Neat historical action/comedy/drama. Some people think the film is inconsistent in its mixing of serious and comedic elements, but that aspect reminds me of some Shakespearean comedies, and works quite well for me. "One of the best mixtures of comedy and traditional kung fu yet; at no times are the jokes allowed to get in the way of the story or the spectacular martial arts. Best character is Fong's crazy mom, who's even better at kung fu than the hero!"

RFC - Fong, like Wong Fey-Hong and his friends, was a Chinese folk hero. They were all members of the Red Flower Society, an underground organization that tried to return the rule of China to the Chinese from the Ching Dynasty Manchurians. This is an alternately light-hearted and suspenseful story of Fong's youth, his family life and his heroic deeds that led to his being accepted by the Red Flower Society.

SS - (***) Things are heating up in Canton. Kung fu expert and master of The Invincible Magic Fist, Fong Sai Yuk (Jet Li) has won the hand of comely Ting Ting (Michelle Reis) in a martial arts competition -- much to their mutual delight. But she's the daughter of the newly installed Manchu governor, and Fong Sai Yuk's dad just happens to be a prominent member of the Red Flower Society, which secretly loyal to the Han Emperor. In the meantime, Fong Sai Yuk's fierce kung fu mom (Josephine Siao) has managed to get the governor's wife (Sibelle Hu) to fall in love with her at the same time her dad gets captured, leaving Fong Sai Yuk to fix things up. Yes, I'm confused, too. Nifty set pieces include a fight with Sibelle Hu as they jump on the bobbing heads of a crowd, and the opening surfboard sequence.

HO - One of my top 3 favorite HK movies, this one has a bit of everything: comedy, drama, wonderful characters, incredible action and fight sequences, a good script - even high tragedy and a super-mom! Undoubtedly one of the best Jet Li films, and one of the best period piece / costume dramas. This one satisfies on many different levels, and is highly recommended... (Sibelle Hu is wonderful, as Jet Li's mother-in-law to be, but Josephine Siao steals the show as Jet Li's feisty martial arts master mom! The fight atop a crowd is an instant classic scene.)

IS -Unquestionably among the best HK "martial arts" films made in the 1990s. Here, characters' circumstances and motives
are just as important as the action (which is certainly well handled), resulting in an unusually satisfying action film. While hardly
a serious treatment, it's entertaining enough, and compares favourably to the empty, formulaic films that followed.