Jet Li returns in his iconic portrayal of Wong Fei-hung in the third part of the Once Upon a Time in China series. Wong (Li) visits Beijing and participates in a lion dance tournament organized by the Empress Dowager and her scheming advisors. There is also a subplot involving Russian diplomats and an assassination attempt on the Empress's lead eunuch. Wong goes up against a particularly nasty martial arts school who uses a downtrodden but vicious fighter (Xiong Xin-Xin) known for his particularly strong legs and kicks.. Wong must uncover the plot and attempt to subdue the growing violence between the various schools in the area.

After a very successful sequel, the third part is definitely a step back in the series. The lion dance sequences and competition is great, but the lack of quality fights hampers the film overall. Not having Yuen Woo-ping choreographing the action is a big minus, although Yuen Bun (no relation) does an admirable job in trying to match the master's work. There is one particular scene that is excellent in concept, but fails to reach the artistry that might have been achieved otherwise. Wong Fei-hung is attacked by a multitude of thugs that douse the floor in oil but strap spiked shoes to their own feet in order to maintain balance. Fei-hung is left to fend for himself however he can. Although the action is fun, it just isn't that memorable. Fellow childhood opera troupe member Corey Yuen reprises a variation of this scene in 2002's The Transporter starring Jason Statham. Although the participants in this later version are not nearly as skilled as Li and others, it caught the eye of more people and is probably a better constructed scene in the end.

OUATIC III is not a bad film, it just had a lot to measure up to in regards to the first two films and ultimately can't reach that level in the end.

6.5/10