France 1765: A savage and mysterious beast has brutally killed more than 100 women and children in a rural province.

King Louis XV dispatches two men (Le Bihan and Dacascos) to the countryside with the aim of finding and destroying the monster.

Based loosely on a true story, this intriguing fable seems the perfect subject for a horror film (although Brotherhood is much more than that) and the opening sequence doesn't disappoint.

A young woman runs for her life, splashing through streams and stumbling over rocks, pursued by an invisible enemy.

The scene's climax is suitably grim - confusion and panic are successfully conveyed through hectic camerawork and rapid cutting.

The cast is strong but it's Dacascos who steals the show as the enigmatic Indian, Mani.

He looks fantastic, his costume and make-up giving him a mysterious, alien appearance in the rural French surroundings.

Indeed, much of the film's visual imagery and cinematography is stunning.

The monster design, when we do eventually see the beast, is both fresh and imaginative.

However, a lot of the Hong Kong-inspired action sequences seem unnecessary and the director's excessive use of slow motion quickly becomes irritating.

Many potentially suspenseful moments are ruined by fancy camera techniques that only serve to distance the viewer.

Director Christophe Gans has certainly packed a lot into his movie - horror, political intrigue, martial arts and mystical mumbo jumbo.

But while this should have made for fascinating viewing, it's actually the film's greatest weakness.

Nevertheless Brotherhood never takes itself too seriously and, visually, is a real feast.