4 Star

Blood, Creed or Loyalty?

Donnie Yen (John Wick Chapter 4, Raging Fire, Iron Monkey) takes full control of this epic tale of the power of Kung -Fu in a wuxia film, as he produces, directs, and stars as the title character. A man wronged on all sides and he must find justice as chaos looms at every corner. A great fantasy Martial Arts film.

All too often in these violent times, the innocent are caught up in this violence, and in the Yanmen Pass a young Khitan family stumble into a Song ambush of Khitan soldiers. The parents are killed, but the swaddling baby boy is delivered to a Beggar’s door. This couple raise the boy who trains under the Central Plains Buddhists, learning their powerful Kung-Fu.

Now thirty years later, he is the leader of the Beggars Gang, the biggest and best organized in the land. That man is Qiao Feng (Donnie Yen, Ip Man, Ip Man: Kung Fu Master), and today he is having breakfast in an Inn, when a group of Buddhist Monks arrive with a cage in tow. After a short discussion on the meaning of compassion, Qiao discovers what is in the cage, Duan Yu of Dali, a sacrifice to Murong Bo’s tomb in Gusu.

Well, a man like Feng is not going to support that idea, so Feng shows his displeasure to the Monk and his followers. Well, you wouldn’t want the repair bill, that’s for sure. As the monk produces flames from his hands, and sets about trying to singe Feng. Feng counters with Eighteen-Subduing-Dragon-Palms. Feng releases Duan Yu and sends him back to his father.

Qiao Feng heads back to the Beggar’s hideout in the forest where he is in for a shock, as Elder Bai says that there is a foreign spy in the beggars, and it is you Qiao Feng, and in the night you killed your second in command. Bai reveals that Feng is a Khitan and that he has used their Kung-Fu to kill Beggars in their own homes. He administers the Elder’s punishment to himself, before being banished. He heads back to his former home only to find them dying, and whilst trying to hear who had done it, he is spotted and immediately accused of their murder, he flees to see his old sifu, but Feng has no luck as the master is also dead, and once again he is accused of the foul deed.

A great man acts with integrity and honesty, and has nothing to be ashamed of.

How does an honourable man right so many wrongs? Well, sit back and marvel at these magnificent fight sequences, as Donnie Yen does his thing. Awesome fun with this intertwined story, of death, deceit and magical powers.