This film has a conventional plot for a Hong Kong martial arts film. Bad guy kills master of a kung-fu school. Three students get trained up by mysterious hermit. They teach bad guy a lesson. That's roughly it.

The setting however is not of so many Shaw films. Instead it's a mixture of modern day with wu xia fiction fantastic elements. Donnie Yen plays the lead, and also did the fight choreography. Yuen Wah plays the master of the school.

Where the film really excels for is in the set pieces. There's a well shot fight in a restaurant with neat tracking shots from overhead. The opening scene in which the Lousha token is delivered to Ma Kun then 'borrowed' is nicely and powerfully staged. Ma Xiaoling slapping the Lousha gang members after the attack at the baseball ground is powerful cinema.

Ordinary in places, but also brilliant in places. A martial arts film with a touch of fantasy to it.