Tian Long Ba Bu 2003 is the third Jin Yong TV series from CCTV and Zhang Jizhong. Its English title usually sticks to the literal translation of the Chinese one, although for convenience's sake it's also referred to as Demigods and Semidevils, in the tradition of previous TVB versions.

Like the other Jin Yong adaptations by CCTV, TLBB 2003 boasts authentically stunning sceneries, numerous extras, great fighting scenes, and well-made costumes. If you're already familiar with their production value standards, you may also be already familiar with their sometimes choppy editing, which can be glaringly obvious here. For example, a character would face different directions or strike two different poses at once in the same scene, depending on the camera angle. On the other hand, being a CCTV series, the series is intensely atmospheric, and many of the actors either look like their characters, deliver a strong performance, or both.

Hu Jun (Qiao Feng)
Physically speaking, Hu Jun really fits the bill: he is broad and very tall, like the Qiao Feng described in the novel. The long, rather untidy hair, which keeps blowing about his face, also serves to accentuate Qiao Feng's wild personality. Hu Jun is emotional when he needs to be, while giving the impression that Qiao Feng is not incapable of being reserved and analytical.

Jimmy Lin (Duan Yu)
His handsome and youthful looks are very suitable for the role. However, after watching Benny Chan's performance in the 1997 version, I can't help but feel that Jimmy's acting is a little bland. Benny strives to make Duan Yu an engaging character, and Jimmy just presents Duan Yu as he is in the novel. At times he doesn't come across as helpless as Duan Yu is supposed to be.

Gao Hu (Xu Zhu)
Being as tall as Hu Jun, and thus standing out by default, Gao Hu doesn't look much like a mediocre "little monk"; plus, he lacks Xu Zhu's naive look. He seems to fully realize all this and compensates for it with his earnest acting. Gao Hu does clueless and confused in an almost comedic manner, and with Tianshan Tonglao makes an entertaining pair.

Liu Yifei (Wang Yuyan)
Many people complain that she can't act and makes Wang Yuyan boring. Personally, I think the problem lies more with the character herself than the actress. Be that as it may, Liu Yifei has the classic beauty and innocent air needed for the character. She manages to show a certain liveliness when explaining about martial techniques, and her agitation when being confronted with unfamiliar techniques is properly done.

Chen Hao (A Zi)
After the cruel Kitty Chan in 1982 and the massively selfish Rain Lau in 1997, we get to see a somewhat watered-down rendition of A Zi. Chen Hao brings out A Zi's cute side more often, and her love for Qiao Feng can appear tragic and strangely mature. This results in less hate for her character, most notably in the scene where she's about to jump off the cliff with Qiao Feng.

Liu Tao (A Zhu)
Despite her relatively meager screentime, Liu Tao is one of the best points of the series. Her acting has a natural ease and genuineness in it that makes her A Zhu highly endearing; she and Hu Jun's Qiao Feng make a very believable couple. A Zhu's death scene is short but very poignant, which is due to Liu Tao's performance as much as the writing.

The Fathers
Duan Zhengchun is sufficiently good-looking and amorous with his women to be a convincing Don Juan. Duan Yanqing's maimed and disfigured appearance are intimidating, as is his ventriloquistic voice, making him a fascinating villain.

The Mothers
Attractive as the actresses are, Duan Zhengchun's women in this version aren't as memorable as the ones in the TVB versions, which is mostly due to their characters not being fleshed out enough. Ye Erniang, rather than an elderly lady pugilist, looks more like an idol, and her acting at the Shaolin scene is too over-the-top.

Other Characters
Tianshan Tonglao, played by a then 16-year-old, has an amazing presence; her nemesis, Liu Qiushui, is almost equally outstanding, and not just because she's very beautiful. You Tanzhi is aptly vulnerable-looking and slight of build. Ding Chunqiu is too gentle-looking for a villain (I'm yet to see a version that does this character justice). Yue Laosan is written as too much of a joker, while Yun Zhonghe is too weak.