It is 1895 in Canton, China. The Europeans are still milking the country for every dollar they can and claiming special privileges in it, as well. Meanwhile, the virulently anti-foreign White Lotus Society is mounting attacks on the generally clueless British, with the very obvious but low-key support of the government. If somebody doesn't protect the idiotic foreigners, things could get so far out of hand that they will bring in their armies for some really debilitating reprisals. This is all
going on just at a time when China has some other serious problems, like the democratic agitations of Sun Yat Sen and the imperialist inroads of the Japanese, who have just stolen Taiwan from China. Fortunately, Wong Fey Hong (Jet Li) is a crafty and effective man and a wonderfully skilled martial artist. He is prepared to do what he can to protect the widely resented foreigners for reasons which are quintessentially Chinese. This is the second of four martial arts historical epics, all with the same basic title. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
More concentrated and svelte than its precursor, Once Upon a Time II also has the benefit of fights staged by Master Yuen Wo-Ping that show Jet Li-another camera-age hero-to even greater advantage.
With its ability to maintain a balance between a high standard of intense action and thought-provoking storytelling, Once Upon a Time in China II accomplishes something very few sequels achieve: it outshines the original.
Hark is back to take on the encroachment of foreigners. This time he focuses on a radical faction in China called the White Locust who want to see the death of all foreigners so their country can live in peace. Where as the message got a bit muddled in the first one, I think it is clearly and smartly driven home in
this film. The civil wars that have sprung up due to Western imperialism wrecks havoc on the land, even when the rival faction may be driven by good intentions. They symbolism and the action is rich and are very captivating to watch. I'm surprised at how culturally different this film is for me, yet how involved I became with these characters. It has certainly changed my mind on Hong Kong cinema and the depth of this film is something to be enjoyed by all. It is hard to sum up my experience, and even though I fear I am doing a terrible job, I urge you to sit down with this series. It is certainly worth your time.
November 29, 2011
Reid Volk
Super Reviewer
the epic story of master wong continues with a very strong middle piece to the trilogy. compared to the original, the fight scenes are a bit less memorable, the supporting characters not as good, and there are more failed attempts at humor. despite that, the story was almost as good as the original, and saying the
fighting wasnt as good isnt a knock as the fighting in the original is some of the best ever and the fighting in this film is still great as compared to a lot of other kung fu movies. overall this is a solid sequel and a great stand alone kung fu movie in its own right.
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