leonblackwood Review: This is yet another one of those Kung Fu movies were I didn't have a clue what was going on. I had to watch it twice, just to try and understand who was who but St the end of the day, I was none the wiser. I got the fact that Jet Li's clan was looking for there master who had been locked up in a woman/man's dungeon, but apart from that I was completely lost. Once again, there's loads of flying action with people fighting in mid-air, which I found a bit ridiculous but the various characters made the movie watchable, even though I didn't know what was going on half the time. I couldn't believe that none of the characters didn't know that the man was a woman because she really did look like a man. Also, I was getting confused with who was who and why people were fighting each other without knowing who each other was. Anyway, if I understood what was going on, I'm sure that I would have liked it a bit more but I spent more time keeping up with the plot than actually enjoying it. Average!Round-Up: Why do these oriental film makers have to make there movies so confusing when the concept is about different clans. Also, I'm getting really fed up with these flying on strings and fighting in mid-air action scenes. Most people who are into there Kung Fu movies, prefer the old ones which didn't have this flying in the air rubbish. I wonder if Bruce Lee would take to this style of action scenes if he was still alive? Anyway, enough of my moaning and back to this film. Jet Li puts in a good performance, alongside the different characters in the film but I'm yet to see a performance from Jet were he isn't flying in the air. Hopefully I will see a more realistic action movie from this fast fighting actor, when I watch the earlier movies.Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: HK$34.5millionI recommend this movie to people who are into their Jet Li movies about a clan who are looking for there master whilst fighting against different clans. 3/10

popularlibrary This film is clearly based on the same novel which has produced several other versions, notably two which were done as multi-episode television programs. The earlier, from the 1980s, starred Chow Yun-fat as Ling-hu Chong (as the name is given in most versions), and ran at 20 episodes. I have not seen this, though it has an excellent reputation, but the more recent version, shown in China in 2000, ran for 40 episodes, and was shown recently in the US on the AZN cable station under the title Laughing in the Wind. The first half of the series will be available on DVD soon. It was a superb piece of work, strikingly photographed, brilliantly choreographed, and, more importantly, written and acted with a depth and subtlety that did full justice to its possibilities.This version with Jet Li has many excellent qualities, but the limited running time necessary for a theatrical film, plus the unnecessary addition of the Japanese story, robbed it of the ability to develop the psychologically and dramatically fascinating story to anything like its real potential. (I can't see the smallest relation to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which it seems to me is an entirely different kind of story.) For a Jet Li fan, this is one of his more interesting films, but anyone interested in the adaptation of this classic novel into a truly superior dramatic version should seek out Laughing in the Wind.

frAnkzOnE Asia the invincible? what the hell's that? the guy's surname is Dong Fang, which is a normal chinese surname, means "the east", he call himeself Bu Bai, coz he has not, did not, and thinks would not be defeated, so it means The Undefeated.I know translation is a tough job, no matter how good you think you did, you still cannot transform all the meanings, undertones, indications in a culture sense. But not like this one! This is a very beautiful movie, all the lines, the scenes, the costumes, all very authenticly chinese, and stunning. And the poems recited in the movie, and the haunting song...hate to see all of these been ruined by the rediculous translantion.You know, many things are just not meant to be translated, many words in chinese, they just can't be properly translated, such as "tian xia","qian kun", they are somewhat close to the meaning of "the world", but never is in the same sense of it.So, for those who deminished the plot of the movie, I just wana tell you, it was based on one of the best selling Wuxia books in China, and the lines, they are very beautiful, in chinese. And for those who talked about the wire works, hello, this is a fantasy movie, and even with the wiring, have you ever seen body movements as beautiful as this in other movies, say the matrix? Wiring doesn't neccesarily mean it's not googd KongFu, This movie has some of the best fight scenes I have ever seen, wiring is only a basic requirement for action fantasies, but the thing they did with the fight scene, that's art, man. You have to be a KongFu master and an artist at the same time to be able to design, to creat such beautiful things.In short, advice for people from America, Europe, Africa...no-china£¬If you wana have a better understanding of the movie, READ THE BOOK FIRST, and before that, LEARN SOME CHINESE! :)

mjer123 This is no doubt the best wuxia film of the 90's. The costume, fight scenes and compelling cast all add up to an excellent and engrossing film. The story revolves around swordsman Ling Wu Chung (Jet Li) who on his way to retreat from the martial arts world, having to rescue a kidnapped leader of the Sun Moon Sect and confronting the powerful Asia, a person who have master an invincible form of martial arts, but at a terrible price. Yes, the plot is complex but is far more interesting than the simple and cliche "you kill my master, I want revenge" plot we get from some other martial arts films. The brillant colours and thrilling action scenes are also well-made and serves to grab and hold the attention of the audience until the very end of the film. All in all, a superb film. Those who thought "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was the best martial arts will have to see this film.