The Final Master
United Entertainment Partners North America | Release Date: June 3, 2016 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
72
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
10
Mixed:
2
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonJun 2, 2016
The fight climax and very interesting resolution cap off an exhilarating two hours of entertainment — and suggest a sequel to come. Hope there is one. Read full review
90
Village VoiceSimon AbramsJun 1, 2016
Xu (The Sword Identity) may not be a household name, but The Final Master proves that he's the next big thing in martial-arts cinema. Read full review
88
The Seattle TimesSoren AndersenJun 2, 2016
The film’s action scenes are masterpieces of stately choreography, with elements of humor incorporated. Read full review
83
The PlaylistOktay Ege Kozak Jun 9, 2016
Fans of high octane, fast-paced martial arts action might be bored with the deliberately calculating style of The Final Master, but those who look for a more patient and meditative experience within the genre will get more than their money’s worth. Read full review
80
VarietyOwen GleibermanJun 15, 2016
It’s a passionate comic book in which the combat has meaning. Read full review
80
The New York TimesGlenn KennyJun 2, 2016
The characters and the actors playing them are appealing, and the fight scenes have a lot of moxie, not to mention a lot of steel-slinging. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comOdie HendersonJun 3, 2016
As for the fights: There are plenty of well-choreographed battles in The Final Master. The award-winning choreography eschews wire work, keeping the action sequences squarely on the ground. Read full review
75
Washington PostMark JenkinsJun 2, 2016
In the Chinese martial-arts film The Final Master, the fighting is more lucid than the plot. That may be characteristic of the genre, yet this smart, stylish movie diverges from the expected in many ways, most of them enjoyable. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeJun 2, 2016
Some viewers will find the film's mannered performances and direction silly; but while Wang Tianlin's lensing doesn't match the luxuriant sheen that Christopher Doyle and Philippe Le Sourd have delivered for Wong, the production elements do add up to a coherent style. Read full review
63
Boston GlobePeter KeoughJun 2, 2016
Visually, this translates into thrilling action sequences of lone knife-wielders hewing down ranks of adversaries with balletic precision. If preserving this means sacrificing a scruple or two, it’s worth the trade. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleJun 2, 2016
Writer-director Xu Haofeng’s movie doesn’t feel like many other movies of its ilk. That’s mostly a good thing, even if the movie can’t quite fit all its eccentric pieces into a satisfying whole. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloJun 1, 2016
Without Wong Kar-Wai’s visual grandeur to provide a sense of the epic, The Final Master just lurches clumsily from one scene to the next, flatlining whenever fists aren’t flying. Read full review
38
Slant MagazineOleg IvanovMay 25, 2016
The film is a seemingly endless series of convoluted double-dealing, backstabbing, and factional realignment. Read full review
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