I really don't know what to make of The White Dragon. It starts off as a dopey Wong Jing-esque comedy (complete with toilet humor and video game-inspired sequences) and then turns into a fairly serious romantic picture (with the mandatory slow-motion ballad scene), all the while still having the pretenses of a wuxia film (foes battling while flying along treetops). Sure, genre-mixing is almost a given in Hong Kong movies, but something about The White Dragon just didn't sit quite right with me, and the film as a whole felt a bit flat as a result.

Though if I was pressed to do so, I would probably say that The White Dragon's biggest stumbling point is Cecilia Cheung. She has proven in work like One Nite in Mongkok that she's capable of a strong performance, but her work here is sub-par. During the comedic scenes, Chueng resorts to the screeching style of acting that makes most people retch, and it's hard to take her seriously during the fight scenes. Even with the aid of doubles, wires and CGI, I just can't buy that little 98-pound Cecilia is capable of kicking serious ass. She does show promise in a couple of her scenes with Francis Ng (who does a solid job as always), but those moments are few and far between.

Still, I did at least somewhat enjoy The White Dragon. It's not a great movie by any means -- in fact, The White Dragon is pretty much straight-up generic in every sense of the word. But the movie looks nice, moves along at a good clip, and Francis Ng somehow makes even the most vapid Hong Kong fare watchable. For those looking for ninety minutes of harmless fluff to waste away a rainy afternoon, The White Dragon is probably right up your alley.

Never one to stop and give up, The White Dragon was announced as a Wuxia/comedy and a uniting of the new and old guard. Namely Cecilia Cheung and Francis Ng. Bear in mind, Yip's best films has been with Francis Ng in the lead. A sure sign of quality beforehand then? Obviously not as this is a different beast compared to the small productions of the past. So, with Wong Fung's 1968 film of the same name as its template, you definitely do detect a hint of Lunar New Year-esque laziness despite being a period piece That paranoia would be justified if Wong Jing got his hands on this but now it's an actual creative force, albeit sporadically these days, driving this puppy...

Set during the Ming Dynasty, blind assassin Chicken Feather (Francis Ng in an obvious nod to Katsu Shintaro's Zatoichi character) has made it his mission to eradicate the world from evil. After taking out an admired principal with a dark secret, he gets into a struggle with an enemy since long, The White Dragon. He beats her but soon thereafter White Dragon's powers are transferred (via broadband) to young beauty Black Phoenix (Cecilia Cheung). The downside to having these extraordinary powers is bad acne but helping out the ones in need is a recipe for that to go away. Now posing as White Dragon Jr, Phoenix also sets to avenge her master. In the fight that ensues with Chicken Feather, Phoenix is injured but nursed back to health by the blind Chicken. Forced away from luxury and potential husband Tian Yang (Andy On), the two strike up an unlikely bond...

Silliness is an art. When executed, it's just fun for the cast and crew. When executed well, that fun is picked up on by an audience. As is human drama when done well. Those two aspects take turns in Wilson Yip's first period piece and both are minor triumphs. Despite big sets and fine production design, ultimately what Yip wants to do is have fun initially but before that, he gives action director Ma Yuk Sing the stage. The Tsui Hark produced Era Of Vampires showed that Hong Kong filmmakers could still churn out exciting new wave action although they forget to make a thoroughly compelling film there. Ma's work on The White Dragon leans heavily towards wires, climbing on walls Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon style, doubling, quick-edits and with Yip adding frames of animated sword cut-flashes to decent effect. Even though bouts are fairly short and not a dominating factor for the film, Ma treats us to some slick Ching Siu-Tung like choreography and that my friends is a rare thing today. Wuxia fans won't be pleased if going into this expecting another Hero or House Of Flying Daggers because after this intro, Wilson Yip goes nuts in the best of ways.

Yip sneakily infuses the Ming Dynasty with modern elements, referencing Beverly Hills 90210, McDonald's and he either will completely have sold you or turned you off by the time the concert sequence hits. Cecilia Cheung's Black Phoenix not only has a spinning wheel with her different instruments, she also finishes off the set in true rock n' roll style! I.e. destruction! No, this doesn't fit and things get even more ridiculous when Phoenix first acquires her powers (in a moment reminiscent of a scene in Bio-Zombie). Skill is required to get viewers on board with this content but on the other hand, international audiences is not the target. Hong Kong viewers have been subjected to this for years, of varying quality, but for the clown show to work well, directors need to bring a focus and dedication to each set mood. Yip does and it's been a while since he's had this much fun. We're delighted alongside with him.

Then something happens that is so much true for his best work (Bullets Over Summer & Juliet In Love). Confining two characters in one setting, letting their differences play out and the subsequent unlikely bonding, be it romantic or out of respect. Yip's script, co-written by Lo Yiu Fai, clearly isn't intended to echo multi-layered complexity as the development and growing bond between Chicken and Phoenix can be smelled a mile away. The key skill that Yip brings however for this section to gel is a genuine sincerity and humanity. The White Dragon therefore becomes an affecting, familiar journey that allows Yip to concentrate fully on acting as he doesn't cut back and forth between the silliness that doesn't matter. We've had our fun, now it's time to care instead.

The isolated setting allows for the martial arts world to matter in the very smallest degree thankfully and space is instead devoted to obviously silly tantrums such as Chicken's childish enchantment with the flute. In a risky twist, Yip's touch turns a scene like this into a heartfelt and joyous character moment for Chicken Feather instead! Even breaking into actual comedy, especially a sequence where Ng is playing with the free gift he got from McD, requires the outermost dedication to the director/actor relationship for it to sell emotionally in the long run. I'll say it again, the best works of Yip's have been with Francis Ng.

Ng is excellent and brings a suitable low-key and well mannered aura to Chicken. It's also a rather touching portrayal of abandonment as he tells us of his tormented past and he subsequently discovers the joys of life that the jiang hu never seemed to offer. He strikes up splendid chemistry with Cecilia Cheung who is game for the chosen moods for the film and comfortably handles drama by now. A subtlety is on display that caters well to both actors as their bond continues to grow and be prepared to be affected by their honest and sincere dedication here.

It's only towards the final reel that Wilson seems a bit too stuck in the misery of the tale and when bringing in a larger group of characters for the final showdown, we're reminded of the fact that The White Dragon celebrates its triumphs when being smaller in scale instead. Nevertheless, I do regard this as Wilson Yip's finest commercial venture. A silly, touching and heartfelt period piece with an admirable dedication to actually make each mood work. Not churn out a cheap release just for the heck of adding onto filmographies.