Some people classify Dreadnaught as a horror comedy, which I don't agree with at all. A person named White Tiger certainly isn't completely sane and therefore unhinged. But scary and terrifying? Even if you would brand his acts as slasheresque the overall tone is clearly light and comedic. You can't even compare this to films like Mr Vampire or A Chinese Ghost Story, which do have genuine horror elements in them.
You hardly can blame Yuen Woo-Ping for this, since it's apparent he was more interested in delivering Kung fu you haven't seen before. In large part he has succeeded. A lot of fans revere the lion dance sequence. And yes, the skills involved are otherworldly. However, it was so random and hardly tied into the main plot where White Tiger is murdering people left and right. Then I read the story was written by Wong Jing. That's when everything made sense to me. He isn't interested in logic or coherency. He is all about the crazy, without giving you reasons why certain people act the way they do.
One fatal flaw is the fact that Yuen Biao is playing up the goofiness at the cost of the ass kicking he is capable off. Supposedly he has to overcome some hurdles that stand in his way. Still, sometimes he shows off techniques only a happy few are able to execute. We never get an explanation of why this is. His progression is such an old trope but had Wong Jing made his character more serious it would have been more effective.
Overall, the Kung fu is creative and brilliant and the main reason to watch. But I am not sure whether you could call this a classic.
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