Once Upon a Time in China III (1993)

Once Upon a Time in China III is the kind of action film that makes you sit up straighter, because Tsui Hark stages martial arts like a living pageant—bold, colorful, and constantly in motion, with Jet Li’s Wong Fei-hung radiating calm authority amid the chaos. The lion dance competition isn’t just a backdrop; it becomes a thrilling arena for ingenuity and athleticism, building to set pieces that feel both playful and perilous, shot with a visual snap that keeps your eyes wide. There’s a spirited, crowd-pleasing vibe here—part national-pride spectacle, part old-school wuxia adventure—sweetened by the chemistry and humor around Wong’s circle without losing its sense of stakes. If you’re expecting the deepest chapter of the series, this one leans more toward entertainment than gravitas, but as a showcase for inventive action and sheer cinematic energy, it’s an easy film to recommend.

Once Upon a Time in China III is clearly aiming for crowd-pleasing spectacle: Jet Li’s Wong Fei-hung as a moral anchor, a nationalist backdrop, and a big showpiece built around the lion dance competition. When it clicks, the choreography is inventive and the final scaffold set-piece delivers the kind of physical stuntwork Tsui Hark fans show up for, with Rosamund Kwan adding charm and warmth. But compared to the first two films, it can feel more uneven and episodic, with the political intrigue and villainy not always landing with the same punch, so the momentum dips between action highs. If you’re here for peak-series storytelling and emotional heft, this may disappoint; if you mainly want Jet Li doing crisp, stylish kung fu with a memorable competition gimmick, it’s still a solid way to spend an evening.