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Clan
leaders seeking possession of a magical sword inflict a delayed
death wound on a boy named Mo-kai and slaughter his parents. He
is adopted by a powerful master (Sammo Hung), who keeps the boy
alive by imparting his own integral energy. The adult Mo kai, played
by Jet Li, finally heals his childhood wound when he tricks a martial
artist into teaching him the mysterious 'solar' fighting stance,
leaving him well prepared to take revenge against the murderous
clans.
This would have to rank as one of the most incomprehensible movies
of all time. So if you are watching it for the story or cause and
effect you may as well not bother. Instead the film moves at an
incredible pace and has a style all of it's own. There are a large
number of famous people here and Sammo Hung is particularly good
in his old master role. What this film delivers is not stop kung
fu coupled with some funny comedy routines and some very surprising
moments. What there is, is completely hyper realistic and nothing
is what it initially seems. This film could easily be dismissed
as a waste of time or a mess but it should be taken as the mindless
fun that it is. Jet Li takes a break from his usually serious role
to play a naive boy who overnight becomes a kung fu master. It is
clear he is enjoying himself and aside from some doubling in the
overly sped up fight scenes he looks good on screen. The rest of
the cast are merely there for comic relief and the majority of the
fights are filmed on a very large scale.
This is a film which you will either love or hate. Don't expect
a serious kung fu film and be prepared to suspend disbelief as anything
can (and will) happen within the surreal narrative. Something very
different for Jet Li fans although the majority of it will go over
your head.
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