Tsui Hark's take on the Chinese national epic about 30 PLA soldiers taking down a 1000-strong bandit army strips out the ideology and returns it to its action roots. That means heaping helpings of tiger attacks, human dogs, a Lord of the Rings-sized mountain fortress, bandits wearing black lipstick, ski attacks, a tank, a fight atop a crashing biplane, and a New York City traffic jam. A spectacular bandits siege of a snowbound village reminds us that Tsui's sheer cinematic craftsmanship remains unequalled. It's just one of many gonzo set-pieces sprinkled like chocolate chips on a magical motion picture sundae made of fire! Tsui Hark is a 3-D true believer and he makes sure that not a second goes by when something isn't poking, shooting, stabbing, exploding, or leaping off the screen right into your lap, whether it's tigers, bandits, biplanes, or Tony Leung Ka-fai sporting an outrageous fake nose.