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Takeshi
Kaneshiro plays Ma Wing Jing, a country boy who escapes with his
brother Yuen Wah to Shanghai, a city owned by the British and run
by two rival powers: the honorable Yuen Biao and the evil Yuen Tak.
Gifted with incredible fighting skills and great pride, Ma Wing
Jing plans on taking part of Shanghai for himself, and that he does.
But his success is threatened due to the influence of wicked club
girl Valerie Chow.
This film apparently spent a long time in post production before
finally getting released and the finished result ranks as one of
Yuen Kwai's best films. Four of the Yuen 'brothers' (Jackie Chan's
Peking opera classmates) are united on the screen with teen idol
Takashi Kaneshiro taking the lead. Of the Yuens Yuen Biao in particular
gives the performance of his life and shows that he still has what
it takes in the acting and fighting stakes. He's looking a bit older
and fatter but his character has real heart and his sorrow is well
conveyed by Biao. Yuen Kwai here shows that he is a good storyteller
as well as action director and this film concentrates more on telling
an interesting story rather than non-stop action. Takashi Kaneshiro
shows that he is one of modern Hong Kong cinema's real protégés
and makes a very charismatic leading man. His screen presence coupled
with clever fight choreography make him really look like the suave
fighter his character is. Yuen Wah (playing his brother) provides
the comic relief and gets no fight scenes but this is not a problem
as the rest of the film is enjoyable enough to overlook this. The
scale of 'hero' is also impressive and 120's China is brought to
life perfectly.
Not a kung fu film but instead a well told story held together by
the excellent acting from all involved. Let's hope that Yuen Biao
gets more parts like this soon as this is by far superior to anything
else he has made lately. Yuen Kwai also shows that he is an extremely
gifted director and is getting better with each film.
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