China Synopsis
铜雀台
In the year 198 BC, Cao Cao (Chow Yun Fat), Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty, ventured to the east and defeated China's greatest warrior Lu Bu, terrifying every ambitious warlord across the country. Several years later, after taking the Han Emperor under his wing, Cao crowns himself King of Wei. He built a magnificent Bronze Sparrow Island to symbolize his power and rumors spread that he would replace the Emperor. Meanwhile, young lovers Mu Shun (Hiroshi Tamaki) and Ling Ju (Liu Yi-Fei) are taken from a prison camp to a hidden tomb, where they spend five cruel years together, training as assassins for a secret mission. In the year 220 BC astronomical signs predict dramatic change. As a result, Cao's son Cao Pi (Yau Sam-Chi) and Cao's followers urge Cao to become the new Emperor – but unknown opposing forces plot against him.
Other Titles From Beijing Enlight Pictures
Drama + History in China
53 China titles in our catalog blend the Drama and History genres. Below: the top-rated of them (excluding The Assassins itself).
The 2011–2013 China Window
The Assassins holds position #66 of 96 China films in the 2011–2013 window, below highlighted by audience rating.
The 2010s China Landscape
Catalog density by release year across the 2010s in China, 515 titles in total. Highlighted year (yellow) is when The Assassins premiered alongside 29 others.
Position in Catalog
Released alongside 29 other China films in 2012.
The 304th China title from China we index (earliest catalogued entry: 1935).
Our China catalog contains 946 titles in total (747 films).
Audience Engagement
53 audience reviews — more than 65% of China films in our index.
Popularity sits at the 65th percentile among China films.
Reception Benchmarks
Ranked #818 of 946 China films indexed here (14th percentile by TMDB audience score).
Rating is -1.2 points below the China average of 6.7/10.
Among China Drama productions specifically: #493 of 547 (top 90%).
Production Details
| Primary Country | China |
|---|---|
| Original Language | Chinese |
| Production Companies | Beijing Enlight Pictures, Changchun Film Studio |
| Runtime | 1h 47m |
| Release Date | September 26, 2012 |
| IMDb | tt2063013 |