Synopsis
An exiled detective is recruited to solve a series of mysterious deaths that threaten to delay the inauguration of Empress Wu.
Scores
Overall Score
64.3
Popularity Percentile (Year)
47.7%
Box Office Percentile (Year)
82.3%
Review Aggregate
70.2
Critic Consensus
Critic reception is largely positive, with 80% of 54 logged reviews marked Fresh. Across reviews, critics repeatedly emphasize historical, lighthearted, visually striking. Most critics frame the film as an effective delivery of its core style and intent.
historicallightheartedvisually strikingsuspensefulromanticcharacter-drivenpoliticaltragicstylized
Cast
| Cast | Year | Reported Salary | Inflation Adjusted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Lau | 2011 | $1,438,000 | $2,005,000 | (est) |
| Carina Lau | 2011 | $885,000 | $1,235,000 | (est) |
| Li Bingbing | 2011 | $666,000 | $929,000 | (est) |
| Deng Chao | 2011 | $545,000 | $760,000 | (est) |
| Tony Leung | 2011 | $466,000 | $650,000 | (est) |
Aggregated Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes critic score80.0
RT critic review count55
Rotten Tomatoes audience score62.0
RT audience rating count2,500
IMDb rating6.6
IMDb votes12,233
Box Office ?
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 2011 | $459,836 | $641,399 |
| International | 2011 | $51,439,432 | $71,749,891 |
| Worldwide | 2011 | $51,899,268 | $72,391,290 |
Earnings / Profitability
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | |||
| Theatrical Net Revenue | 2011 | $20,805,691 | $29,020,656 |
| Digital Rentals ? | 2011 | $2,359,000 | $3,290,433 |
| Digital Purchases ? | 2011 | $758,000 | $1,057,290 |
| Physical Rentals ? | 2011 | $4,316,000 | $6,020,139 |
| Physical Purchases ? | 2011 | $10,292,000 | $14,355,716 |
| TV & Streaming Revenue | 2011 | $193,131 | $269,387 |
| Total Revenues | 2011 | $38,723,822 | $54,013,622 |
| Expenses | |||
| Budget ? | 2011 | $20,000,000 | $27,896,844 |
| Print & Advertising (P&A) ? | 2011 | $6,552,000 (est) | $9,139,006 (est) |
| Participations | 2011 | $1,549,000 | $2,160,611 |
| Residuals ? | 2011 | $1,205,000 | $1,680,785 |
| Interest & Overhead | 2011 | $4,000,000 | $5,579,369 |
| Total Expenses | 2011 | $33,306,000 | $46,456,615 |
| Movie Net Profit or Loss | 2011 | $5,417,822 | $7,557,007 |
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