| Credited cast: | |||
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Chia-Liang Liu | ... |
Fu Qingzhu
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| Leon Lai | ... |
Yang Yuncong
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| Donnie Yen | ... |
Chu Zhaonan
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| Charlie Yeung | ... |
Wu Yuanying
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Honglei Sun | ... |
General Fire-Wind
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So-yeon Kim | ... |
Green Pearl
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Yi Lu | ... |
Han Zhibang
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Duncan Lai | ... |
Mulang
(as Duncan Chow)
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Liwu Dai | ... | |
| Jingchu Zhang | ... | ||
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Jason Pai Piao | ... | |
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Kuan-Chun Chi | ... |
Qiu Luo Dong
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Jiajia Chen | ... | |
| Michael Wong | ... |
Prince Dokado
(as Michael F. Wong)
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Yao Bai-Ling | ... |
Chang Yu
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In the early 1600's, the Manchurians have taken over sovereignty of China and established the Ching Dynasty. While many nationalist revolts still brew within the martial artists' community, the newly set-up government immediately imposes a Martial Arts Ban, forbidding the practice of martial arts altogether in order to gain control and order. Wind Fire (Sun Hong-Lei), a surrendered military official from the previous dynasty, sees this as an opportunity to make a fortune for himself by helping to execute the new law. Greedy, cruel, and immoral, Wind Fire ravages the North-western China, and his next goal is to attack the final frontier, Martial Village. Fu Qingzhu, a retired executioner from the previous dynasty, feels the need to put a stop to this brutality and sets out to save Bowei Fortress. He brings Wu Yuanyin and Han Zhiban from the village with him to Mount Heaven to seek help from Master Shadow-Glow, a hermit who is a master of swords and leads a group of disciples of great ... Written by FB
First thought was also Kurosawa's Seven Samarai, but anyway ...
I don't know how Western audience views this movie but this is so much better than those made by Zhang Yi Mou (i.e. Hero, Flying Daggers). This one isn't art-house *pretending* to be a kungfu movie. The fighting scenes are innovative, well-choreographed and absolutely entertaining. It's kungfu movie at its best.
Some memorable scenes - mostly those involving Charlie Yeung (personal bias). Leon Lai and Donnie Yen also showed great chemistry. Another memorable Tsui Hark movie in the likes of Swordsman and Once Upon A Time in China.
Complaints: Either the editors or censors did a poor job. The soundtrack kept skipping and it felt like watching with someone pressing fast forward occasionally.