Yuen Woo Ping directs Michelle Yeoh, Donnie Yen and Jason Scott Lee in this lower budget belated sequel to Ang Lee’s modern classic.

In 2000 Ang Lee’s classy and painterly take on the Kung Fu flick opened the genre up to a wider western audience with its emphasis on stunning, fantasy visual and restrained yearning romance. CTHD created a whole sub genre of eye popping, well acted prestige martial arts films that took up arthouse screens rather than videoshop back shelves. For good or bad that cycle is now running down, so a sequel without his involvement is a bit of a surprise. But a good surprise. It may lack the budget, craftsmanship, scale, scope, ambition, grace or majesty of it’s progenitor, but Sword of Destiny is an enjoyable blend of likeably iconic characters getting involved in engaging, smartly choreographed and augmented scuffles. The limited amount of sets might scrape a bit of the epic sparkle from the endeavour but during the final two face-offs on ice and tower you’ll be far too involved by the game, note perfect performances from the ageing but still captivating Michelle Yeoh, Donnie Yen and Jason Scott Lee. A cheap cash in, perhaps, but not one that you resent wanting your money once you’ve paid. It lacks the nuance but delivers on the action and the likability.

7