Tetrady not as good as all the hype

SunnyHello Nice effects though.

Matrixiole Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

Sammy-Jo Cervantes There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

gcd70 Although good in design and in content, Clara Law somehow fails to invoke emotion or response from her audience due to lack of character depth.The topics of betrayal and loyalty are confronted here, but neither are deeply explored by Law, who instead opts for visual grandeur in bloody battles and breathtaking backdrops. Andrew Lesnie's cinematography is an outstanding feast of colour and movement, with stunning scenery thrown in for good measure.Wu Hsin-kuo does convince us of the struggle within to forgive an free himself of his past, and his performance goes some way to lending the film focus and strength. In worthy support is Joan Chen, who makes the most of her rather meaningless character. More enjoyable is Michael Lee as an hundred year old abbot whose wit serves him well.Alas any true depth or searching, meaningful dialogue in Eddie Fong Ling-Ching an Lilian Lee's screenplay (based upon Lee's novella) is lost in Clara Law's all too grand approach which is visually stimulating yet intellectually void.Monday, April 28, 1997 - Hoyts Croydon

BeanPuncher One of the greatest non-Kurasawa movies of it's kind, this film has epic scope. The somewhat over the top action sequences are subtle compared to most Chinese films. It all fits and works well together. I viewed this film by accidentally recording it on DVR the first time. What really surprised me was the macho style warrior stuff. You wouldn't think a female director would pull off those stereotypically male sensibilities so well. The film takes several turns, has comedy, adventure, drama, and near the end becomes very spiritual. It's sad that more of the great movies being made in China, Korea, and Thailand don't get any press here in the states. The stream of regurgitated watered down garbage choking out of Hollywood can't compare to many of the movies from overseas these days. Perhaps one day the moguls will realize that people really respond to art and personal stories more than what star is in the film. The American movie audience isn't nearly as sedate as the marketing specialists think. We just don't have much of a choice.

johnnn The first and foremost aspects to be appreciated in this movie by Clara Law are its cinematography and directing. Both aspects are marvelous. The scenes are beautiful and you'll see magnificent colors skillfully contrasted. The performances are great as well. Just watch it. At least you wouldn't see a monk and a nun 'caught in action' anywhere else. By the way, in general Clara Law is a great filmmaker. I recommend you to watch her 'Farewell to China'. Have a good viewing :)

Varlaam Like the Kurosawa film, this one promises more than it delivers. There are a lot of spectacular vistas, but ultimately what is lacking is story or dramatic punch.Perhaps the misleading ad campaign was to blame, and this film improves on second viewing. It would be nice to think so; it has a number of good elements.