One of Jet Li's highest (theatrical) grossing movies is also one of his very best. While FSY II still remains my favorite movie of all time (and the first Jet movie I saw), it is too sentimental (which is helped by the haunting music), and tears can't seem to stop falling during viewing. The first time I saw FSY II, it was so melodramatic that I couldn't stop thinking about it for about a year. It was so hauntingly well-rounded.

Upon examination of the 2 movies, I find this prequel to be much, much funnier than the sequel. Again, I feel the sequel delivers mostly sentimentality, though it does have a little bit of humor. On the other hand, I find the sequel to have much higher quality of fight scenes, especially when Jet Li goes up again the usual bold villain, who appeared in most of his movies. The sequel also contains more engaging music, which is perfect for its emotional theme. But the overall score may be deserved by the prequel. When you think about the plot, storyline, and pace, the prequel is simply top-notch in all fields, while the sequel has some extremity & sudden changes. All in all, the 2 parts of the movie serie are both magnificent and among the best examples of HK cinema.

[10/10]