Der Vollstrecker

The Fong family live under the rule of a land-grabbing Governor who is keen to be liked by the people – despite being challenged by an underground movement for Chinese freedom called the Red Lotus Flower Society. When the Governor offers the hand of his daughter to the man who can defeat his wife in combat, Sai-Yuk Fong enters, only losing the fight on purpose when he spots who he thinks is the daughter. His mother enters (dressed as a man and passing herself as Sai-Yuk's brother) in order to win and, in doing so, accidentally wins the heart of the Governor's wife. With the Fong's already in trouble for this imaginary brother turning down the daughter's hand, things get worse when the Emperor comes to town to expose and destroy the members of the Red Lotus – a group that Father Fong is a key member of.

As the plot summary suggests, this is a very busy little film with a plot that is very simple but at the same time filled with lots of little things going on. In a way this is a problem because many of these things are by the by and only serve to fill a movie who's basic plot is 'Fong fights with bad Emperor', but here it doesn't matter so much because this patchwork of little events fit well into this basic frame of a story and make the film enjoyable. Each little bit works well to create a film that is actually fun to watch. The script throws up plenty of well written lines – not jokes, but actions and dialogue that is witty and fun to listen to. I was caught up in the light tone it had for the most part and really enjoyed it; only in the final quarter does the tone turn harder and it is done a bit too suddenly for the film's own good – damaging the sense of fun it had garnered up until then. Aside from this, the overall plot is nothing more than a frame and I can understand why some viewers would be bothered by both the lack of firm foundations as well as the comic tone.

For me though, the comic tone was a big reason I loved it – just like I felt it made Once Upon a Time in China 3 so much fun to watch. With physical action, the humour could have been lazy slapstick but it wasn't; instead it is witty dialogue woven into the story through funny characters. The physical work is good too – just not for comedy though. The fights are impressive and make good use of the actors' skills as well as effective wirework. Much is made of the fights in trees of Crouching Tiger, or the lake fight of Hero but, while these look beautiful, it is a lot more fun to see the fight here that occurs on top of a crowd of people! There is no one fight that stands out as a really great one (indeed the climatic fight is probably the least of the film) but generally they are all of a high standard and are great fun to watch. Li is a great martial artist and he makes it all seem so natural and easy; he also shows that he is a leading man of great charisma and presence – something that the swaggering 'gangbanger' movies he has made in the US have not allowed him to show. He is likable, serious, fun and charming and this film shows why (along with the physical skills) he has become such a star. Siao is just as good and is very funny, even with her 'romance' is just filler. Chu is solid as Father Fong, the Governor is an enjoyable clown even if the Emperor lacks real menace. Performances were hard to judge for me as I saw the dubbed version, but the dubbing is not that bad and, while not great actors, the voice talent (as the credits call them) all do well to capture the tone and style of their characters – certainly the dubbing fits with the jocular tone of the majority of the film.

Overall this is a really fun film. Admittedly not a really great film but certainly one that I will enjoy watching several times again. The script is funny and witty for the most part and the serious turn doesn't do too much to detract from this. The fights are good and the plot is busy and lively, even if some of it is just filler and the actual narrative flow is not all it really could have been. With Jet Li back in people's minds recently, now is as good a time as any to revisit this film and enjoy it for what it is – a well written and fun film that doesn't take itself too seriously.

The martial arts sequences in this movie are incredible. This is one of Jet Li's best movies. It really shows of a lot of his skills, and is quite entertaining at the same time. There are a lot of fight scenes but they co-inside well with an intricate story. It's not just a fight movie.

The story is a bit involved and there are sub-plots I have not described. But this movie is well worth buying. I wish I could get a copy of Fong Sai Yuk 2, because I would love to see more of this movie.

Synopsis: Fong Sai Yuk is a late teen with a lot of martial arts skill, taught to him by his mother, equally as good. His father is part of a resistance against the empire. When the empire finds out that Fong Sai Yuk's father is the lead the are out for blood. Fong Sai Yuk, mean while meets and fights for a girl he wished to marry. Oh the eve of his wedding night, the empire and the Fong Family accidentally meet at the dinner table. Fighting erupts and they must fight or flee.

Believe it or not, this was the movie that introduced me to Jet Li. I was immediately hooked. I've read reviews that discredit the dub into English, but I found it easy to overlook this -- in fact, I found it to be somewhat hilarious. This film has all the makings of a great movie. There are no sub-plots that do not get resolved. The servant who always bawls whenever Jet Li's character get's set to go away for a minute or two is downright hilarious. That's one of the unique things about this movie: with so much drama they managed to make a hilarious movie, as well. As usual, the kung fu is extraordinary. In particular, there are a few scenes in which the opponents face off and the camera takes a moment to pause and let the viewer see the poses from a brilliant perspective. This will always be one of my favorite Chinese films.

Unless you believe that all films must be deep and meaningful, you'll love this film. For just pure entertainment, this film is hard to beat. This beats most action films out of the west. Its special effects are due totally to the stars' martial arts skills, not some gazillion dollar budget and special editing. The plot is wonderful. Besides, who can resist a film where the hero, if he's is in danger, will call on Mom to beat up the enemy? Sit back, get out the popcorn, and be prepared to be wildly entertained.

Jet Li starred in this film shortly after making Once Upon A Time In China, and once again he kicks ass. The fight scenes are truly amazing for its time, and film is just brimming with entertainment from start to finish. The story starts off with our cheeky, smiling hero Jet Li getting into a fight with some guy over a girl, which leads to a sports competition to determine the winner, followed by some kung-fu ass whoopin. Fantastic. This film doesn't stop on the action, and although some of the humour is puzzling at times, and the soundtrack and sound effects pure hilarious, I am pleased I took the time to watch this. The story consists of Fong Sai Yuk (Jet Li) being forced into a family marriage, his romance with the girl, finding out his dad is part of some rebel movement, and protecting the whole family then on as they are on the run. Some of the choreagraphy is truly awesome, especially in one scene where Jet Li is fighting the evil govner with a small pole, wheras the govner has a huge f**k off 20 ft one. The action is superbly captured and the stunts are tremendous, and the comedy through the film is so cheesy it helps keep the film from not taking itself too seriously. There are a few stupid scenes in this, particulary one where Jet Li dresses up as a woman, and another one where Mother Fong covers her hair so people mistake her for a man (even though she has make up on and still looks like a chick). These are strange parts of the film but keeps it light hearted and I think if I had watched this film when I was a kid I would love it to bits. Kung fu enthusiasts should definately take a look at this for the action and to see Jet Li do his stuff, but it's not really one for the mainstream hollywood film lovers. Fans of Jet Li should check this out to see how how he progressed from this to classics such as Twin Warriors, Fists of Fury and the undoubtedly magnificent Hero. Mainstream film audiences should also see this so they can understand the truly aweful american martial arts films they have seen over the past decade, and appreciate some real skill and finesse from the middle east.