Jet Li's last appearance in the ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA film series is a straightforward East-meets-West adventure that offers some fun martial arts sequences and a storyline that's been done about a hundred times already (indeed, the martial arts western premise had already been exhausted by the time it first appeared in the early 1970s). This time around, Tsui Hark stands in as producer and brings sure-hand director Sammo Hung on board to lens the proceedings. Sadly, it appears that Hung's artistic vision was somewhat constrained on this movie, which has a kind of bland, glossy look and is far from the nitty-gritty action seen in his '80s offerings like MILLIONAIRE'S EXPRESS and EASTERN CONDORS.

Jet Li, who only made one more Chinese flick, Hit-man, before upping sticks to America, is good value for money, as always, but he does look a little bored with the material. Things do tend to get rather silly, especially when he joins a Native American tribe who nickname him 'Yellow' (a little racist perhaps?).You get the impression that Li was looking for a little more substantial material which is fair enough. Others returning from the third film in the series include Xi Xi Xiong (as lightning-fast as ever) and Rosamund Kwan, who looks a lot older, and is pretty much unrecognisable from her glory days in the '80s. The only other recognisable cast member is Richard Ng, better known as 'Sandy', who seems to have aged about twenty years since we last saw him.

The storyline is definitely episodic with one or two engaging stunts, including a spectacular carriage crash which has to be seen to be believed. The final drawn-out battle with a gang of bandits is a lot of fun, especially Li's showdown with Joe Sayah, a really weird looking guy who gets bottles and all sorts smashed over his head. Although the film never reaches the heights to which it aspires, it passes the time amiably enough if you're in the mood for non-demanding fare.

As this film opens Wong Fei-Hung and his fiancée 'Aunt Lee' are travelling through the American West in a stage coach, they stop to pick up Billy, a man lost in the wilderness, but they don't really get a chance to get to know him as their group of wagons is attacked by Indians as they stop to eat. They survive the ensuing fight but Wong Fei-Hung hits his head in a river and when he comes to he is with a group of Indians and has no memory. Aunt Lee and friend Seven join up with friends who have settled in America then set about finding Wong Fei-Hung; who has become friends with the Indians after helping them beat a rival tribe… he is now particularly close to one of the women. When his countrymen finally find him he still doesn't know who he is so Seven must fight him till his memory returns! That isn't the end of their worries though; the mayor of the town is making life difficult for the Chinese population and frames them when the bank is robbed; to prove their innocence they will have to survive hanging and fight the real robbers!.

If you are looking for a serious western then this isn't the film for you; however if you want some laughs and over the top kung-fu action then this is a lot of fun. Cliché is piled on cliché as we have marauding Indians, amnesia, corrupt officials and diabolical villains; the leader of whom just happens to know kung-fu! The action scenes are well choreographed for the most part although occasionally they look hilariously fake… the early wagon crash being most notable. When I watched this I had no idea that it was actually the sixth instalment in a series of films but that doesn't really matter; the cast are introduced in a way that means you don't have to have seen earlier instalments; the only real confusion was the title as we never see them in China! The Chinese cast do well; as one would expect Jet Li's action scenes are great as are those of Xin Xin Xiong, who plays Seven, Rosamund Kwan is also likable as Aunt Lee. The western cast aren't so great though; they aren't terrible but it is of no surprise that none of them are well known… or known at all for that matter. Overall this is a lot of fun if you want plenty of action and plenty of laughs… sometime unintended laughs!.

These comments are based on watching the subtitled version of the film; strangely everything is subtitled including the English dialogue… which sometimes doesn't match what is said!

Review: It's been such a long time since I have seen a movie which is full of huge pixels. For a film that was made in the late 90's, I really can't see why the camera work so so terrible, and the movie wasn't that much better. The acting was appalling from the Red Indians and the weird looking blonde guy and the storyline was all over the place. The music sounded like it was done on one of those old, small casino organs but some of the fighting scenes weren't that bad. I'm glad that I didn't have to read subtitles through the movie because the script was really bad and the dubbing wasn't much better. On the whole, it's not a movie that I will be watching again in a hurry. Terrible!

Round-Up: This has to be one of the worst martial arts movies that I have seen in some time. The sad thing is that Jet Li actually isn't that bad in it. I do wonder how people can watch the screening of a movie and think that it's OK to release utter rubbish. I also can't see were all of the budget went. Anyway, I will just put this down as a bad day at the office for Jet Li.

Budget: $12million Worldwide Gross: HK$30million

I recommend this movie to people who are into their Jet Li movies about a group of natives, trying to make a new life for themselves in the Wild West. 1/10