While the budget was certainly far less than Ang Lee's offering, this film stands on its own as one of the finer swordplay films to come out of Hong Kong in the '80s.

Even with the budget restrictions, the director makes the most of it with a well-crafted story, good acting, and some surprisingly beautiful cinematography. The use of transitions is especially well-crafted (check out the red fade-out which transcends into a red wall, or the ending of the sword fight at sunset).

All in all, a VERY enjoyable film. My only real complaint is that it is only available as a Mandarin dub instead of the original Cantonese. Oh well, such is life.

If you enjoy the swordplay genre of Hong Kong films, definitely pick this one up. I think you'll enjoy it as much as I have!