The Leader (Fong Sai Yuk) Review

Jet Li levitates again. Another Chinese martial arts movie (originally Fong Sai Yuk) with all the (un)necessary ingredients has hit town. Karate chops delivered at lightning speed, duels fought in the stratosphere and stale humor.

Defunct Oriental cinema should be banned in Hyderabad to spare us the torture. The only attraction of the movie is the hero who has made quite a name for himself in Hollywood. Unrealistic stunts (Li actually walks on water) and a missing story line are the backbreakers of The Leader.

Hong Sai (Jet Li) is the godson of leader of the Red Flower society who is being trained to take over the leadership. The society has a group of conspirators plotting to overthrow the current regime. The sacred red box is what can restore the society to its rightful status in the Ming dynasty (Ming dynasty???).

It is Hong's mission to obtain this red box and save the day. An expert in Kung-Fu, he does it quite easily. He fights a whole battalion of warriors blindfolded (that's how good he is). His paramours in the movie Ting Ting (Michelle Reis) and Man Ying (Josephine Siao) do nothing apart from beating each other's brains out (literally) vying for his love. It was meant to be comical but was down right ridiculous.

Director Corey Yuen must have been asleep at the camera when the movie was shot. A very sincere effort has to be put in to watch this movie right till the end.