Jet Li returns as legendary Chinese patriot Wong Fei-hung. Here Wong finds himself reluctantly forced to switch sides and to hinder pro- Chinese terrorists bent on massacring Europeans, since the result might be revolution for China! Driving the white from China's shores will have to wait...
Like the first in the series, this is an ambitious, historically accurate and very good looking production. Some viewers have complained about the film's complicated plot, finding it distracting and hard to follow. A passing knowledge of Chinese history and politics does help, but really, there is enough exposition as the story plays out to keep the attentive viewer apprised of the various intrigues. Indeed, the complicated plotting is a welcome change from martial arts movies with just enough plot to barely hold themselves together between punch-ups, and it is nice for once to have a REASON for all of the fighting. The movie sprawls all over historic China's rural areas, cityscapes and dockyards, and the period look is quite convincing, thanks to some excellent exterior cinematography.
The script is lively, mixing adventure and intrigue with a little comedy and romance, and is well played by principals Jet Li and Rosamund Kwan as Wong Fei-Hung and his Aunt / girlfriend.
Like the first in the series, this is an ambitious, historically accurate and very good looking production. Some viewers have complained about the film's complicated plot, finding it distracting and hard to follow. A passing knowledge of Chinese history and politics does help, but really, there is enough exposition as the story plays out to keep the attentive viewer apprised of the various intrigues. Indeed, the complicated plotting is a welcome change from martial arts movies with just enough plot to barely hold themselves together between punch-ups, and it is nice for once to have a REASON for all of the fighting. The movie sprawls all over historic China's rural areas, cityscapes and dockyards, and the period look is quite convincing, thanks to some excellent exterior cinematography.
The script is lively, mixing adventure and intrigue with a little comedy and romance, and is well played by principals Jet Li and Rosamund Kwan as Wong Fei-Hung and his Aunt / girlfriend.