(Review originally written at 5 October 2007)
This movie is so flashy and fast put together, that it starts to look and feel like an overdone attempt, with lots of (ridicoules) computer gadgets and fighting sequences. The style works in the wrong way, especially in the action sequences. I'm sorry but I really found the action sequences to be very laughable and completely overdone.
It always seems weird to me how Asian action movies constantly seem to be stealing from The Matrix movies, with both their action and style. As if Asian action movies need that. This movie also unfortunately is an example of this.
The editing is way too fast and to me it seemed like it was done in a very childish and predictable way. Again, as if they were just trying to hard.
It also gets sort of annoying after a while that there constantly is a ventilator aimed at Qi Shu in basically every action sequence.
The movie has some irritating and weird choices in the use of music, as is the original movie score on its own, that just does not seem to fit the movie very well.
The movie features some bad acting. Even though I don't speak the language I could tell that the actors really weren't much good, in the way they were delivering their lines.
The story isn't that much special. It's not very well developed and the movie isn't really going anywhere. The movie too often seems to be concentrating more on the personal and the drama rather than its action, which seemed weird to me, since this is a movie that's made completely in action movie style. Sure, it has some interesting developments and themes in it, such as lesbianism and it's a nice approach that all of the action heroes in this movie are women. So it's a real feminist action flick but that perhaps is the only real good and original element about this movie.
OK I did not found this movie to be terrible but it was just lacking on so many fronts. In all fairness it remains a perfectly watchable movie but only to kill some time with and if you have nothing better to do. The movie was unfortunately not as good and certainly not as original as I initially hoped.
6/10
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