It is a performances centric movie

Best movie of this year hands down!

The first must-see film of the year.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

Wu Xia is the best film in Donnie Yen's filmography. It may not have the most fights or be the most rah-rah crowd pleasing, but it's easily the best directed & most complete movie he's ever made. Huge credit has to go to director Peter Chan. He gives the film a remarkable sense of style that reminded me of early 1990s Luc Besson (when Besson was one of the most stylish directors in the world). Gorgeous visuals, weird yet perfect music, and a quirky rhythm all come together with an interesting story to form a highly compelling film that feels like no other kung fu movie out there.Don't get me wrong: It's not empty style. Every scene successfully conveys the emotion/feeling it's supposed to convey. There's no moment that rings false or feels like it could've been done better. Frankly, director Chan tells the story so effectively that it makes most of Yen's other films feel amateurish in comparison. The incredible style applies to the fights as well. Frankly, the film's fights set a new standard: They manage to combine the intricate choreography of old school wushu kung fu scenes with the hard hitting MTV style of modern Hollywood action without losing what makes either of them good. You can see all of the choreography clearly, but you also get that awesome hard hitting, kinetic MTV sense of style, yet there is no shaky cam or seizure-inducing editing! There is a big chase & fight scene about half way through this film that would be entertaining for most people, but for a student of kung fu cinema, it should be recognized as game changing filmmaking. Bottomline: Donnie Yen's best made film and a new high watermark for the wushu genre.

It's 1917 Liu Village, China. Liu Jin-Xi (Donnie Yen) is a paper maker in the small town. One day, two violent criminals come to town and Liu Jin-Xi kills them. Everybody believes they were accidentally killed, but Detective Xu Bai-Jiu (Takeshi Kaneshiro) is convinced that Liu Jin-Xi is actually a kung fu master.The premise is reminiscent of 'A History of Violence', and gets its inspiration from Yu Wang's 'The One-Armed Swordsman' (1967). Yu Wang is also in this one. The story of the wife played by Wei Tang is amazingly compelling. The detective is also more than a simple policeman. He is a strict legalist. He doesn't bend. His convictions have a dark beginning, and a dark result. The character relationships are complicated.The action isn't the normal kung fu movie for the first half. For action fans, the second half has enough to satisfy. But it's not just a simple action thriller. This is a character study, and a Greek tragedy.

But when it "kicks" in, then it's more than amazing! Takeshi K. might have the more difficult role to play (though his versatility does allow him to do that), but Donnie Yen might be the real surprise here, going through a range of emotions. It's great seeing him doing those movies, something he might not have been able to do in America (so in a way it's good he stayed where he grew up).Apart from Hollywood calls (or not), this movie does work as a crime movie too. The way it is shot and the voice over (thoughts) from Takeshis character do help. Takeshi is sort of playing the audience watching how everything unfolds. He still has his own back story of course. And he has his own issues. Which makes his character even more intriguing. You want action with a story? Here you go

Donnie Yen has been the go to guy for great martial arts films for the last few years. He is one of the few in the industry that delivers great acting performances alongside some remarkable action. His latest film Dragon aka Wu xia looks to continue his tradition of great epic films, but with a bit of a drama suspense aspect, but will this new direction hurt the film or just deliver another great addition to his already brilliant resume? Dragon follows a martial arts expert trying to live in peace, but after a couple of criminals attempt to rob a store and are killed, a determined detective sets out on a hunt to solve the case and reveal the secret he has been trying to leave behind. This is a bit of a different type of film than Yen's previous endeavors. Make no mistake, there is plenty of action here, but it's separated by mystery story that is simple yet cleverly crafted. The film plays as a homage to the classic martial arts film One Armed Swordsman in both story as well as having the legendary star of the film Jimmy Wang in a major role in the film. In addition it almost feels like an Asian remake of History of Violence with the story being the exact same direction. There is some brilliantly clever layout to the way this film is crafted taking out of the realm of average to something a bit more special. Seeing the events unfold in numerous ways throughout this film adds a new dimension that keeps you guessing and wondering where things are going and how it will be revealed. Yen gives another great performance with one of the widest ranges he has had to deliver in some time. Jimmy Wang, while not in the movie a lot, delivers some great moments of pure evil as well as an epic fight scene that any hardcore martial arts fan will surely get sucked right into.Dragon is a great entry into the martial arts genre and one that shows you can deliver the awesome action with a great story and performances. If you are a fan of Yen or the classic One Arm Swordsman then this is a must see film. Understand though, this is not a remake of that film, but does pay homage in a big unexpected way that you will not want to miss.