Excellent from the start to finish

Rating: 10/10 (30 March 2001)

This was an excellent martial arts film that gets you so enveloped into the plot that by the end of the film you forget that there are even subtitles at the bottom of the screen! The fighting scenes were beautifully and masterfully choreographed with the music by famed Classicist Tan Dun. The scenery, including the beautiful countryside as well as the Chinese temples in Shanghai, was breathtaking to say the least. The acting was excellent and I am surprised none of the actors or actresses were even nominated for an oscar. Overall this was a beautifully crafted tale of Chinese folklore that definitely deserves at least one preliminary viewing.