Tou Ming Zhuang deserves a 4 out of 5 stars..... 
However, there were a few historical inacurracies (to my
disappointment) but it has more than made up for it with vivid
acting and stunning visual displays.
For one, Huang Wenjin was not the commander of Suzhou. But then
again, this entire story was half truth, half fictional to start
with. Having said that, the trenches dug outside Suzhou were indeed
hard to stomach (haha). Trenches were first used in the American
Civil War, not China!
Takeshi's teeth were too white and straight and he has never
removed his headgear at all! Thus eliminating the need for him to
shave Manchu style. Even Andy Lau's hair was "poorly shaved" to
allow him to preserve his short hair (never short enough though
). While as a bandit, that was acceptable but
not when he has become a Qing official. A tinge of
unprofessionalism in my view.
The armour suits were very macho and the battle display was nothing
short of stunning (especially the aerial view of the entire Taiping
army).
Excellent movie, it deserves an Oscar.
For those who don't know the history of the Taiping rebellion, I
encourage you to read more about it. It was a rebellion started by
Christians. The leader was Hong Xiuquan.
Have a great Saturday!
