Movie Digest
The four great martial arts family members have become foes, engaged in open and hidden wars since the Xuanwu Order was lost to the rivers and lakes. After encountering Bai Yu Jiao, Mo Xiao Hao, a descendent of the God of War who has isolated himself from the material world, becomes embroiled in the arguments. He brings harmony to the rivers and lakes by resolving the feuds and disagreements amongst the four families. He isolates himself from the martial arts world with Bai Yu Jiao.
The Feel Good Part
During the fighting, there are some excellent sights, but the explosions look like they belong in a 1980s war film. They reminded me, for some reason, of Platoon (1986).
The Disappointing Factor
The accent has been dubbed because it does not improve the acting quality – it remains bland. The different villainous chuckles are particularly revolting, but it also obliterated any chemistry that was between the male and female leads.
In-Depth Analysis
Lu Xiaoyu, a young fellow who has always desired to be a hero, sets off on a quest to revenge his parents’ deaths. He encounters a lot of weird and interesting companions along the route who help him combat evil powers.
In Xuanju Village, Lu Xiaoyu (Lu Zhengyu) is a well-known coward. He’d always wanted to be a chivalrous hero since he was a child, but his parents were adamantly against. Unfortunately, his parents are killed by the Demon King during a terrible confrontation. Because the officer investigating the case was afraid to confront the demon sect, Lu Xiaoyu was falsely accused of murder. Lu Xiaoyu learns martial arts under the guidance of Kongdong Sect monk Bai Mei (Zhou Weixing) and embarks on a quest to find the murderer and clear his name. He meets an unusual gang of ‘fiends and outsiders’ who end up assisting him in his fight against the Demon King. Just as Lu Xiaoyu thought he was on his way to becoming a hero, the scenario abruptly turns on its head, revealing truth after truth. The real martial arts world, it turns out, is nothing like what Lu Xiaoyu had anticipated.
Star Power
What’s plausible is that the real plotter behind the scenes – even if it becomes evident to the audience around halfway through – makes effective use of the numerous character flaws and long-running feuds between martial families, so he can’t be readily discovered by the characters.
Overall Opinion
Overall, nothing stands out, and there are a few cringe-worthy situations (not in a good way). However, after a long day on the couch with nothing better to do, it’s a fun way to kill time.
