Director: Lin Zhenzhao
Notable Cast: Vincent Zhao,
Michael Tong, Wei Ni, Li Lubing, Li Bing-Yuan, Chen Chen
If I were being truthful to myself, I would say I was
anxious going into The Unity of Heroes.
The film felt like it was heavily reliant on nostalgia for fans of the Wong
Fei-Hung films from the 90s, in particular the films of the Once Upon a Time in China series, and I
wasn’t sure that was going to be enough to carry the film. Thus, I was cautious
going in and just went in to have a fun time. This is how I would suggest
anyone watching the film go into it. If you do, then you could very well find
quite a bit of enjoyment. The Unity of
Heroes is hardly a great film, but it’s one that wears its influences proudly
on its sleeves and wants its audience to have a good time with the film more
than anything. While it’s not a film full of substance or the layered thoughtfulness
that made the Once Upon a Time in China
films iconic, it does entertain and have fun with its story and characters.
That’s worth something, right?