This film, as with most set in the so-called "martial arts world", has an often convoluted plot that leaves you scratching your head at times. However, in the case of this movie, it really draws in the viewer as more and more details are revealed about the various characters and more is learned about the motivations behind their actions.

And while those who are searching for a lot of empty-hand fight scenes may be disappointed, the weapons fighting is excellent; this film has some of the best sword-fighting choreography I have ever seen. It is unfortunate that the people who made this otherwise excellent movie almost ruined it by speeding up some of the fights to almost cartoonish levels. This is the flaw I mentioned earlier. And it goes beyond merely removing a couple of frames, a technique to which most old-school fans have grown accustomed. There were several times in the movie that the fights were sped up so much, it appeared as if someone had hit the fast forward button on my DVD player. This occurs during several fights throughout this otherwise great movie. This flaw really drags down my rating of this film.