The Legend II

A Hong Kong martial arts film and a sequel. Fong Sai Yuk is young, fast and attached to his mother. In this part he joins an organisation: the Red Flower Society, a secret body working against the emperor. The society holds a list, and there are parties that want it. Sai Yuk is given a task and the job turns out more tangled than he expected. From there the film is about the tension between family and organisation. His mother gets involved, his marriage comes under strain, and the leader of the society proves untrustworthy. The comedy comes from the first film: disguises, the mother dressing as a man, and broad misunderstandings. The fights are built on wire work and the choreography is fast; the final section takes place in a fortress and is held long. What the narrative is interested in is not politics but loyalty: the question of who to stay bound to ties the parts together. Jet Li plays Sai Yuk and Josephine Siao his mother; the comedy between the two counts as the best thing in the series. Michelle Reis is in the cast. Corey Yuen directed. Who it is for: anyone who likes 1990s Hong Kong martial arts and Jet Li. Who it is not for: anyone who has not seen the first film; the narrative continues directly and explains none of its historical background.