キン肉マンたち正義超人の活躍で平和な日々を取り戻した地球に、ふたたび悪行超人たちが攻めてきた。かつて活躍した伝説超人たちが、これを阻止すべく立ち向かうが、若く鍛え上げられた新世代の悪行超人たちに惨敗を喫してしまう。そこで伝説超人たちは、新世代の正義超人を育てるため、正義超人育成施設・ヘラクレス･ファクトリーを再開することを決める。かくして、各地から呼び寄せられる若き正義超人たち。その中には、往年の英雄であるキン肉マンの息子・キン肉万太郎もいた。父親と同じくドジでオッチョコチョイでありながら、熱き友情と正義の魂を持つ万太郎は、地獄の特訓を耐え抜いてヘラクレス･ファクトリーを無事に卒業、地球防衛の任務に就く。ふたたび始まった悪行超人との激闘をくぐり抜け、万太郎はキン肉マンⅡ世として成長してゆく！
Though the story isn't really very strong here the combination of beautiful visual effects and precision martial arts makes for an enjoyable depiction of Chinese mystical intrigue. "Mei" (Ziyi Zhang) is a mute dancer who attracts the attention of police captain "Jin" (Takeshi Kaneshiro) after she is very nearly raped at the "Peony Palace". She is also arrested but he helps her escape and into the dense forest they head, pursued by the police and fearful of the eponymous freedom fighters who are rumoured to dwell deep amongst the tall bamboo. Of course, as they travel they begin to fall in love but he's not quite ready for the surprise she delivers nor for his response as he must make a choice between his heart and his loyalty. Meantime, there's the jealous "Leo" (Andy Lau) on the scene who is determined to see his love stays with him or nobody! It's the stylish and vibrant look of this adventure that helps it stand out. The perfect choreography of the dances and the combat scenes couples well with some impressive imagery that tests and provokes just about all of our senses as the mystery unravels as easily as the folds in her intricately woven gown. I was slightly disappointed by the denouement which I think might be testament to the performances from the two travellers who managed to ensure I cared what happened to them as they twisted and twirled their way through the imaginatively photographed trees. It certainly benefits from a big screen and from it's big audio, too.
