A 2008 Hong Kong-Chinese Historical Action Drama directed by Ching Siu-tung that follows the titular empress (Kelly Chen) taking over after her father's death and fighting to keep the kingdom.
The movie also stars Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Chen Zhihui, Guo Xiaodong, Kou Zhenhai, Liu Weihua, Zhang Shan, Yan Jie, Zhou Bo, Zhou Zhonghe, and Asoka Liu Shun.
It was released on March 7, 2008.
Tropes for the film:
- Annoying Arrows: The king is hit by an arrow which goes right through his chest. This is treated as a serious wound, but what actually kills him is being left alone with a treacherous subordinate.
- Sword Sparks: Happens constantly throughout a lot of the fight scenes.
- Time-Shifted Actor: Harashima Daichi plays a younger Murong Xuehu (Yen) and Jiang Yiyi plays a younger Princess Yan Fei-er.
- Treetop Town: The titular Empress, Fei-er, is rescued from an ambush by Duan Lan-quan, a Robin Hood-esque warrior living in the jungles, who then takes her to his secret treetop hideout. Late into the film several assassins try to infiltrate the forest, leading to Fei-er and Lan-quan fighting enemies on treetop catwalks and suspended corridors and several enemies falling to their deaths.
