Young Dee Renjie arrives in the empire's capital to join the Supreme Court as police judge of his region. He wants to become a prosecutor. Empress Wu, who is at the beginning of her reign, has commissioned the fierce detective Yuchi to investigate a sea monster that stalks the city at night and makes it unsafe.
Direction
Tsui Hark's camera practically does kung fu itself.
Practical Effects
Sea monster puppetry that puts CGI to shame.
Costume
Tang dynasty drip that makes everyone look regal.
Director
Tsui Hark
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This prequel retrofits Dee Renjie into a folk hero tradition stretching back to 18th century novels, making him China's answer to Sherlock decades before Holmes existed.
The tea house fight scene required 27 takes because AngelaBaby kept laughing at Mark Chao's deliberately terrible disguises.
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