This is a little offcolor for my reviews but it is an undeniable truth - for a kung fu movie, this is pretty horny and coded for all kinds of sexualities. Everyone is fabulous and throwing off their cloaks dramatically, there’s some kind of fishnet-esque bodycon outfit, and there are some NINJA LOOKS.
I was not expecting that.
The movie opens with a title card about how all the weapons are grounded in historical texts. It didn’t register until about 15 minutes in when the wild ideas kick in and I realized it was the creators’ way of saying “I know this @&%# is wild, but some of this actually happened, maybe, kinda.”
The fights themselves are not as great as some of the other Shaw movies I’ve seen, but the audacity hooked me. It’s difficult to pick a favorite Ninja Element, but if forced I’d choose Water for a fight both ridiculous and awesome at the same time.
