With the exception of the beautiful black and white, slo-mo prologue narrated by Michelle Yeoh, and a later scene in the ice that has its moments, there isn't much to enjoy in this movie.
This is what you get when you take the original movie, CGI-it to oblivion (even the Green Destiny has this horrible video-game feel to it with the faded green inscriptions now vivid green). The fact that the all-Asian cast speaks English, this completely foreign, Western language feels like a sore thumb - it takes you out of the movie frequently. (The same could be said regarding Amadeus, of course, but the sheer excellence of that film and the fact that you're switching a Western language for another does not really affect your viewing experience.)
Furthermore, a bunch of paper-thin characters, defined mainly by their appearance and fighting skills rather than any discernible personality traits, die like flies only a few scenes after being introduced (and we get other characters mourning for them which is a terrible attempt at making us care).
The Green Destiny sword, a powerful storytelling device in the first movie, is relegated to the background, only to be used in the very last scenes, without showing its true abilities. It becomes a pretty sword in a box.
Now, the most laughable aspect of the movie is its "villain". To call him bland would be an understatement. He has practically no personality, being reduced to owning a ridiculous tower and an ugly serrated sword.
After enduring this movie, it is evident that in the same way law students have to pass an exam to become lawyers, screenwriters above all should pass a very strict test on the basics of storytelling.
This is what you get when you take the original movie, CGI-it to oblivion (even the Green Destiny has this horrible video-game feel to it with the faded green inscriptions now vivid green). The fact that the all-Asian cast speaks English, this completely foreign, Western language feels like a sore thumb - it takes you out of the movie frequently. (The same could be said regarding Amadeus, of course, but the sheer excellence of that film and the fact that you're switching a Western language for another does not really affect your viewing experience.)
Furthermore, a bunch of paper-thin characters, defined mainly by their appearance and fighting skills rather than any discernible personality traits, die like flies only a few scenes after being introduced (and we get other characters mourning for them which is a terrible attempt at making us care).
The Green Destiny sword, a powerful storytelling device in the first movie, is relegated to the background, only to be used in the very last scenes, without showing its true abilities. It becomes a pretty sword in a box.
Now, the most laughable aspect of the movie is its "villain". To call him bland would be an understatement. He has practically no personality, being reduced to owning a ridiculous tower and an ugly serrated sword.
After enduring this movie, it is evident that in the same way law students have to pass an exam to become lawyers, screenwriters above all should pass a very strict test on the basics of storytelling.