Just perfect...

Fresh and Exciting

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Visually, Donnie Yen's kung fu vehicle is quite stunning, with some classy location shots and smart uses of lighting and colour. That aside, its entertainment value is vastly hindered by the choppy fight sequences laden with cuts and rapid sound effects which are clearly an attempt at revolutionary film making, but just come across as annoying. The story bears little resemblance to the Bruce Lee classic, with Yen and his assistant recalling, in a series of flashbacks, a time when Donnie was a wondering hero with amnesia, in search of a girl and beating the crap out of evil bandit men. There is a pretentious feel to all this, but on the plus side, Donnie is at his usually stunning best.

Boy oh Boy after I watched this I felt like a kid at Christmas time except for fist of legend Jet li has never made a film this good. this is donnie at his brutal best and he's going for the throat. No wires or undercranking the story is nice (a man whose past come back to haunt him to sum it up) It's got Carmen Lee a costar that is eyecandy as well as a cool score but what you want is fights and donnie fights like a son of a bitch the choreography is mind blowing don't play yourself out check it out

This movie has gotten a lot of mixed reviews. Some people have praised it and others have called it pure dreck. I really didn't know what to expect from this movie. Well, I found the plot to be slightly confusing. Well, I couldn't figure out what the whole modern day story was about. The flashback told about an amnesiac who returns to a village after WW2 and finds his lost love and some old enemies. A lot of brutal fighting follows.The fight scenes are the calling card of this film. They're all fast and furious. If you take your eyes of the screen for a second you'll miss some stuff. It's all hyper-stylized, from the camerawork to the exaggerated gunplay and use of projectiles. There's a lot of speeding up, but it actually helps the fighting out; it makes it more intense. The martial arts itself is pretty good. Donnie uses his trademark kicks and also does a fair amount of Bruce Lee impersonating. His fight with the eagle claw guy is just astounding.There is some fairly disturbing brutality in this film. The slaughter of the village and the scene preceding the final fight are examples. I guess it's supposed to make the movie more powerful. In the end, I think the great fight scenes overshadow the sometimes confusing narrative and the brutality of the film.

This directorial debut of Yen is full of a kung-fu protége's indulgence with kung- fu -- his worship of physical power, his belief in commitment and obligation, and even his impertinence towards women all illustrate his devotion. But the film is also direct, sincere and without any affectations. Judging from the level of skill and technique, it is much more accomplished than other action flicks that aim solely at the overseas market. In the several fighting scenes shot in the woods, the action is superbly complemented by the physical environment, and the framing and editing are also innovative. As a new action film director, Yang is definitely talented and promising. - Ye Nianchen