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Xu Xi cautions Chief Inspector Shek, "Your method of fighting violence with violence won't work; it will only make the world more chaotic." But in the end, doesn't he resort to violence himself? Because he is Jet Li! This issue was raised before in the short review of the *Once Upon a Time in China* series. The very foundation of action films is fighting violence with violence. Otherwise, why hire martial arts elites to act? Admittedly, Hong Kong cinema does have a major advantage over Hollywood, which is its ability to dissolve the cruelty and ugliness of violence on a stylistic level, shifting towards the lyrical beauty of action. But should you solidify this concept like Hollywood's anti-genre films, especially in terms of the themes and character dialogues? It becomes incongruous...

Having watched "Black Mask II" first, I was deeply apprehensive about the original. However, I later caught glimpses of it on TV and realized it's actually quite good. While the body modification aspect feels somewhat half-baked and the film is essentially a martial arts flick at its core, it's still much better than the sequel that followed.

Avoid the sequels at all costs...

Need an action fix.

Watching Jet Li and Lau Ching-wan throughout fills you with amusement. At the end, when the main villain tells Jet Li he has a gift for him, I innocently thought it would be Karen Mok. But when the curtain is drawn to reveal Lau Ching-wan tied to a chair, looking sideways with a helpless expression, I immediately burst out laughing! Hong Kong cinema, you're so considerate!

Tsui's journey from a broken soldier to a reluctant hero highlights the moral dilemmas of vengeance and redemption in this gripping thriller. With intense action sequences and a deep exploration of human nature, "Black Mask" keeps viewers on the edge of their seats while questioning the cost of justice.