1. Red Cliff (2009)
Magnolia PicturesAfter several disappointing movies brought his time in Hollywood to an anticlimactic end, John Woo returned to Asian cinema and ultimately delivered his best work in over a decade. With his usual lack of restraint and visual over-indulgence, the director adapts the ancient Battle of Red Cliffs into a grandiose $80m war epic befitting of what was the most expensive Chinese production ever mounted. Released as a single 148 minute movie outside of Asia, domestic audiences were treated to a story released in two parts with a butt-numbing combined running time of 288 minutes. Woo's operatic direction and broad characterizations prevent the movie from descending into tedium, and as you would expect Red Cliff really shines in the action stakes. Epic CGI landscapes, sweeping visuals and some exhilarating battle scenes combine for a spectacular war epic that puts many of Hollywood's efforts in the genre to shame. Click "next to countdown the worst;