18 Bronzegirls (2 Stars)

This film is confusing. After watching it I still don't know what it's about. There are so many characters with different agendas, some good, some evil, and I can't keep track of their alliances. What makes it more difficult to follow is the frequency with which the characters disguise themselves. Men disguise themselves as women, women disguise themselves as men. For instance, in one scene an old woman introduces herself as Pai Yu-Fei. Then we find out the old woman is really a man. Then we meet the real Pai Yu-Fei. Then we see an identical woman (played by the same actress) who also claims to be Pai Yu-Fei. How is anyone supposed to keep up?

The introductory dialog is worthy of mention. The narrator explains to us what the Shaolin temple was. Then he goes on to say, "The monk Chi Kung wasn't a real monk. In fact, he was evil. He even accepted girls as students."

The shame! The horror! I can imagine the Chinese audiences hissing in the cinemas as these vile words were spoken!