“A rip-roaring comedy thriller” — TwitchFilm
First things first: this movie is a hell of a lot of fun. Second thing: while unquestionably loaded with action, Let The Bullets Fly is also a comedy, and a densely packed one, at that. Paying close attention is very much advised, because if you miss one little detail, you might lose place. But don’t let that scare you off, because Let The Bullets Fly is easily one of the most entertaining movies to come out of China in a long time. It overtook Avatar as the highest-grossing film in that country’s history, showing that Chinese filmmakers can provide big entertainment that outdoes Hollywood.
Jiang Wen stars as Pocky Zhang, a notorious bandit whose latest robbery has him stealing the role of Governor of a small province from conman Ge You. But his dream of taking the money and running becomes harder than he thinks, thanks to a ruthless crime lord played by the legendary Chow Yun Fat. The stage is then set for a battle of wits between three criminals, fighting for control of a small town that could be worth millions. We don’t want to reveal any more for fear of spoiling it, so we’ll just say that yes, the bullets do fly in Let The Bullets Fly, but so do the laughs. — Matthew Kiernan