True Legend

Directed by Yuen Woo-ping, the martial arts choreographer who created scintillating fight sequences for Quentin Tarantino, Ang Lee and the Wachowskis, this movie naturally boasts some great action scenes. But otherwise it's a slightly plodding account of Chinese myth and legend. Vincent Zhao is Su, a great general and warrior who owing to a terrible family feud finally descends to the status of wandering, drunken beggar, intermittently reacquiring his awesome fight skills. There are cameos from Michelle Yeoh and the late David Carradine, to whom the film is dedicated, but even the brief flare of their starpower can't stop this movie looking a little eccentric. But no one could doubt the extravagance and flair of the martial-arts contests.