Digressions they may be, but they are fabulously varied and entertaining. There's slapstick comedy just shy of the Stephen Chiau level; there's also several violent scenes and Eric Tsang's 3 1/2 minute single-shot dramatic scene. The cinematography is great throughout with many shots that are clearly shot for maximum gorgeousness. Even the less "interesting" shots typically feature good compositions.

The number of actors is huge, and there's scarcely a weak link among them. Eason Chan has a scene or two during which he seems to be uncertain what to do when he's not the focal point, but that's the closest thing I can think of to a complaint. Tony Leung and Sandra Ng are terrific and versatile as the leads; Roy Cheung has improved tremendously since his early days as a snarling bad guy. Anthony Wong's guest role... Well, if you haven't heard who he plays I'll keep it a secret, but it's a jaw-dropping character, and Anthony does it justice. Everyone else, newcomers and bit-players included, is at least solid.

In the end, it's hard to say exactly what it all adds up to. Despite a certain number of scenes that are just flat-out comedy, there is a sense that there's something else at work here; I have yet to figure out what it is. In that sense, I'm reminded of Riley Yip's "Metade Fumaca;" great looking and satisfying on a number of levels, but difficult to sum up. Still, if you liked MF, Beast Cops, or maybe Task Force, you'll probably find "Jiang Hu" enjoyable, if not necessarily consciousness-raising.