While I have to admit to being a bit disappointed over Ti Lung sporting a Clint Eastwood Italian western look--replete with flip of the poncho and spinning weapon, etc--the similarities between the two characters end there. The Eastwood character is completely invincible, but he is also amoral, self-centered, and not particularly principled. On the other hand, Ti Lung's Fu Hong Xue character is similarly invincible but he uses his strengths and virtues in only a positive fashion. He is clever, moral, and highly principled. Truly chivalrous in every sense, and best exemplified by the opening duel with the Lo Lieh character (Yan Nan Fei) in the way they interact and respect one another. Ti Lung's onscreen "presence" here is truly formidable.

What the movie lacks is any real character development, which is something I appreciate in the wu xia stories with which I am familiar. The Fu (Ti Lung) character is already fully developed, and this story is seemingly his ultimate and maybe final set of challenges and temptations. And while not a bad thing, per se, it is just not as fulfilling to see a perfect superhero whom you know will always be triumphant.

Otherwise, the cinematography, sets, female actors, and the colors are simply breathtaking. In a sense, these qualities almost make it an art house movie. I don't know if it is because I am watching the Celestial DVD remaster or it is just me, but I just don't remember this much color and beauty in seeing these movies back when they came out in the theater.

Speaking of Celestial, the DVD has some "extras" which include fairly interesting interviews with Chu Yuan (Chor Yuen) and Cheng Li--both ostensibly retired (despite the occasional cameos by Chu Yuan in some recent movies), as well as Yuen Wah. Also included was an entirely superfluous interview with the wholly vacuous Jade Leung whose relatively irrelevant career and inoperative comments about this movie lead one to wonder the reasons and motivations behind her inclusion here.

And lastly an interview with the gasbag gwailo Bey Logan who if nothing else shows a suitable and appropriate level of respect for HK cinema and Chinese peoples and culture. I appreciate that. But I do not appreciate his fanboyism, and name dropping. To gwailo "kung-fu fanboys," he's a decent evangelist who is capable of making coherent commentaries, observations and sometimes reaching interesting non-trivial conclusions. Otherwise, he's about as relevant in HK cinema as Jade Leung, which is disappointing given the context of a movie as important as this one.