Watches
February 25, 2012
I had rather high expectations for this one. To see Hark Tsui reunite with Jet Li near the Dragon Gate setting is a dream come true, but like many Hong Kong films of this era, Flying Swords is held back by some doubty CG. There's still a lot of fun to be had, I just wished the level of refinement had been a bit more in line with the names attached.
The plot is pretty negligible, but that's not a big worry. It's basically one big build-up toward a face-off. Li plays Chow, a skilled sword fighter with noble intentions, his adversary is a crafty eunuch with more malicious plans. The two cross paths and their fate becomes intertwined until they come together for a final confrontation in the legendary Dragon Gate Inn.
There's not enough physical action with Li involved and there are too many CG-powered projectiles flying around. The editing is also a little awkward and not as fluid as similar films from the 90s. The budget was clearly there though and the finale is still a very worthy spectacle, it just isn't quite as good as it could and should've been.