Review of Once Upon a Time in China V

The second and last of Vincent Zhao's performances as Wong Fei Hung. This one feels a little closer to the original trilogy thanks to the return of Tsui Hark as director alongside Rosamund Kwan bringing more continuity. Unfortunately her return means that the other actress is now superfluous. Hark's never been a favourite director of mine and this one is typically messy and overblown, with thoroughly outlandish action sequences throughout. The plot is less political this time around and simply has Hong and his buddies battling bloodthirsty pirates. There's a greater emphasis on comedy from Max Mok and others which some may not care for, although I didn't mind it personally. Xin Xin Xiong has some wild moves once again and the John Woo gun guy is a fun addition to the cast. Jet Li would come back to this series for once final instalment.