The old master of the martial arts academy is dying; he summons his best apprentice to fight with his son to determine who shall take over after him. The son, Shen An (Jacky Heung) loses and with his dying breath the old man passes the school to the apprentice, Qi Quan (Andy On). It seems the old man had wanted his son out of the martial arts world because they were looked down upon by respectable people and so he arranged a job for Shen An at a bank, but when the bank manager insists that Shen An fight for the amusement of himself and his family, Shen An quits and returns to the academy, determined to fight and beat Qi Quan to resume his rightful place in the martial arts world. But Qi Quan will not give up his new position so easily....
If you are a fan of almost non-stop martial arts action, this film is for you - there can't be more than a few minutes of dialogue between various bouts between various groups, including the two lead characters, their various followers, some street thugs (who use slingshots to great effect) and a number of other groups. There's a bit of romance thrown in, but that is very definitely secondary to the fighting. It's hard to keep track of who is the good guy and who the bad, but it doesn't really matter - it's the fights that shine and they are incredibly well done. I'm not a big fan of martial arts films, but this one is quite satisfying to watch, even if you *do* leave the cinema somewhat confused at the end; recommended!
