Warning: The post below contains minor spoilers for Red Cliff II. Do not read ahead if you want to be spoiled.

I watched 赤壁下：决战天下 yesterday with BFF and Gloria. After watching the first part, I am very eager to watch the second. I want to see the brilliant strategies they employed to defeat 曹操, the tyrannical Prime Minister.

Compared to the first part, this sequel has lesser brilliant war strategies being employed. I mean, yeah, there are strategies, but I feel that they all boil down to brilliant trickery and lies. They were amusing and interesting to watch, but, they lack the awe of 八卦正 (used in the first part).

Lin ChiLing was Xiao Qiao, and I felt that she portrayed that character well. Xiao Qiao's bravery and brilliant use of the delay tactic essentially what lost 曹操 that battle. I feel that Xiao Qiao makes a very good wife for Zhou Yu (played by the brilliant 梁朝伟) in the movie. The both of them is really a brilliant match, 金童玉女龙凤配!

Another character whom I admire is ZhuGe Liang, portrayed by the handsome and dashing Takeshi Kaneshiro (金城 武）. I like his wit, intelligence and humor, and how he uses that to convince the other party to agree with him, or to come out with brilliant strategies to win the war. I always like the intelligent character of the stories, the ones who sit behind the scene and plan all the brilliant moves. Frankly, the reason why I like 赤壁 so much was because of Takeshi's ZhuGe Liang. Hehe! =D

This entire series is definitely one of the best Chinese movies I have seen thus far. Overall, I rate this part 4/5 meows, and the entire series 4.5/5 meows. =)