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A
year after the first installment Fox (Jet Li) and Kiddo (Michelle
Reis) learn that the sacred scroll from Part I has fallen into the
hands of Asia the Invincible (Brigette Lin), a man who has changed
his sex in the process of acquiring unthinkable power. As part of
his plan of conquest Asia the Invincible has imprisoned the father
of a woman to whom Fox is set to marry, drawing him into an inevitable
showdown with Asia.
After the successful 'Swordsman' a sequel was always on the cards
and this time a more bankable star was added (Jet Li) to attract
more viewers. Directed by Ching Siu Tung this film contains his
usual trademark of extensive wirework and hallucinatory plotting.
This is by far the bravest of Ching's films in terms of action.
There is one particular sequence in a forest where two combatants
are flying around each other and the trees and it leaves you wondering
how it was done with just the use of wires. Jet Li gives a very
good, more laid back performance than usual and is given the opportunity
to show some of his comic talents. There is little actual kung fu
on display but some of the swordplay action is top notch. The story
is a bit convoluted and it might take you a few viewings to fully
appreciate what is going on. Brigette Lin plays her usual asexual
role and her scenes with Jet Li are particularly effective. It is
no wonder that her character was brought back again for a further
installment as her portrayal is particularly strong. The supporting
players fare well too and Michelle Reis provides the comic relief
as the clumsy tomboy who is secretly in love with Jet Li. One thing
though, that is a bit disappointing is that some of the filmmaking
techniques are a bit see-through, and it is obvious how they were
done but with a stylised film like this this is a minor flaw.
One of the best swordplay films on the market but it is pretty far
fetched in places. If you are used to Ching's work though this will
not be a problem. Some scenes are also a bit surplus to requirements
and the ending comes around a bit quick but it is nice to see Jet
Li play a more comic role and his character is certainly more likable
than usual. This shows confidently that Hong Kong filmmakers can
make more than just Wong Fei Hung films.
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