As the name implies, Flying Swords of Dragon Gate is heavily entrenched in the long tradition of wuxia flicks, which means lots of declaiming, duels and over-the-top wire fu martial arts choreography. While visual subtlety is not its strong suit, the film is garishly impressive in 3D, and Tsui Hark lends his inimitable style to the proceedings, with epic sword fights in giant twisters, cannibalistic inn owners, and hot tattooed chicks.
Unfortunately, with a plot as weightless as its gravity-defying sword fighting scenes, there is little to tie the entire film together, and one soon gets the sneaking suspicion that Tsui Hark has jettisoned narrative development often strong suits in his movies for excessive visual styling. Jet Li fans should also note that, despite being touted as the main protagonist of the movie, the veteran martial arts film star is merely one in a veritable army of characters jostling for screen time.
While less fussy wuxia fans will enjoy the over-the-top visuals of Flying Swords of Dragon Gate, those less partial to endless sword fights will soon find themselves frustrated at the distracting number of two-dimensional characters and its utter lack of plot direction.
Summary: Despite a gaudy exterior, its hardly worth staying the night at this Dragon Inn.
Rating: 2.5/5 Raphael Lim