Synopsis
A Chinese emissary is sent to the Gobi desert to execute a renegade soldier. When a caravan transporting a Buddhist monk and a valuable treasure is threatened by thieves, however, the two warriors might unite to protect the travelers.
Scores
Overall Score
54.4
Popularity Percentile (Year)
43.8%
Box Office Percentile (Year)
63.4%
Review Aggregate
62.5
Critic Consensus
Critic reception is mixed, with 68% of 31 logged reviews marked Fresh. Across reviews, critics repeatedly emphasize emotional, visually striking, stylized. Common reservations focus on execution consistency, even when reviewers praise standout elements.
emotionalvisually strikingstylizedhistoricalcharacter-drivenaction-packed
Cast
| Cast | Year | Reported Salary | Inflation Adjusted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jiang Wen | 2004 | $87,000 | $145,000 | (est) |
| Kiichi Nakai | 2004 | $54,000 | $89,000 | (est) |
| Zhao Wei | 2004 | $41,000 | $67,000 | (est) |
| Wang Xueqi | 2004 | $33,000 | $55,000 | (est) |
Aggregated Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes critic score68.0
RT critic review count31
Rotten Tomatoes audience score56.0
RT audience rating count2,500
IMDb rating6.3
IMDb votes4,515
Box Office ?
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 2004 | $82,936 | $137,729 |
| International | 2004 | $6,023,242 | $10,002,599 |
| Worldwide | 2004 | $6,106,178 | $10,140,328 |
Earnings / Profitability
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | |||
| Theatrical Net Revenue | 2004 | $2,450,765 | $4,069,904 |
| Digital Rentals ? | 2004 | $45,000 | $74,730 |
| Digital Purchases ? | 2004 | $1,000 | $1,661 |
| Physical Rentals ? | 2004 | $4,739,000 | $7,869,901 |
| Physical Purchases ? | 2004 | $9,915,000 | $16,465,513 |
| TV & Streaming Revenue | 2004 | $41,468 | $68,865 |
| Total Revenues | 2004 | $17,192,233 | $28,550,574 |
| Expenses | |||
| Budget ? | 2004 | $9,273,000 (est) | $15,399,365 (est) |
| Print & Advertising (P&A) ? | 2004 | $1,647,000 (est) | $2,735,119 (est) |
| Participations | 2004 | $688,000 | $1,142,539 |
| Residuals ? | 2004 | $1,080,000 | $1,793,520 |
| Interest & Overhead | 2004 | $1,854,600 | $3,079,873 |
| Total Expenses | 2004 | $14,542,600 | $24,150,416 |
| Movie Net Profit or Loss | 2004 | $2,649,633 | $4,400,158 |
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