Luke-Walker

I will say it right now that the Japanese version of Ring is the superior film, but this is a damn fine effort that shouldn't be ignored for that reason.

Like the original, the whole point of the film is to take a slow creepy ride towards a climax that will shock you beyond belief. And in that it succeeds. We dont need to know all the details. To those that think a video will kill you in 7 days is preposterous, then leave this alone, as it does not cater to the likes of you (narrow-minded). if however, you take it at face value and enjoy the package that you have, you'll be in for one of the best and scariest horror films in a long time.

the music is perfect, the shock scenes are well timed, but the restraint on the REAL Horror until the end is the best aspect of this movie, and one that should not leave you dissapointed.

Continuing from the header, many people hated this movie because they couldn't get their head around the physics defying fight scenes. I ask you. Whats wrong with having physics defying fight scenes? We can have fantasies with huge monsters and trolls and magic spells and wizards, and films with huge aliens attacking the earth, ones with genetically altered spiders biting teenage boys, and films with ancient egyptian mummies waking up and sucking the life out of people. Why can we have those entertaining yet unrealistic flicks which i'm sure a lot of people loved, but those same people hated this movie because of the flying. Why cant you get your head around it!

For those enlightened few who can, well done. I'm sure you enjoyed this masterpiece of cinema as much as I did. OK, so the script wasn't as fine tuned as it should have been, and the story did lag a bit in a few places, but the actors gave it their all, and its stunningly shot. I've never seen china look like this. OK, maybe its because its a fantasy (hear that Philistines? Its a FANTASY? That means its not outside the rules for them to fly! In fact I think for a fantasy its incredibly restrained and down to earth. You dont see no magical creatures or spells or wizards and witches in this flick!), but it still looks absolutely beautiful. And the score? Highly deserving or its Oscar. Some people couldn't really appreciate Tan Duns subtle mix of chello and haunting tunes, and very true, its not for everyone. But I felt it was amazing how one instrument could convey every extreme emotion portrayed in the script, from happiness and remembrance to love and loss, it was a musical revelation, and it suited the film perfectly.

And Lee's direction was spot on, and partnered with yen Wo Ping, the otherwordly fights were simply spectacular. While i've seen better fights, i've never seen them performed with such Daring abd Bravado before. This is truly stunning, just like the whole film.

And if you hate the film, just watch it for Zhang Ziyi. She could beat me up anyday...

Around the late 80's and early 90's, Jet Li was on a roll. Fresh from the success of Once Upon A Time In China, he moved straight into this movie, and in turn crafted 2 masterpieces in succession.

The simple story of Jet Li's forced marriage is run parallel to the more adventurous tale of a secret sect or revolutionarys fighting against the emperor. It sounds like they should clash, but instead they run in and out of eachother with a crafted elegance so that you're always engaged by it.

And of course if thats not enough for you there's the fights, which are Cory Yuens best to date. The coordination displayed in these amazing stunts is superb, and reflects each character marvellously. For example, Jet Li's playful and young Fong Sai Yuk is a far cry from his serious and restrained Wong Fei-Hong from his Once Upon A Time series, and so the fighting style is different to reflect that. He moves a lot more playful, cracks jokes between punches and it is a marvel to behold.

It is one of the funniest and entertaining films out there, and is a definite must see for all martial arts fans.