"This movie has been described as a Chinese version of "The Matrix", although arguably with more wit and humor..."
No, no, and no. While a decent flick, it is no better than most HK period-piece action flicks, using lots of wire work that at times becomes embarassing -- not because of its implausibility, but because it lacks any of the subtlety of earlier, arguably better movies like Once Upon a Time in China 2. Check out Tsui Hark's choreography during the pole fighting scene in OUTC2 to see how it should be done. This just has a bigger budget and some nice sweeping vistas.
BFHD.
Quite simply,
Chow Yun Fat should leave the
Kung Fu to
Jet Li, who, with 5 Wu Shu world championship gold medals under his belt has a bit more practice at making it look natural. Chow Yun Fat's much better in movies where he doesn't have to move around to much, just shoot things (see:
The Killer, A Better Tomorrow).
This is
mainstream America's education in Kung Fu Flicks 101; with Chow "Hey, I Recognize that Guy!" Yun Fat playing a period "this was a wonderful and awe-inspiring movie" flick that actually had something resembling a
budget, people can appear like they're a part of some American HK Kung Fu
Zeitgeist by slapping themselves on the back and proclaiming that the new
messiah has risen and this movie is indeed the second coming. Evidence is clear: right now everyone is lining up to say "I saw it first! The line for the hip and culturally with-it forms behind me!" Well, I saw it in
Thailand two months ago, and it was just as mediocre there as it will be here. Only I paid fifty cents to see it, and these suckers are going to get fleeced eight-fifty.