Too much of everything

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

I'm surprised how good generally the reviews for this film are elsewhere. I bought it to see the great Cheng Pei-pei in action, but she seems weak in this, often wailing rather than fighting and left to literally carry the baby (Emperor). Lo Wei looks the part of the leader of the loyal Black Dragon Society and Yeung Chi-hing plays a good beggar who helps them to meet Yueh Hua as the expert swordsman. But even his skills can't disguise the wooden acting (especially of Ng Fung, Cheng's cousin), poor script and to my mind sub-standard fighting on display. Not one of my favourite Shaw films I'm afraid - and despite a cast of what seem like thousand's, it needed a stronger story line and better direction.