow
Yun-, and created by the team behind gripping action dramas
such as HERO, HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS, CURSE OF THE GOLDEN
FLOWER and KILL BILL, THE ASSASSINS is a gripping, lush
historical epic that mixes tragic romance with taut political
drama.
DVD EXTRAS
Behind the Scenes
Trailer
English Dub
English Subtitles
About the Actor
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Chow Yun is a charismatic, athletically built and energetic
Asian-born film star who first came to the attention of western
audiences via his roles in the high-octane/blazing s action
films of maverick HK director John Woo. Born in 1955 on the quiet
island of Lamma, part of the then British colony of Hong Kong
near its famous Victoria Harbour, Chow's family moved to urban
Hong Kong in 1965 and in early 1973, Chow attended a casting call
for TVB, a division of Shaw Bros. productions. With his good
looks and easy-going style, Chow was originally a heartthrob
actor in non-demanding TV and film roles. However, his popularity
increased with his appearance as white-suited gangster Hui
Man-Keung in the highly popular drama TV series_The Bund (1983)_.
In 1985, Chow started receiving accl for his work and scored
the Golden Horse (Best Actor) Award in Taiwan and another Best
Actor Award from the Asian Pacific Film Festival for his
performance in Dang doi lai ming (1984). With these accolades,
Chow came to the attention of Woo, who cast Chow in the
fast-paced gangster film A Better Tomorrow (1986) (aka "A Better
Tomorrow"). The rest, as they say, is history. The film was an
enormous commercial success, and Chow's influence on young Asian
males was not dissimilar to the adulation given to previous Asian
film sensations such as Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan. Nearly every
young guy in Hong Kong ran out and bought himself a "Mark Coat,"
as they became known--a long, heavy woolen coat worn by Chow in
the movie (although it is is actually very unsuited to Hong
Kong's hot and humid climate). Further hard-edged roles in more
John Woo crime films escalated Chow's popularity even higher, and
fans all over the world flocked to see A Better Tomorrow II
(1987) (aka "A Better Tomorrow 2"), The Killer (1989) (aka "The
Killer"), and Hard Boiled (1992) (aka "Hard Boiled"). With the
phenomenal global interest in the HK action genre, Chow was
enticed to the United States and appeared in The Replacement
Killers (1998) with Mira Sorvino, The Corruptor (1999) with Mark
Wahlberg, and, for a change of pace, in the often-filmed romantic
tale of Anna and the King (1999). Chow then returned to the Asian
cinema circuit and starred in the critically lauded kung fu epic
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) (aka "Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon"). His wide appeal can be seen in his "boy next
door" type of personality and his ability to play such a broad
spectrum of roles from a comedic buffoon to a lovestruck Romeo to
a trigger-happy professional killer. A highly entertaining and
gifted actor with dynamic on-screen presence, Chow continues to
remain in strong demand in many film markets.