★★★★ The idea is to mix a fairy tale, a medieval melodrama and a martial arts movie and not believe any of the three. The defect, in any case, consists in the latter: the constant idea that it is all a big joke, although there is no lack of dramatic elements. Still, the genre-blending game works even if the idea of a seemingly fragile but Kill Bill-educated princess in the most sophisticated martial arts allows the action to never stop and the film’s flaws often go unnoticed. In fact, it all gets pretty gory – but, let’s repeat, from the irony, more funny than terrible – as the actions grow. Yes, there is a lot, a lot of common ground, but the actors do not lose the playful perspective of the matter. Yes, everything is very dark, but tremendously fun.
