International martial arts and action superstar, Donnie Yen, wrote, Directed, and stars in this martial arts epic adaptation of Louis Cha's Chinese fantasy novel. It is an action packed, larger than life tale of a respected warrior, betrayed, and forced to defend his name and honor.
The film is visually stunning and packed with fantastic martial arts fight scenes, fanciful costumes, and epic sets. It is a large scale, family oriented action fantasy, despite its significant martial arts and sword violence. It is an ambitious project with a lot of heart. It deliberately has many of the tropes of Chinese Kung Fu films, such as revenge, honor, and the desire to right a great wrong, even at the cost of the star's own life.
The production of the film is somewhere between American Western and Chinese martial arts fantasy, and it works for what it is. What it is not is the gritty, realistic type martial arts action film that Donnie Yen has become known for in recent years. While the cinematography and fight choreography are very good, they are not similar to his work in Flash Point, or John Wick 4.
Yen and the acting from the supporting cast is very good, but it is appropriately hyperbolic to match the script, the story, and the genre.
The film is very enjoyable. If you love Wuxia films add an additional star, and if you love Donnie Yen, add one more. While I am not a huge fan of Wuxi films, or high wire based, martial arts action films I do love DONNIE YEN and this was worth seeing.
This international Wuxi fantasy is distributed by Well Go USA and is in Chinese with English subtitles.
