Genre: Wuxia

This is definitely an entertaining film that is worth catching. There is, though, the constant nagging feeling that this film could have been better.

Above average production values help and a touch of style to the proceedings as does the all-star cast, but it still may not be enough to earn this a proper recommendation.

Fine performances, good cinematography and a well-paced storyline – despite the difficulty on my part to pick out its failings – will offer most viewers a rewarding 100 minutes of entertainment.

The director has taken complicated source material and distilled it into something arresting before, but here he finds too many sub-plots to balance and too many characters to accommodate.

‘Hero’ has shown that an exquisitely photographed film does not always have to be a case of style over substance.

‘Heroes Shed No Tears’ is the kind of complex swordplay film that was attempted after the demise of the Shaw Brothers movie making empire, but often lacked the skilled control that Chor Yuen offered.

‘House Of Flying Daggers’ has too many trappings of an arthouse production that screams ‘self-conscious’ throughout.

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

‘Lady Detective Shadow’ is part Detective Dee and part ‘Come Drink With Me’ though nowhere as good as either.

‘Legend Of The Bat’ suffers from the same problems as its predecessor, namely its headache-inducing twists and turns.

It’s hard not to be drawn into director Wang Yu’s eccentric world with its almost Python-esque techniques and fights.

Instead of just relying on popular new-wave gimmicks, Sammo pushes each of the actors to their limit and, even though there is liberal use of stunt doubles, the effect is impressive to behold.