This pinwheeling period-fantasy action film is all over the map--in its plotting, for starters, but also in its action sequences, staged by A Chinese Ghost Story's Ching Siu-tung, which are so frenetic that we can barely keep track of who's skewering whom. Based on a serialized swordplay novel by leading Chinese pulp writer Gu Long, the endless twists and turns in the conflict between two rival clans of quasi-magical warriors are all but impossible to follow. The result of this multilayered confusion is a less than completely involving cinematic experience, although the dashing Michelle Yeoh (Tomorrow Never Dies) and soulful Tony Leung Chiu-wai (Hard Boiled) are an unusually classy pair of comrades in arms. Newcomers interested in the distinctive Hong Kong subgenre known as wu hsia pian ("martial chivalry films") should consider beginning their researches elsewhere, with either Raymond Lee's Dragon Inn or Ronny Yu's The Bride with White Hair. --David Chute
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: Disappointing. Not as good as I'd hoped. Comment: I must be spoiled by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, Iron Monkey and House of Flying Daggers. I was expecting something along the same lines (in terms of art direction, costuming, story, etc.). In that regard I was disappointed. It felt unpolished.
Was hoping for something a bit more epic or fantastic. The fights were also somewhat unpolished. Granted, I saw some things I hadn't seen before, but it just looked a bit rough / raw in terms of the actual film style and that turned me off from enjoying it. As the Amazon review also said, some of the fights and editing cuts are so frenetic it's hard to tell who's slaughtering who until it's over.
In all, unless you're really a fan of the genre and don't mind what I'd call unpolished camera work, you might want to rent this before buying it. It's unfortunate that the box/art exceeds the quality of the movie itself. Customer Rating: Summary: Off the wall martial arts Comment: Off the wall, the ceiling, treetops, clothesline, and just about anything else.
Oh, there's some kind of convoluted plot in there about multiple levels of secrecy and multiple loyalties, a scheme to take over the world of martial arts, and a chastely inept romance. We also have Michelle Yeoh, a few years before the West discovered her in Tomorrow Never Dies, in a role that threatens to bring credibility to this flying-swordsman flick. Fortunately for all concerned, not even she could pull it off.
The movie starts off slowly. The final fight scenes are all you could hope for, though, with magical weapons, mystical powers, and cartoony if bloody violence. The flying fighters, whirling off (and sometimes through) walls are enough to leave any professional wrestler crying in envy, but the costumes, scenery, and group scenes are far better. If you're after serious cinema, you've made a horrible mistake; if your tastes have matured beyond cartoons but only just barely, this might be a good one for you. Or might not.
-- wiredweird Customer Rating: Summary: Michelle Yeoh is the only good thing in this movie. Comment: If you can get over the kind of acting they had in old Chinese movies, this passes for ok. Customer Rating: Summary: Good DVD for Michelle Yeoh fans Comment: Pretty good action sequences, and like the other reviews state, a LOT of "wire fu"-but this isn't a bad thing necessarily. There are some unique attacks that the characters use that you won't find in other kung fu films. The only problem I had was that the story seemed to jump around a little, so it didn't flow as well as it could-or probably should have. Customer Rating: Summary: EQ-Michelle Fan Comment: It is a great martial arts movie. The story line is a little weak but the choreography on swordsplay and martial arts is excellent. Michelle Yeoh is outstanding as always with her grace, acrobatic style and skill in martial arts. A worthwhile DVD collection if you are a martial arts fan.
