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Boring, over-political, tech fuzed mess

it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

It's one of the most original films you'll likely see all year, which, depending on your threshold for certifiably crazy storylines, could be a rewarding experience or one that frustrates you.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

This was a very good film, that bounced around a lot. There is a story or two buried under all the torn out by the root heads and body's that get sliced right in half! Basically this is a betrayal love story triangle and a tale of loyalty built on a political power play and deception platform ..Clear? The story is almost secondary to the barrage of action and violence.The kungfu is mostly wire and magic based so if you like reality kungfu or sword work and really dislike far-fetched wire and magic, this won;'t be the movie for you. I love both styles so this was great! ( I am a huge gore fan too) The cast is great, some of the best and most beautiful hong-kong actors are in it. Tony Leung and Donnie Yen are near perfect. Joey Wong as butterfly is perfect and Michelle Yeoh is wonderful as the slightly evil plotting and driven sister Ko.This is a very watchable movie...give it a go, not for under 15 years of age in-spite of the fact the violence is cartoon like in its degree of carnage.

Had Butterfly and Sword had anything even remotely resembling a comprehensible plot, I would have no hesitation in awarding it 9 out of 10. There is loads to enjoy in this totally bonkers Wuxia tale; the cast is great and the martial arts set-pieces are completely mad. Unfortunately, from start to finish, I had absolutely no idea who was who, what was happening or why.However lousy at telling a story it may be, Butterfly and Sword succeeds magnificently in presenting some of the craziest action ever seen on screen. In true Wuxia fashion, every character has the ability to fly, spin acrobatically through the air during fights, and survive all manner of blows that would be fatal to you or I; however, the protagonists in this movie go even further—one guy is even able to launch himself like an arrow, blasting his way straight through the enemy.The volume of cartoon-style gore on show is also pretty impressive. Loads of baddies get hacked, beheaded and generally mutilated during the fights and in the obligatory bamboo forest scene, pretty much all of the enemy end up impaled on bamboo stalks! If as much time and effort had been spent on the narrative as on the creative martial arts choreography, Butterfly and Sword would be an almost perfect piece of entertainment. As it is, I can't bring myself to give this any more than 6 out of 10.

Who cares about the plot when it only gets in the way of the action? The editing makes for some headscratching and eyerolling moments, but I think I understood the basic power trip thing in the end. Any excuse for a tear up. Graaaaaaaaaaar! I love this movie for the gratuitous gore, insane high speed swordplay, and wobbly wirework. This is my idea of fun fu. It reminds me of the madder Ghost Story type movies from the early eighties that sacrificed plot for pure adrenaline. I was half expecting the fake eunuch to drop some fancy prehensile eyebrow moves on Michelle and Tony at the end, but the scissorhand thing was a fine substitute. Maybe I'm just unsophisticated, but movies like this strike me as pure action comedies. Seeing Donnie Yen wiggling his sword at the speed of light in between bouts of lovesick drunkenness is worth the price of admission. The human arrow sequences are a riot, especially the first one where Tony Leung goes through at least a dozen flunkies without blinking. And without getting any blood and guts on his clothes. Neat! Watch this movie if you like bloody high speed entertainment. Don't waste your time or money if you want a philosophical history lesson.

I own this movie on DVD, have watched it several times, and still wouldn't even attempt to give a more in depth plot summary than "There are political factions. They seem to want something. They kill lots of people." Who knows what this flick is about. But with the glorious Michelle Yeoh looking especially radiantly beautiful and ripping heads out at the root through the unadulterated power of her fabulous costumes, who cares? Add in the always charming, greatly lamented Tony Leung as her innocuous-secret-identity-guy brother, a plot would almost get in the way.If you can embrace the sacrifice of story in favor of pure action and character development in favor of raw screen power, you will have a great time watching this movie.