Kingdom 3: The Flame of Destiny (2023) Movie Review

 

Kingdom 3: The Flame of Destiny (Original title: Kingudamu 3: Unmei no hono) | 2023 | 2h 9m
Genre: Action Epic/War Epic/Action/History/War | Country: Japan
Director: Shinsuke Satô | Writers: Yasuhisa Hara, Tsutomu Kuroiwa
Cast: Kento Yamazaki, Ryô Yoshizawa, Kanna Hashimoto
IMDB: 6.8
My Rate: 8/10

Eisei’s past is revealed along with his connection to the Zhao kingdom, which is currently attacking Qin, causing Shin and General Ouki to intervene to repel the enemy. In addition, a mysterious general who once killed one of the Qin generals appears and becomes part of the Zhao war forces.

Warning:

Contains scenes of violence

 

Synopsis Kingdom 3: The Flame of Destiny (2023)  :

An unexpected attack comes from the Zhao kingdom, seeking revenge for the massacre they suffered hundreds of years ago. Eisei (Ryo Yoshizawa) must figure out how to fight them while the generals are not present in the kingdom. Therefore, Eisei has no choice but to ask for help from Shoheikun (Hiroshi Tamaki), although this opens an opportunity for Ryofui (Koichi Sato) to overthrow him.

Ryofui tries to make Mobu the war leader. However, Shobunkun considers this an unwise decision. Shoheikun also asks Ouki (Takao Osawa), who has been resting from war, to return to the battlefield and lead the troops against Zhao.

Ouki’s arrival with Shin (Kento Yamazaki) causes turmoil in the meeting room. Ouki asks everyone to leave so he can talk with Eisei to understand more deeply Eisei’s goal of uniting China. Eisei’s dark past is revealed, which changes Shin’s perspective of him.

Ouki leads his troops to the battlefield with limited numbers. War strategies are applied. Ouki assigns a special mission to a hundred soldiers led by Shin, named the Hishin Unit, to behead General Fuki, the general leading Zhao’s forces in the war.

Shin must prove himself worthy of the trust given to him, but he also must ensure the safety of his troops. The obstacles they face are not easy because to reach the general’s location, they must pass through layers of skilled soldiers.

Will Shin succeed in his mission?

 

Review Kingdom 3: The Flame of Destiny (2023) :

Kingdom 3: The Flame of Destiny (2023) is a sequel made to complete the story fromKingdom (2019) and Kingdom 2 (2022). Still based on the manga of the same title by Yasuhisa Hara. The difference from the first and second films lies in the story focus and the vibe built.

In Kingdom (2019), we saw character development of Shin and Eisei, as well as some interesting battles. Kingdom 2 (2022) focused more on Shin and intense battles from start to finish. Meanwhile, in this third Kingdom film, for some reason, the film’s quality feels slightly decreased.

The film opens with a narrated recap of the previous film’s story, which plays an important role in starting the story. The timeline returns to six months after the last event, the battle with Wei. The opening scene slightly connects to the end of the second film, where Shin goes to train with the help of General Ouki.

The story foundation in this third sequel is quite strong but makes the story a bit confusing regarding the main character’s identity. Half of this film presents more about Eisei and his past. This is actually important to show Eisei’s reason for uniting China, which ultimately becomes the reason Ouki agrees to lead the war. However, it feels like the duration should be shortened.

On the other hand, the training process and experience Shin gained during the six months disappear and are not shown. This is very unfortunate. That could have been an important part to show Shin’s skill development until he deserves to be relied upon. With longer and deeper scenes related to this, viewers could share the same understanding as Ouki and be sure that Shin truly deserves to be the ‘main character.’

The conflict arises with limited troops; Qin must find a strategy to defeat Zhao. The battles presented are not as intense as in the first or second films. In this third film, the tension diagram becomes unstable due to many dialogues and scenes inserted between battles, causing the newly built tension to suddenly drop. This could also be due to the change in Shin’s character, who previously attacked recklessly, but as a Commander, he must think more strategically. Thus, his character becomes calmer.

The story resolution is done quite well. Unlike the two previous sequels, this film has a more noticeable open ending with the appearance of another antagonist at the end of the story. This causes the film to pause as it heads toward new tension.

The acting by the cast is still quite impressive. Unfortunately, Shin’s character is not very consistent. With the experience and training he underwent over six months, there should have been a significant change in his character’s aura. However, that aura is not strongly felt from Kento Yamazaki.

The way he portrayed Shin in the first and second films was appropriate since the character had limited experience and still seemed somewhat childish. But in the third sequel, that should no longer be the case. Compared to the anime, where Shin’s toughness is also shown through the emotions displayed in facial expressions and behavior.

This inconsistency is especially seen in his expressions. His first appearance with Ouki in the royal chamber does not radiate the badass aura it should. That aura appears when he delivers a speech before his troops, which is reinforced by Bi Hei’s dialogue saying Shin looks different. Yet, that aura disappears again when Shin leads his troops on the battlefield. This inconsistency weakens the main character.

What is truly remarkable is how Takao Osawa embodies the character of Ouki. With his unique way of speaking, yet still exuding authority. That is not easy to do.

Technically, the film still delivers a satisfying presentation, although there are some scenes that are slightly lacking in editing and look ‘fake.’ For example, when Ten watches the battle from atop a hill, the background location where Ten is standing looks fake.

Overall, the film still presents a story that is quite interesting to watch, especially to see the continuation of the story.

 
Memorable Scene:

Ouki explains why he gave a name to the troops led by Shin. He says that by giving them a name, their achievements will be widely remembered. Also, their comrades who died in battle will be better remembered with a name attached to them.

In reality, many heroes in wars die and are forgotten simply because people do not know their identities. The reason given in the dialogue is not a mere empty reason. Because having a name attached to them makes them more recognized.

 

Memorable Dialogue:

"Now I see how determined you are."

 

Ending:

Cliffhanger

 
Recommendation:

Worth to Watch

 

(Aluna)