The Princess Blade

Nicely shot, well acted, but overlong and lacking. With Donnie Yen fight choreography, at least the action scenes are nicely executed. There\'s just not enough of them!

Excellent photography and astounding action pieces aren\'t enough to lift THE PRINCESS BLADE to the status of royalty.
Through the confession of an old friend, Yuki learns that she is a royal princess whose bloodline can restore peace to a future world on the brink of chaos. Since her mother\'s death, however, Yuki has come to serve a \'society of assassins,\' so reclaiming her birthright will not only involve personal sacrifice but an awful lot of bloodshed by the individuals her put in her in present predicament.

Fleeing for her life, Yuki is befriended by a young man and his shut-in sister. Together, the three of them discover the meaning of family ... before tragedy once again puts Yuki on a course of self-redemption.

Despite some great performances and a mythic storyline, PRINCESS meanders weakly through most of the dramatic passages where Yuki attempts to recapture her lost humanity. However, once the blades are pulled, the film soars to terrific heights.

Just don\'t expect much in-between ...