This review may contain spoilers
A Nationalistic, Cringe-Inducing Mess That Ruins a Classic with Modern Propaganda and Creepy Romance
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Tsui Hark completely strips away the soul, adventure, and organic growth of Jin Yong’s original masterpiece. By aggressively cutting out the first 33 chapters, the film rushes straight into heavy-handed, mainland state-style political propaganda about "serving the nation." Worse, the poorly paced, deeply uncomfortable romantic dynamic between the leads feels entirely unearned, creepy, and borderline predatory given how rushed and immature the character setups are. It’s a 1/10 disaster that swaps genuine wuxia chivalry for modern political pandering.
A absolute trainwreck that feels more like a mainland state-mandated lecture than a martial arts epic.
The Story: Rushed Pacing and Blatant Propaganda
By chopping off the entire first half of the novel, the film obliterates any actual character development. We are expected to care about Guo Jing and Huang Rong instantly, but their relationship comes off as incredibly forced and deeply uncomfortable. The adaptation completely mishandles the youthful innocence of the characters, turning what should be a classic coming-of-age romance into a cringe-inducing, bizarrely paced relationship that feels entirely inappropriate.
Worse yet is the transparent political agenda. Jin Yong’s classic line, "A Great Gallant serves the nation and its people," is stripped of its historical nuance and weaponized as modern, heavy-handed Communist Chinese propaganda. The entire plot is narrowed down to blind nationalism and sacrificing family (like Li Ping’s forced suicide) for the state. Turning a beloved fantasy adventure into a mouthpiece for modern state ideology is utterly exhausting to watch.
Acting & Cast: Zero Chemistry
The acting is completely wooden. The lead actors have absolutely zero chemistry, making the romance feel even more unnatural and hard to watch. Guo Jing isn't portrayed as "pure-hearted and slow-witted"—he comes across as utterly brainless, making it impossible to believe that a brilliant character like Huang Rong would blindly follow him around. The legendary Ouyang Feng is reduced to a screaming, cartoonish caricature once he goes mad from the reversed Nine Yin Manual. There is no emotional weight to any of the sacrifices; it’s just actors shouting lines at a green screen.
Production, Music, and Action
Don't expect the classic, gritty Tsui Hark style of the 1990s. This film is bloated with cheap, over-saturated CGI that looks like a modern Chinese mobile game. The final battle at Xiangyang is just a messy barrage of special effects where the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms look like generic superhero energy blasts. The music is equally terrible—loud, overblown, and aggressively nationalistic, constantly telling the audience exactly when they are supposed to feel patriotic.
Conclusion
If you want genuine wuxia, skip this entirely. It is a cynical, state-pleasing product that completely ruins Jin Yong's legacy, butchering a classic romance and replacing it with unearned sentimentality and loud political messaging. Avoid at all costs.
Tsui Hark completely strips away the soul, adventure, and organic growth of Jin Yong’s original masterpiece. By aggressively cutting out the first 33 chapters, the film rushes straight into heavy-handed, mainland state-style political propaganda about "serving the nation." Worse, the poorly paced, deeply uncomfortable romantic dynamic between the leads feels entirely unearned, creepy, and borderline predatory given how rushed and immature the character setups are. It’s a 1/10 disaster that swaps genuine wuxia chivalry for modern political pandering.
A absolute trainwreck that feels more like a mainland state-mandated lecture than a martial arts epic.
The Story: Rushed Pacing and Blatant Propaganda
By chopping off the entire first half of the novel, the film obliterates any actual character development. We are expected to care about Guo Jing and Huang Rong instantly, but their relationship comes off as incredibly forced and deeply uncomfortable. The adaptation completely mishandles the youthful innocence of the characters, turning what should be a classic coming-of-age romance into a cringe-inducing, bizarrely paced relationship that feels entirely inappropriate.
Worse yet is the transparent political agenda. Jin Yong’s classic line, "A Great Gallant serves the nation and its people," is stripped of its historical nuance and weaponized as modern, heavy-handed Communist Chinese propaganda. The entire plot is narrowed down to blind nationalism and sacrificing family (like Li Ping’s forced suicide) for the state. Turning a beloved fantasy adventure into a mouthpiece for modern state ideology is utterly exhausting to watch.
Acting & Cast: Zero Chemistry
The acting is completely wooden. The lead actors have absolutely zero chemistry, making the romance feel even more unnatural and hard to watch. Guo Jing isn't portrayed as "pure-hearted and slow-witted"—he comes across as utterly brainless, making it impossible to believe that a brilliant character like Huang Rong would blindly follow him around. The legendary Ouyang Feng is reduced to a screaming, cartoonish caricature once he goes mad from the reversed Nine Yin Manual. There is no emotional weight to any of the sacrifices; it’s just actors shouting lines at a green screen.
Production, Music, and Action
Don't expect the classic, gritty Tsui Hark style of the 1990s. This film is bloated with cheap, over-saturated CGI that looks like a modern Chinese mobile game. The final battle at Xiangyang is just a messy barrage of special effects where the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms look like generic superhero energy blasts. The music is equally terrible—loud, overblown, and aggressively nationalistic, constantly telling the audience exactly when they are supposed to feel patriotic.
Conclusion
If you want genuine wuxia, skip this entirely. It is a cynical, state-pleasing product that completely ruins Jin Yong's legacy, butchering a classic romance and replacing it with unearned sentimentality and loud political messaging. Avoid at all costs.
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