Entertainment: 6
This is a foreign martial arts film that is actually about the story rather than the fighting. Don't let the R rating fool you. This show has very little gore, profanity, sexuality, or other potentially offensive imagery. What it does have is a well acted and gripping "semi-biographical" account of the man who popularized Wing Chun. Most martial arts films are fight scenes loosely strung together by a poorly presented or campy story. Instead, this film takes on a Chinese man's struggle to survive Japanese occupancy of his homeland, with fight scenes happening naturally rather than to keep the movie paced. This is one of the best martial arts films I have ever seen, and I have seen many (both foreign and Hollywood varieties).
Writing: 5
The writing is clean, concise, and tight. It avoids loose ends and extraneous ideas. Nevertheless, it was not amazingly original or creative, so a 6 is not justified.
Presentation: 5
I must admit, I am fan of the washed out, nearly black-and-white filming style used in this movie. In this case it fit well with the story as it was set in the 1930s and 40s. I did not get the feeling that the filming was just a gimmick. Many of the fight scenes are visually beautiful. The acting advanced the overall feel of the movie. I especially thought the lead owned his role.
