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Three Kingdoms

Three Kingdoms

2008102 minRMidcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Director
Daniel Lee
Starring
Andy Lau, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Maggie Q, Cunxin Pu

The aging Zhao embarks on his final and greatest campaign, a road to adventure that will crown his name in glory for all time.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Three Kingdoms?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Three Kingdoms to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Three Kingdoms?

Three Kingdoms earns 4 badges, led by Award Winner and Box Office Flop.

  • Reception
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Three Kingdoms worth watching?

Three Kingdoms' Midcredits score is the 47th percentile of all films, from 8.6K ratings across 4 sources. 44% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

47th percentile

Better received than 47% of films

63rd percentile among Action45th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)49th
Approval (how many liked it)44th

61 /100

49th percentile of all films

66th percentile among Action49th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.2 — solid but not unanimous.

44% liked it

44th percentile of all films

58th percentile among Action41st percentile among 2000s
44% rated it 7–1056% rated it 1–6

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 7 noms overall

83rd percentile

8.6K ratings across platforms

72nd percentile among Action75th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 5% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$25M
Worldwide gross$21M

Returned 0.8× its budget — 68th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

An action-driven war epic that prioritizes spectacle over story depth.

Fans praised

  • Andy Lau's commanding presence as the invincible general
  • Visceral, large-scale battle choreography and horse combat
  • Emotional bond between Zhao Zilong and Luo Ping'an

Detractors panned

  • Paper-thin plot skipping decades without character development
  • Confusing, choppy editing that muddles battle geography
  • Bland, underdeveloped supporting characters and wasted cast

What stands out

ActingDivisive65

Andy Lau brings gravitas; Sammo Hung adds warmth; Maggie Q and other stars underused

CinematographyDivisive60

Beautiful landscapes and sets, but chaotic editing undercuts visual clarity

Effects and spectacleDivisive55

Large-scale CGI armies and bloody battles; some wirework and slow-motion overused

PacingDivisive30

Rushes through early battles, drags in old-age segments; unbalanced

EndingDivisive30

Abrupt, anticlimactic final battle and rushed resolution; feels unsatisfying

CharactersDivisive25

No backstory, no arcs; Zhao Zilong a flat icon, side characters barely sketched

Originality25

Derivative of other Three Kingdoms adaptations; feels like a retread

Plot and storyDivisive20

Rushed synopsis skipping decades; lacks coherence or dramatic stakes

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 19 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 8 points apart

Watch experience

What is Three Kingdoms like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Big and sweeping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want to be swept up in something big.

It is intense and leaves you fired up. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Big and sweeping.

Moods
TenseThrillingMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Epic · 2% of films: Vast in scale: big landscapes, big stakes, a long span.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.
ToneThe film plays its historical war narrative straight, with solemn respect for its hero and the crucible of battle.
The rideLast battle framing and focus on a great general's end suggest a persistent tension with the heaviest emotional weight falling on the climactic battle and the events just before it.
StructureThe story moves between the general's current battle and flashbacks to his earlier life, creating a nonlinear structure.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Fired up.

Rousing · 10% of filmsBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you inspired by Zhao Zilong's rise, tempered by the somber weight of his final battle.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rags
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3% (this title): Underdog triumph 2% (this title) · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rags to riches: A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition. · Underdog triumph: Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).

3% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe film traces Zhao Zilong's rise from a common soldier to the greatest general of his kingdom, focusing on his final battle and the journey that brought him there.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfAmbitionSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4% (this title)
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% (this title) · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4% (this title)
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Ambition · 7% of filmsLegacy · 4% of filmsLoyalty · 4% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film follows a warrior's drive to rise through the ranks and be remembered as a great general, while his commitments to his kingdom and comrades are tested.
StanceThe film frames the general's rise and final battle as a story of ambition and legacy worth telling, affirming the value of a warrior's life and accomplishments.

The world

AncientInstitutionalWildernessUrbanRealistic
Orchestral modernFolkForeground music · original score · Henry Lai
SettingAncient China during the Three Kingdoms period, on battlefields and in command tents
MusicA sweeping orchestral score with traditional Chinese folk instruments underpinning the epic battle sequences.

Content guide

Is Three Kingdoms okay for kids?

R

Three Kingdoms is rated R: “Rated R for bloody battle sequences” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (89/100), sexual content at minimal (0/100), language at severe (100/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (50/100) and frightening material at severe (100/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 4 other countries
  • AustraliaMA15+
  • JapanPG12
  • South Korea15
  • Greece15
Overall
Severe · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Severe
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Profanity
Severe
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Severe
too few votes to rank (1 vote)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (11 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Three Kingdoms have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Three Kingdoms?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Andy Lau
as Zhao Zilong
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sammo Kam-Bo Hung
as Luo Ping-An
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Maggie Q
as Cao Ying
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Cunxin Pu
as Zhuge Liang
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Andy On
as Deng Zhi
Rongguang Yu
as Han De
Yueh Hua
as Liu Bei
Lung Ti
as Guan Yu
Zhihui Chen
as Zhang Fei
Damian Lau
as Cao Cao

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Three Kingdoms?

Movies like Three Kingdoms include Dragon Blade (2015), Red Cliff II (2009) and Outlaw King (2018). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films by Daniel Lee, and several are films set in ancient times.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

11 of these 12 share its world: war epic. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Three Kingdoms?

569 other films share the rarest tag below, premise: origin story. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.