Better Late Then Never

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Mang Fei receives the jade sword with strict orders not to use it. He promises father seven things:never look for trouble and keep to yourself, don't strike up friendships with complete strangers, never gamble with strangers, always be courteous to a monk, never display your purse, don't believe all you hear, avoid the women that will be your weakness. He rides off to a small waterside tea house on the set of Shaw Brothers. Ha Ling-Ling befriends him (she is supposed to be a man). He does not strike up friendships with complete strangers. First fight – he interrupts a rape. She takes him home to rob him. He notices her attempt them leaves but without his sword. He returns and cannot find it. He meets Yueh Hua the drunk fisherman and borrows his horse to ride to a temple. Three swordsmen stop him as suddenly there is a big conspiracy and everyone is looking for him. The story becomes full of itself and makes no sense after 40 minutes. The characters are cartoonish. The fights are bouncing up and down and dancing around while weapons are waved nowhere near the intended target. The action director Siu Wong-Lung seems only to have experience as an extra otherwise. Stinker alert - you have been warned.