The cluttered storytelling and functional characters make for an underwhelming offering from the old master, despite the twinkle in Wu Jing’s eyes.

With all those elements in place, plus scores of extras, it doesn’t really matter what the story is about; the trick is to just sit back and enjoy the hullabaloo.

Yuen Woo-ping knows how to direct wuxia action sequences, shocker, and additionally how to navigate a dizzying array of characters and locales so that any relational befuddlement becomes bliss.

It's an exciting & entertaining martial arts extravaganza that showcases the director's incredible skill for action choreography & the remarkable cast's extraordinary talent for executing such intricate maneuvers.