KFH uses the same gymnastic spectacle, atmospheric sets, and masterly photography as many recent Chinese hits, but replaces self-conscious artiness and romance with Popeye-style schlock.

The story doesn't even try to be coherent and is nothing more than a device for stringing together contrived set pieces and laboured jokes. The result is ultimately boring.

As for levitating combatants, and gangster mobs who politely avoid attacking from behind (preferring to wait until the hero gets round to systematically duffing them up from in front) ... enough already!

It's time for Hong Kong Hollywood to take a back seat and give us real stories, real actors, and real China.