My Cultural Diet

Tsui Hark returned to the director’s chair for this entry in the Once Upon a Time in China series, with the previous film’s director — Bun Yuen — serving as its action choreographer. However, Hark’s return doesn’t do much good. Wong Fei-hung (Vincent Zhao) and his acolytes are on their way to Hong Kong, but unfortunately, the port town they’re staying in has become overrun by vicious pirates and greedy merchants. Meanwhile, a romantic triangle forms between Wong, “13th Aunt” Yee Siu-kwan (Rosamund Kwan, reprising her role from the earlier films), and “14th Aunt” May (Iron Monkey’s Jean Wang) that’s furthered by silly misunderstandings and sight gags. It all amounts to a trivial mess. None of the storylines are interesting, the slapstick humor courtesy of Wong’s students is never not annoying, and the action choreography is silly and incoherent. What’s more, the film can’t make up its mind if it’s a kung fu flick or a John Woo-style heroic bloodshed movie, and it just feels wrong to see Wong dispatch bad guys with a six-shooter rather than his legendary “Shadowless” kick.

I may earn an affiliate commission on items you buy through Opus. These commissions will go directly to support the site and my blogging.