The film received a positive review from "Time Out London" who referred to the script as "cobbled together", but praised actress Josephine Siao, noting "a show-stopping culmination of three decades of fine work in the Hong Kong cinema". The "Austin Chronicle" praised the film's fight choreography as the "most breathtakingly choreographed fight scenes witnessed in years", and noted the liberated female characters, calling them "a refreshing change of pace from years past, when women were frequently used as either cookie cutter stereotypes or the requisite damsels in distress". "TV Guide" gave the film four stars, praising both Siao and Jet Li's roles and Corey Yuen's direction stating "it's astonishing to find that the director also helmed the ridiculous Stateside kung fu fest "No Retreat, No Surrender" (1986), Jean-Claude Van Damme's film debut; on home ground, he proves a filmmaker of consummate skill and style".