buddybhupender Most of us try many things in our lives at the suggestions of others because we value their opinions or we want to play safe. First part is good but the latter part sometimes backfires on us. Same happened with this flick. I am a great fan of HK martial arts movies especially with the historical background. I saw the ratings on IMDb and saw couple of reviews who praised the movie and i decided to watch it.And it backfired on me. This movie is based on Wire Works. To present things in new style all the main fighting sequences are full of wire stunts. Nothing original and it does not co-relates with laws of physics. The story is though original like many other Chinese Legends we have witnessed in the past or present but the screenplay tries to attempt a lots of things differently or way too entertaining from the directors point of view that nothing sticks with a viewer with his head on his shoulders. My dear director wire works with a logical explanation works but too much dependency on them during fighting sequences is not a proof of your creativity. Your story might work but it is a action cinema where real martial arts has disappeared and it is a total failure.For me it doesn't deliver what other users are suggesting. A total waste of time. An average flick which we will forget (regret) as soon as we finish watching it.

Lawson I hadn't watched this in years but this was always one of the more memorable HK movies for me, if only that it featured the two luminous actresses Brigitte Lin and Maggie Cheung in swordfighting roles. Well- choreographed swordfighting is poetry in motion and with graceful actresses as these, it's just mesmerizing.With this recent revisit though, I've come to realize what else I like and dislike about the movie. Most of it is set at the titular Dragon Gate Inn, and it's a fun setting - a shadowy building made of adobe bricks in the middle of the desert. In there, three different parties covertly play cat and mouse while overtly bantering and taunting each other. There's much wit, even if it often borders on silly. The biggest letdown is unfortunately the climactic battle scene. It starts off great, with the four leads fighting in a desert storm - glorious cinematography - but ends with the stupidest cop-out that is hardly befitting of what could've been an epic period movie. Pity.

winner55 One of the most beautiful of Hong Kong's 'New wave' sword-fight films, "Dragon Inn" has virtually nothing wrong to be said for it. A dark Romantic tragedy over-layered with a romantic comedy almost as dark, and filled with living breathing characters brilliantly portrayed by an excellent cast; still, the film's primary asset is its breathtaking imagery and carefully subdued (given the material) editing. You never have any doubt as to where your eye should light, nor are you ever disappointed.After viewing any narrative film, we have the right to ask ourselves, "did I go any interesting places here? did I meet any interesting people? did I see anything I could not have seen otherwise?" The answers for this film are: "yes, yes, and again yes" Although this is not a 'magic kung fu' film, yet there is magic in virtually every frame. It takes us to another world and introduces us to interesting people, and then, when the end comes, it simply says 'adieu' and the film closes and we are home again - but far better informed on the nature of the world, and of the human heart, than we would be other wise.True cinema magic, and certainly one of the best of its kind - perhaps one of the best of any kind.

lu9603 Everybody loves "Crouching Tiger", but this movie made more than 10 years ago is a much better martial arts movie. Instead of trying to be everything like "Crouching Tiger" did, it was just designed and implemented as a martial arts movie, and nothing else. This focus made it great to begin with. In addition to a stellar cast, great action scenes, its plot is solid and intriguing. The final fight is one of the greatest martial arts scenes ever made, especially to those who grew up reading Chinese martial arts novels. It is interesting that those who have a problem with the imagination of Chinese martial arts movies do not have any issue with that of "Matrix". In fact, the logic is very similar. "Matrix": with hi-tech, everything is possible, including dodging bullets; Chinese martial arts movies: with kongfu, everything is possible, including running on the roof. Having said that, I understand that those who have never read Chinese martial arts novels may have trouble with some of the scenes, especially if you are trying to find medical evidence to verify the possibility of some moves. However, this is just a movie based on a novel, so why don't you just relax and enjoy?