Amergin, this movie was based on the director's fascination with low budget martial arts movies and Chinese fairy tales that he grew up with... But it takes a lot from the fairy tales, such as the fighters leaping up the side of walls and gracefully leaping across rooftops. The production and acting are first rate. And the fight in the top of the bamboo is fantastic. The cast were REALLY 50 feet up in a bamboo grove, suspended by guy wires... takes some of the magic out to know that, maybe, but it's terrific.

We saw it at a neighborhood theater. The screen was small and I think the projector bulb was dying because even the preview had a yellowish cast. We would have really preferred to see it on a better screen.

I took my son the kung fu fanatic and two of his friends. [You didn't think Bill D was with me, do you? :) Martial arts is not his style of entertainment.]

My favorite scene was when the central figure, a wealthy Manchu girl, was robbed of her favorite comb in the middle of the Gobi Desert. She rides after the bandit hell for leather. Great scene.

The martial arts was well done, with the throbbing of drums to speed up the viewers' heartbeat and all. But although it was very exciting and the acrobatics were splendid, my son says the actual martial arts were not top notch. I don't really know enough to agree or disagree.