Crossing (2026) Review: A Long March Epic Short on Nuance

This Crossing review looks at a Chinese war epic that dramatizes one of the Long March's most famous campaigns. Director Xu Zhanxiong turns the Red Army's four crossings of the Chishui River into a big-screen history lesson with plenty of action. It is ambitious, loud and very much made from one point of view.

Crossing Review: The Story So Far (No Spoilers)

The Crossing plot opens in 1934, right after the bloody battle at the Xiang River. The Red Army is exhausted and cornered, facing an enemy force of about 400,000 troops. Mao Zedong's leadership becomes the army's best hope, and he steers the column toward the Chishui River.

The film is known in Chinese as Si Du, which means "four crossings," and the title tells you the shape of the story. Rather than a single climactic battle, it is built around clever movement, feints and tactical gambles. If you know little about the Long March, the setup is clear enough to follow, though the film assumes some background knowledge.

The Crossing release date was June 26, 2026 in China, followed by a limited US run on July 10, 2026 through Well Go USA. The film is in Mandarin and runs roughly 121 to 122 minutes, depending on the source.

What Works in Crossing

The strongest idea is the focus on strategy. This is an action and history film about outthinking a larger enemy, not only outfighting it. That gives the war scenes a purpose beyond spectacle.

The battlefield sequences are staged on a large scale, with crowds of soldiers, river settings and the constant pressure of pursuit. Fans of action movie reviews who like big, practical-looking war set pieces will find plenty to watch.

The film also has a clear sense of purpose. It was made to mark the 90th anniversary of the Long March, and it keeps that commemorative mission front and center. For viewers curious about the history, one audience reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes described it as eye-opening history brought to life.

Crossing Cast and Performances

The Crossing cast is led by Liu Ye as Mao Zedong and Wang Lei as Zhou Enlai. Around them are Yu Shi as Zhao Defa, Timmy Xu as Bo Gu, Wang Tianchen as Zhu Huiyong and Jerry Lee as Wu Qiwei.

The casting puts weight on historical figures, so the performances lean toward the iconic rather than the intimate. That suits the film's commemorative tone, but it leaves limited room for private doubts or personality.

The Mao Question

One review at Asian Movie Pulse noted that little effort seems to have gone into approximating Mao's distinctive manner of speaking. How much that matters depends on how familiar you are with the real figure. Viewers who care about vocal and physical mimicry may find this a distraction.

Where Crossing Stumbles

The biggest hurdle is perspective. First Showing described the film as playing like Chinese propaganda about the winning side of the battle, and that is a fair warning. The story rarely questions its heroes, so the drama can feel one-sided.

Pacing and exposition are the other issues. A Letterboxd user criticized the uneven pacing and the lack of explanation, and newcomers may well feel lost among the many commanders, locations and troop movements. A film about clever maneuvers needs clear maps in the viewer's head, and this one does not always supply them.

Audience response looks mixed so far. MyDramaList shows 4.7 out of 10, but that is only 11 users, so it is a small sample. Aggregate critic scores were not available when I checked.

Is Crossing Worth Watching?

Crossing is worth watching if you want a large-scale Chinese war epic and an introduction to this chapter of the Long March, but it is not for everyone. The scale and the strategic hook are real strengths, while the flat characters and official-history tone are real drawbacks.

So is Crossing worth watching for you? If you enjoy history movie reviews and can accept a commemorative, one-sided approach, it offers a clear and sometimes thrilling view of the campaign. If you want complexity, humor or deep character study, look elsewhere. You can also see how other genres compare on our war movie reviews page.

For background on the film and its cast, the Asian Movie Pulse review offers a detailed critical take.

Who Will Enjoy Crossing

• Viewers interested in Chinese history and the Long March who want a dramatized introduction.

• Fans of large-scale war films who value tactics and spectacle over personal drama.

• Audiences who are comfortable with state-backed, commemorative filmmaking.