Crouching Camel...

One hit movie can create a genre. When Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon became a worldwide smash, esteemed directors saw the chance to paint their visions on a larger canvas, and producers were happy to bankroll them. Zhang Yimou's Hero was one such honorable spinoff. Now comes He Ping's Warriors of Heaven and Earth , China's official entry for the foreign-language Academy Award.

We're back on the Silk Road, this time in Western China (Xinjiang province) 14 centuries ago. Lai Xi (Kiichi Nakai), a Japanese swordsman in the Tang Emperor's court, is assigned to capture and kill "Butcher"...