Yuen Woo-ping is the sure hand behind this outstanding Jet Li martial arts flick which is among the best films in the actor's career, as well as being one of the top period martial arts films I've had the pleasure of watching. The story itself adds an emotional layer to what is a fairly novel and remarkable premise: two childhood buddies end up going their separate ways after many years of friendship, and finally become bitter enemies. Typical Chinese humour of the slapstick variety enlivens this movie, which offers 95% of top-notch action and dispels with those boring plot exposition moments. The only problem with the film is the (very) noticeable wire work, especially in the final sequences, but this doesn't spoil what is a very fluid and beautiful film to watch.
Jet Li seems more self-assured and amiable here than he did in the ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA movies, and he's ably supported by a strong cast that includes an excellent Yuen Cheung-Yan as the unlucky Reverend Ling and ass-kicking Michelle Yeoh as the feisty female lead. The bad guy is actually fleshed out here, with believable motives, and it's fascinating to watch as he's corrupted by power. The film doesn't shy from the violence, which is always cartoonish and therefore entertaining. The fights are plentiful with lots of props getting smashed to pieces, people jumping and flying all over the place and all kinds of other outlandish things going on; it certainly beats the po-faced seriousness of CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON any day of the week.
Jet Li seems more self-assured and amiable here than he did in the ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA movies, and he's ably supported by a strong cast that includes an excellent Yuen Cheung-Yan as the unlucky Reverend Ling and ass-kicking Michelle Yeoh as the feisty female lead. The bad guy is actually fleshed out here, with believable motives, and it's fascinating to watch as he's corrupted by power. The film doesn't shy from the violence, which is always cartoonish and therefore entertaining. The fights are plentiful with lots of props getting smashed to pieces, people jumping and flying all over the place and all kinds of other outlandish things going on; it certainly beats the po-faced seriousness of CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON any day of the week.