John Woo's east-meets-west, European-based high-kicking yarn presents a whole wealth of cross-cultural opportunities.

And, with Hong Kong martial arts master Jet Li starring and writing and Luc Besson producing, you know you're in for a treat.

Li plays Liu Jian, China's top secret agent, who is betrayed by slimy French cop Richard (Techeky Karyo) and his small army of bruisers.

Jessica (Bridget Fonda) is the love interest - an American junkie-mother-hooker whose daughter is being kept under wraps by Richard (work that one out).

With the entire squad of French security forces combing La Ville Lumiere for Liu, all he has to do is pick the baddies off and rescue Jessica's daughter.

Not content with the usual martial art skills, our hero can also soothe or incapacitate by virtue of a wrist-band full of acupuncture needles.

The action sequences show a wit and invention that is sorely missing from the clunking script and gormless plot.

So at the end of the day, it's really a sequence of stunning set pieces with little real attempt to make any use of Paris - but hey...who cares?