I would give it 10 out of 10 but I can't because apparently some of the marketing made it look like an action movie.

It isn't and I can see why people tried to watch this expecting lots of fighting and instead got slow scenes and character development.

But if you watch this movie without the expectation of a kung-fu/action flick, then it's pretty good.

It's about how a woman comes to terms with her past and her father, and it's about how martial ethics can change a person.

The Empty Hands is a slow-paced film about an unlucky young woman who inherits the karate dojo of her deceased father that she needs to share with a former student who has just come out of prison.

The story features profound characters, the diversified story is filled wth promising ideas and the few fighting scenes are entertaining. The protagonist has lost her passion for karate after losing a fight in a tournament as a child, doesn't get along with her stubborn father before his death and has a complicated romantic relationship with a local radio celebrity who hides her from his wife and family. The student that inherits fifty-one percent of the karate dojo had ties with a crime syndicate but decided to beat his boss and two of its associates to pulp when they were planning on raping an innocent teenage girl which led to his prison sentence. When they inherit the dojo, their lifestyles, opinions and tempers clash. The former student wants to improve the dojo's reputation and save its legacy while the daughter wants to get rid of it and make it a real estate project. Since she only owns forty-nine percent of the dojo, she initially has to accept her partner's decision to continue to give karate classes but they soon make a deal: if the daughter accepts to take part in another tournament and manages to be still standing at the end of the fight, her partner is willing to retreat and give the entire property to her. The daughter accepts and the fight in the tournament is indeed the film's climax and highlight.

The biggest downside of the movie is its dull pace despite an already short running time. Static camera work, slow movements by the actresses and actors and repetitive settings try to give the film an arthouse style but end up dragging it down. The movie is sometimes advertised as an action film but it's actually a drama. The film sometimes doesn't live up to its potential as several story lines remain incomplete such as the fate of the radio celebrity. The movie only features two fighting sequences while an intriguing third one only happens off screen. The fate of a Japanese immigrant to Hongkong and later on China would have deserved a more complex story line as well.

The Empty Hands is worth to be watched if you are looking for a slow-paced drama with interesting characters. If you are intrigued by the context of a karate dojo or the fate of Japanese immigrants in China, you will find this movie boring. In the end, The Empty Hands has a quite unique style but almost as many downsides as positive elements. I don't regret watching it at all but wouldn't watch it again anytime soon.

This film is not an art film at all, but it is a well made Hong Kong action film featuring karate and typical human relationships around it.

And we can enjoy it without political position of the director in Hong Kong political environment. Chapman To is obviously affected by Sugata-Sanshirou (Dir.Akira Kurosawa, Japan, 1943) and Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby (US, 2004),however it is in several essences only.

For instance, the 30 year old girl gets trained by a senior trainer who is compassionate about her drastic situation of life; the official karate sequence in which the antagonist is look like the opponent of Hilary Swank's boxer in the final match.

The plot is simple enough that Mari Hirakawa who is a half Japanese Hong Kong girl does not get along with her father, Karate master on his disagreement on Mari and her boy friend's affair. After, her father's die, Mari unexpectedly inherits the karate school, dojo with ex-student of his father, yakuza, Chan Keung who also succeeds the half of it. Conflict is clear enough. Main conflict is not focussed on who inherits the whole dojo.

On the contrary, it is development of Mari through its conflicts with Chan Keung at their half succeeded dojo, after her break with her boy friend, uncontrollable Mari gets beaten by karate children at there. This is the beginning of mutual relationship between protagonist Mari and Chan Keung who teaches karate for her and his students.

There is only one strong antagonist appears at the karate match where only one audience attends. The result is turned out to be win over the Mari's opponent. The karate match is typical Hong Kong film's performance on action sequence that its extent of violence exceeds Hollywood standard, and it is adequate to make audience feel the pain of protagonist. This kind of defamiliarization is effective!

What I prefer is the training montage sequence of Mari. During which you can see jogging on the tram rail line roads on Hong Kong Island, Wan Zai and Causeway Bay. It is also unusual to show Mari's jogging on the middle of the streets in early morning. Stephy Tang a few used stunt for her actions, almost all performances are done by herself. It adds acting values to the certain extent.

The ending is pretty sudden and vague, the dream sequence in which abstract light on the dark space shows Chan Keung leaving the dojo to Mari, and Mari also gets defeated by the opponent on the ring.

It is open ending which is typical in art film. Without this, I appreciate all of them and enjoyed the development of Mari. Mixture of genre film and art film features are harmful to box office.

Anyway, I prefer this film among all Hong Kong films this year!

10 out of 10!