Little Big Soldier [Blu-Ray/DVD]

Two rivals strike up a wary friendship in this blend of historical drama, action and comedy starring international martial arts star Jackie Chan. It's 227 B.C., and during the era of the warring states, a fifty-something Liang soldier (Jackie Chan) captures a wounded Wei general (Wang Leehom) in the wake of a battle. The soldier's goal in taking the general prisoner isn't glory but the hope of collecting a reward so he can buy some land and start a farm once then fighting is over. The general, however, is vain and arrogant and insists he was taken captive only after his own men turned against them. As the two men slowly make their way back to Liang territory, they're followed by a duplicitous Wei prince (Steve Yoo) who has his own reasons for wanting the general back, as well as villains and scoundrels on both sides. While the soldier and the general don't get along at first, in time a grudging admiration grows between them as the general comes to appreciate the decency and good nature of his captor. Da Bing Xiao Jiang (aka Little Big Soldier) was an official selection at the 2010 Berlin International Film Festival.~Mark Deming