This isn't a great film by any means, but it's not a bad film either. It's obviously made in the early 1980s, it's an Australian film so the level of film-making isn't the same as the US was producing at the same time. But it's a cultural gem if you're interested in Aussie cinema or Mel Gibson history. He's also pretty good in it. You can just tell that he was a star in the making. His look, his energy, it's just a step above the rest. He puts more into it than the others, even if he's in an inferior production. But it's not "woeful" as he himself has described.

There's a lot of Chinese dialogue so if you're like me or stuffp that will be comfortable viewing. And I imagine Chinese people will enjoy it as it also more or less resembles the revolutionary war fantasies that are aired in Mainland China every single day where the Japanese are utter barbarians and Chinese farmers ridiculously hold their own and often come out on top. But it does have charm. It reminded me of a cross between 50s American westerns, 70s war films, and 70s Kung Fu movies, particularly the choreography and the way people die.