Kingdom 3: Flames of Destiny is a thrilling threequel that leaves you wanting more!

 

Alright, it's time for me to cover a third movie in a series that I have quite enjoyed thus far. The two previous movies were rather solid and the second movie did not suffer from the sequel curse. Naturally, I had high hopes for the third movie. I am of course referring to Kingdom. In particular, Kingdom 3: Flame of Destiny with Shinsuke Sato once again directing. 

The plot picks up 6 months after the battle of the Dakan plains which featured in the previous movie. Shin has spent that time receiving training under the guidance of the awesome General Ouki. He completed the difficult task of bringing about peace to an area of constant fighting and dispute. There's no time to rest however, as the large forces of Zhao invade Qin land and slaughter some of their men at Bayou castle. With large parts of the Qin forces occupied, it is left to General Ouki to lead his troops against the mighty invading force alongside Shin. 

Much like the previous 2 movies in the series, Shinsuke Sato showcases his directorial skill with some tremendous camerawork and scene composition. There's a dynamic array of shot types, angles and range with the camera almost constantly on the move. Sato knows when to use static shots and they're mainly used to enhance the emotional moments and scenes with dramatic reaction shots. My personal favourite shots include the very beginning shot of the movie as the camera zooms out behind the King as he has a moment of quiet contemplation whilst viewing the sky. These wide angle shots are beautifully framed and are a visual delight. 

What I liked about Flame of Destiny is the really well done piece of backstory we got for Eisei. We see his struggle prior to being king of Qin with him being left behind in enemy territory. This introduces the memorable character of Shika, the woman instrumental in his transformation from broken man to the admirable king. Whilst what happens is a little predictable, it still is very well done and hits hard emotionally. There are some differences from the story as told in the manga with the palace girl You being absent entirely. Eisei tells the story to Ouki as Shin eavesdrops instead. 

Ouki gets some more screen time in this movie and if you love the guy like I do, then you'll be pleased. He commands the army and as always dominates the screen through his sheer presence like a brightly lit beacon. We learn about an incident in the past and how general Kyou was killed. Ouki seems to know more than he lets on in regards to the man responsible for the murder, Housen, being alive. His banter with To is a highlight of the movies for me. 

Another highlight of the movie is the fight scenes and I include the large scale battles in there. The action is framed almost perfectly with every strike, grapple and throw being clear and in focus. The choreography is also really good once again with Shin's sparring session with Kyokai being the standout fight. The battles aren't the most realistic ones put to film with there being several Dynasty Warriors-like moments were the enemy forces go flying from one swing of a weapon or a random explosion happening, but it is still fun to watch. 

One criticism of the large scale battle that I have is the change made for the movie from the manga. The movie features a small mountainous area that divides the battlefield, which Shin's Hinshin unit uses to maneuverer to flank and eliminate Fuki. This was a rather strange change as it completely changes the battle from being one battle on three adjacent fields into two completely separate battles on two distinct fields. The sprint in the manga was impressive and I would have liked to have seen an attempt at recreating it in the live-action, oh well. 

There's some rather neat cameos that'll lead to big things in the next movie. I was really pleased to see Youtanwa again, even if briefly in a flashback of events that happened in the first movie as well as in the mid-credits scene. We also got a glimpse at Kaine and Riboku. Shun Oguri is now in the franchise! Woohoo! 

I have to single out Takao Osawa for his performance as General Ouki. The man has a seriously larger than life screen presence and chews the scenery in every scene he's in. It's like putting a theatre actor on a set with movie actors, except in this case it somehow works. Osawa has the right balance of fearless joyfulness and menace required for the part and knows how and when to flick the switch between the two.  

Ryo Yoshizawa must also be given credit for his performance in the role of Eisei, King of Qin. He brings an emotional depth to the character, especially when it comes to the little bit of backstory he is given. He manages to make the broken man work as he convincingly portrays both Eisei and his own personal demons in the form of what is essentially a shadow form of himself. Yoshizawa also manages to convey a lot with mere facial expressions and body language, especially in scenes in which he has almost zero dialogue. 


Overall, I rather enjoyed Flame of Destiny and am looking forward to the 4th instalment. I do recommend the movie series as a whole regardless of whether or not you're a fan of the manga as it is entertaining and beautifully crafted.