This standard kung-fu actioner has some historical footnotes, so pay attention. The film chronicles a time when China was trying to escape foreign influence by banning opium. However, unscrupulous Chinese like Xiong Xin-Xin plot to make some dough by importing more opium by the bushel. It falls to Wong Fei-Hong (played by charisma-less but high-kicking Wong Yuk) and Beggar So (Donnie Yen, playing the same role Stephen Chow did in King of Beggars) to do something about it. 
     However, So gets sidetracked by an opium addition, as well as two other subplots. One is about his widower father (Ng Man-Tat in a typically comedic performance) and the other involves his bogus engagement to westernized Chinese beauty Fennie Yuen. Can he win the respect of Fennie AND beat the addiction before it’s too late? 
     You know the answer and the film is rather predictable getting there. Nothing really special happens in the film, but the action is interesting and it’s nice to see Donnie Yen in a halfway decent picture. It's also good to see Fennie Yuen getting a female lead once in a while. Sadly, a female lead in a kung-fu flick usually amounts to only thirty minutes of screen time. (Kozo 1996)

image courtesy of World Video