I assume that you've read the synopsis, so I won't re-state the plot or story here.

I went into watching this because I wanted to see the movie for the OST (yeah, I heard Tan Dun's work and was curious), and didn't expect a complicated story. The story is subtle and it's point is not revealed until the very end - and even then the point of the movie is not a single scene, but several.

Told via flashbacks, the director uses color, and mis en scene to assist the them of the story. Indeed, it was the cinematography, set design, and low (but intelligent) use of CGI. Imagine, a Qin army in full regalia, in battle formations and in full costume. The images alone made the movie worth watching; or a shower of arrows that look realistic..

The acting seems wooden, but I don't think that's the point of having actors deliver lines in near emotionless delivery. The characters are focused, self-disciplined, and expert martial artists - which offers a counter to the Qin Emporer's seemingly stoic but dreaded presence.

The action scenes are excellent, and believable. In some scenes, the flowing of fabric during fight scenes are almost etherial, giving the characters an other-world quality for this non-Wuxia film.

Conclusion: if you are Jet Li fan and want to watch his technical mastery of portraying a martial artists, you'll love it. If not, give it a try because visually, the movie is stunning and impressive.