Jet Li may be better known for his role in Tsui Hark’s Once Upon a Time in China, but his humorous interpretation of another Shaolin legend, Fong Sai Yuk, brings out the best in him. Added into the mix is a superb performance by Josephine Siao, playing his modern and adorable mother, who is even prepared to cross-dress as a male kungfu master. Jeff Lau’s wizardry and amusing screenplay perfectly complement the powerful action sequences by director Corey Yuen. The result is a riotous profusion of images and visual spectacles, self-deprecating satirical humour complementing the serious, hard-hitting storyline, creating a level of intensity rarely seen in Hong Kong cinema. Flashes of pathos, moments of intense grief and joy, blood and laughter co-exist throughout – features that can be traced back to the early works of Yuen and Sammo Hung.
