Cast Member: Sharla Cheung

The pairing of Jet Li and Sammo should have spawned a masterpiece, but instead the audience is left with this disheartening effort.

It just appears that Wong Jing wanted to please everyone by cramming the storyline with action, crazed innuendo and sudden plot twists.

Wong Jing manages to restrain his usual vulgarity and blend together some genuinely amusing comic scenes with an enviable amount of superior fight choreography.

Added to the humour is the furious action orchestrated by Ching Siu-Tung that makes this much more than the average comedy film.

Part two is lavish and colourful, but simply not as absorbing as it needed to be. A steadier hand at the helm may have rectified this.

‘Swordsman’ is not as strong as its superior sequel and the aforementioned difficulties are all apparent, but it is still an ultimately rewarding film.

‘The Romancing Star’ might be a product of a particular time and culture, but its problems do not lay there – the fact is that it’s unfunny and annoying.

It is a welcome addition to the series without offering anything new. If you liked films such as ‘In the Line of Duty 4’ or ‘Tiger Cage’ then this is definitely for you.

There is actually some entertainment to be derived from ‘Truant Hero’ and it exists on its own strengths rather than being completely reliant on its influences.