There is a long tradition of puppetry in China that most people outside of there never get to witness or appreciate. The puppeteers can do things with the puppets that are astounding compared to the more conventional puppetry of the West. This movie is based on a very popular Taiwanese TV show and is an extension of it.
The plot is very typical of other Wuxia films and really isn't anything special. The characters are very wooden but that's due to the style of puppets used. Mobile facial expressions are non- existent. But watching the amazing movements of the puppets during the action scenes makes up for this. The sets are very elaborate, more so than any live action wuxia.
A unique film and I enjoyed it but it's not something I would recommend to the average martial art movie viewer.