A narrator explains that the members of 701 had undergone brain surgery to make them impervious to pain and emotionally distant. Having lost their humanity, the robotic superhumans were trained to be the best assassins in the world but eventually couldn t be controlled, so the government ordered them eradicated. Survivors escaped and separated to hide among normal humans. When Hong Kong s drug czars are systematically attacked and killed, Inspector Shek takes the case. Tsui Chik becomes Black Mask again to protect Shek, and soon the police and Black Mask find themselves battling attacks by the superhumans.
Smaller battles lead to a final conflict at the criminals' stronghold.
In movies, the style involves fast thrusts, grabs, counterthrusts, and acrobatic leaps to avoid being thrown. A prodigy, Li won the Chinese national wushu championships five years in a row. In Black Mask actor Jet Li is reunited with 'Once Upon a Time in China' director Tsui Hark and Fist of Legend fight choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping. Like The Terminator, this is a neat action movie that goes for mood, action, and style more than anything. Dramatically Jet Li gets solid acting support from Lau Ching Wan, doing his best to flesh out the character of Tsui Chik s gruff cop buddy Shek.