Offical website
Blu-rays, DVDs & more
eBay affliate link
Art of the Movies
Buy posters on MoviePoster.com
IMDb
The Children of Huang Shi movie stills
Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: Very pretty but very stiffly written, The Children of Huang Shi strives for epic canvases relaying an intimate story. Read more
Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader: Director Roger Spottiswoode uses the children and action sequences to good effect, but a lack of chemistry between Rhys Meyers and Mitchell makes the love story fizzle. Read more
Jeff Shannon, Seattle Times: The film's closing credits ironically emphasize its dramatic shortcomings: Here we see the real, now-elderly children of Huang Shi, reflecting on their adventure. Their compelling recollections suggest that... perhaps a documentary would've been better. Read more
Tasha Robinson, AV Club: It's a polished, beautifully shot story, and it acknowledges the messiness of real life. But like real life, it's often baffling and frustrating. Read more
Sandy MacDonald, Boston Globe: In alternating between an epic remove and a pro forma romance, The Children of Huang Shi stints on the messy middle ground, where the unscripted human element resides. Read more
Carina Chocano, Los Angeles Times: If you can get past the Eurocentric focus, there are worse ways to pass the time than to see The Children of Huang Shi, if only because the glimpse into the time and place are captivating and the images are gorgeous. Read more
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle: It's a sturdy film, vivid if utterly workmanlike, that builds to a crescendo of personal sacrifice and misty noble uplift. Read more
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: It radiates intelligence. Of how many historical epics can that be said these days? Read more
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: It's like Schindler's List crossed with The Sound of Music, and Roger Spottiswoode directs it in a stiff, lifeless, utterly dated style of international squareness. Read more
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: As predictable as it is picturesque, The Children of Huang Shi is one of those international co-productions full of good intentions and blandly polished results. Read more
Ella Taylor, L.A. Weekly: A tale as ploddingly familiar as it is good-looking and worth telling. Read more
John Anderson, Newsday: It is, however, such a spectacular-looking movie, as shot by cinematographer Zhao Xiaoding that it is, to use that old cliche, worth the price of admission. Read more
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: Read more
V.A. Musetto, New York Post: Perhaps it would have been wise for the director, Roger Spottiswoode, to make more efficient use of Chow Yun-fat, who shows up now and then as a resistance fighter. Read more
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: If it doesn't measure up to the label "epic," it's still an engaging account of one man's journey through war and those circumstances that give meaning to the saying, "Heroes are made, not born." Read more
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Tells an engrossing story of a remarkable man, but nevertheless it's underwhelming. Read more
Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle: You can be 100 percent in favor of rescuing adorable orphans from war-torn zones and still find The Children of Huang Shi a tough haul. Read more
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Audiences tolerant of cliched uplift may dab their eyes, but demanding moviegoers will look elsewhere. Read more
Philip Marchand, Toronto Star: It's a compelling story, with only a few jarring notes. Read more
Claudia Puig, USA Today: Though there are some powerful performances, notably those of Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-Fat, and some sweeping visuals, the movie feels melodramatic and overheated. Read more
Robert Koehler, Variety: Director Roger Spottiswoode's skills for physical production outpace his ability to generate vitality and bring out the best in his actors. Read more
John Anderson, Washington Post: The best thing about Children is the cinematography by Zhao Xiaoding (Hero, House of Flying Daggers), which is so distracting because it so out-classes the rest of the movie. Read more