|
Review
by Kozo: |
Third entry in the continuing Once Upon a Time
in China III series is entertaining, but overstuffed
and a bit labored. This time out, Wong Fei-Hong
(Jet Li) must prevent the murder of the the Empress
Dowager's favorite eunuch Li Hung Cheung. The plotters
are evil Russian foreigners, led by a blonde ex-boyfriend
of Aunt Yee (Rosamund Kwan). They plan to off Li Hung
Cheung during a massive lion dance competition by
various marital arts schools. Seeking justice, Wong
Fei-Hong decides to enter the contest himself.
However, problems arise due
to the various martial arts schools, who look upon
the competition as a way to establish supremacy over
competing schools. Operating in much the same way
as triad turf wars, these kung-fu gangs spend a good
portion of the film in all-out kung-fu action goodness.
Wong Fei-Hong must make peace among the kung-fu schools,
one of which has popular character Club Foot (Xiong
Xin-Xin) as its primary enforcer. Also, he must contend
with the increasing romantic advances of Aunt Yee
and the watchful eye of dad Wong Kei-Ying (Lau Shun).
And, Leung Fu (Max Mok) provides his usual comedy
relief.
All in all, this entry
in the series is good entertainment, with a few fantastic
fight sequences. However, when the end of the film
hits we get a massive lion dance showdown with literally
hundreds of lion dancers. The result can be both exciting
and interminable - it all depends on how much lion
dancing you can take. This isn't the best of the series,
but it's a decent sequel and still better than a lot
of other stuff out there. (Kozo 1996) |
|
