The fourth in the long-running ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA series and all change here with Tsui Hark dropping to producer instead of director and Vincent Zhao replacing Jet Li as Wong Fei Hong. With a reduced budget and less clout at the Hong Kong box office I wasn't expecting much from this at all, and a lacklustre opening and first half hour seemed to indicate that it wouldn't be much cop at all. But then things change, the plot kicks up a gear, and I found myself having a good time! The introduction of the all-female 'red lantern' nationalist assassination squad is adroitly handled here and what follows is almost non-stop action with the Boxer Rebellion as backdrop.
The action is dominated by a couple of lion dance tournaments which are as crazily creative as you'd expect, with no less than eight countries taking place and fighting with giant animal creations that usually have deadly twists. Zhao doesn't feature too predominantly but shows off some of his wushu skills nonethless, and is ably supported by the intensely likeable Max Mok as the comic relief and Xin Xin Xiong showing off some astonishing footwork. The bad guys are led by Chin Kar Lok and Billy Chow, two of the best of the era, and neither disappoint. Sure, the story is negligible and the performances less than erstwhile, but then there's this much vibrant and violent action then you're in for a good time.
The action is dominated by a couple of lion dance tournaments which are as crazily creative as you'd expect, with no less than eight countries taking place and fighting with giant animal creations that usually have deadly twists. Zhao doesn't feature too predominantly but shows off some of his wushu skills nonethless, and is ably supported by the intensely likeable Max Mok as the comic relief and Xin Xin Xiong showing off some astonishing footwork. The bad guys are led by Chin Kar Lok and Billy Chow, two of the best of the era, and neither disappoint. Sure, the story is negligible and the performances less than erstwhile, but then there's this much vibrant and violent action then you're in for a good time.