Jet Li's last appearance in the ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA film series is a straightforward East-meets-West adventure that offers some fun martial arts sequences and a storyline that's been done about a hundred times already (indeed, the martial arts western premise had already been exhausted by the time it first appeared in the early 1970s). This time around, Tsui Hark stands in as producer and brings sure-hand director Sammo Hung on board to lens the proceedings. Sadly, it appears that Hung's artistic vision was somewhat constrained on this movie, which has a kind of bland, glossy look and is far from the nitty-gritty action seen in his '80s offerings like MILLIONAIRE'S EXPRESS and EASTERN CONDORS.
Jet Li, who only made one more Chinese flick, Hit-man, before upping sticks to America, is good value for money, as always, but he does look a little bored with the material. Things do tend to get rather silly, especially when he joins a Native American tribe who nickname him 'Yellow' (a little racist perhaps?).You get the impression that Li was looking for a little more substantial material which is fair enough. Others returning from the third film in the series include Xi Xi Xiong (as lightning-fast as ever) and Rosamund Kwan, who looks a lot older, and is pretty much unrecognisable from her glory days in the '80s. The only other recognisable cast member is Richard Ng, better known as 'Sandy', who seems to have aged about twenty years since we last saw him.
The storyline is definitely episodic with one or two engaging stunts, including a spectacular carriage crash which has to be seen to be believed. The final drawn-out battle with a gang of bandits is a lot of fun, especially Li's showdown with Joe Sayah, a really weird looking guy who gets bottles and all sorts smashed over his head. Although the film never reaches the heights to which it aspires, it passes the time amiably enough if you're in the mood for non-demanding fare.
Jet Li, who only made one more Chinese flick, Hit-man, before upping sticks to America, is good value for money, as always, but he does look a little bored with the material. Things do tend to get rather silly, especially when he joins a Native American tribe who nickname him 'Yellow' (a little racist perhaps?).You get the impression that Li was looking for a little more substantial material which is fair enough. Others returning from the third film in the series include Xi Xi Xiong (as lightning-fast as ever) and Rosamund Kwan, who looks a lot older, and is pretty much unrecognisable from her glory days in the '80s. The only other recognisable cast member is Richard Ng, better known as 'Sandy', who seems to have aged about twenty years since we last saw him.
The storyline is definitely episodic with one or two engaging stunts, including a spectacular carriage crash which has to be seen to be believed. The final drawn-out battle with a gang of bandits is a lot of fun, especially Li's showdown with Joe Sayah, a really weird looking guy who gets bottles and all sorts smashed over his head. Although the film never reaches the heights to which it aspires, it passes the time amiably enough if you're in the mood for non-demanding fare.