I am a fan of the original OATIC. The fantastic martial arts scenes and the interwoven storylines contained in the original really impressed me. Having liked the first so much I rushed out and bought my copy of part 2. Being a huge fan of Yuen Wo Ping and Donnie Yen, I figured I couldn't be dissapointed. I was wrong. The direction is poor. No, scratch that. The direction is AWFUL. The character's motivations are left a mystery. What does Fei Hong join the revolutionaries? Is it because Sun Yan Set translated english for him? That's the only reason I can think of. In the first film, Foon is kind of a tragic figure that alot of the dramatic elements were based around. Why is he reduced to being comic relief in this one? Lastly, I'm very dissapointed in the fight scenes. This is probably the worst choreographed Hong Kong film Yuen Woo Ping has ever been a part of. The fight between Wong and Kung is dare I say it, BAD. Also the fights between Donnie Yen and Jet Li (two of my favorite martial arts film stars) leave ALOT to be desired. Overall, it's a bad movie. It won't even satisfy a late-night kung-fu craving. If you need some kung-fu stick with "Iron Monkey", "Fist of Legend" or "Tai Chi Master". All of those show off the tru talents of Yuen Woo Ping and star either Jet Li or Donnie Yen.
Review of Once Upon a Time in China II
