there was a rush to complete the HK$300 million film in time to meet its January release dates in Hong Kong and on the mainland, the viewer can see the haste. As it is, one leaves the cinema feeling there are too many loose ends
narrative was never a strong suite in Wong's films, which typically were mood pieces boosted by his signature artistic flourishes. These trademarks are still very much alive in 'The Grandmaster'
a scintillating mix of explosive action choreography and suppressed emotions, but it could have used more work on consistency in tone and character development
by Gabriel Chong [movieXclusive.com ]
