Fist of Legend
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Movie Reviews of Fist of Legend
Movie Review: Dare I say it? Better than Bruce Lee's original
Summary: 5 Stars
"Fist Of Fury" (or "The Chinese Connection", as it was released in Western markets) is arguably Bruce Lee's most popular movie among Asian audiences. In other words, the target audience at whom martial arts movies are aimed tend to elevate that one above most others. Which means it takes a lot of guts to try to remake it.
Having a talent like Jet Li available to play Bruce Lee's part helps a ton...but talent alone is not what places this remake above the Bruce Lee original. Simply put, this is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen. The colors just jump off the screen, much as they are used to similar spectacular effect in Jet Li's later success "Hero". The costuming is top shelf, and the fight sequences are worthy of Bruce Lee's original (particularly the final showdown), and as noted in a previous review, there is significantly less wirework in this movie than in other Jet Li movies from the same era. The result is that the fight sequences, while awe-inspiring, are realistic and believable.
The characters are also well-delivered in spite of potentially crippling English dubbing that plagues most martial arts DVD's available in the West (Dimension should be better about this than most; this is not a low-budget distributor); you tend to feel good about the good guys and bad about the bad guys.
And the twists that separated the remake from Bruce's original are also very interesting and help to give this movie a strong identity of its own...the romantic ties involving both protagonists add a layer of depth unseen in most similar movies (the contrast between both female romantic leads is interesting and adds much to the substance of this film, absolutely shading the original) and before you know what's hit you, you find that you're actually watching a morality play concerning the evils of bigotry and racial intolerance (this was also a theme in Bruce Lee's original, but the remake does a better job of detailing how this is also a two-sided problem). And I much prefer the ending of the remake to that of the original, though there are those who will complain that the remake is more of a "Hollywood"-ized bastardization of the Asian soul of the original. But to me it just feels more satisfying.
This is a good recommendation to people who remember "The Chinese Connection" warmly and are skeptical over the notion of remaking it, as well as old-skool martial arts fans who believe that wirework is an abomination to the genre. And if you're at best a casual martial arts film buff, see this just for the care that was taken in its filming; truly a beautiful film, very easy on the eyes. Something for everyone.
Movie Review: ONE OF JET'S AND KUNG FU MOVIEDOM'S ALL TIME BEST!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of Jet Li's finest showcases to date. Jet Li plays a Chinese student studying abroad in Japan during the time of the Japanese occupation of China. While there he falls in love with a Japanese girl who follows him back to China when he hears his sifu has been killed in a martial arts match against a Japanese karate exponent. His worst fears come to fruition as he learns upon exhuming his master's grave that his teacher died not from blows caused during the grudge match as originally reported but by a slow working poison.
Jet Li seeks retribution, but not before encountering many obstacles along the way. For starters some of his classmates feel that Jet Li's character, much to his chagrin, rightfully deserves the position vacated by their late master. This causes a one-sided jealous rivalry between he and the newly appointed head of the school. There's also plenty of prejudice directed his way by both Chinese and Japanese alike over his choice of a Japanese girlfriend. To top it off he must do battle with top Japanese martial artists as he tries to piece together the murder of his master, all of this in a country taken over by Japanese military law.
This one has everything, an emotionally involving story, two dimensional characters, and some of the fastest, all out powerful fights to hit the screen. Memorable moments include Jet Li taking on a schoolful of Japanese college students at the beginning of the film using chin na (joint locking) techniques, an emotional fight involving "the saving of face" between Jet and his former classmate who's the new head of his school, a beautifully realized and lesson-filled match set to windy sand gusts between Jet and an older Japanese sensei (played by the wonderful Yasuaki Kurata of so many old school kung fu flicks fame), and a knock down drag em out slugfest against a mean spirited general played to evil perfection by high kicking superstar Billy Chow.
This story was the perfect vehicle for Bruce Lee in FIST OF FURY (aka CHINESE CONNECTION) and the update proves a perfect vehicle for Jet Li. HIGHLY recommend (though if you don't mind subtitles I would recommend the original, widescreen, uncut and unaltered Cantonese version even more which is translated a little better than the English dub).
For another great take on Japanese versus Chinese martial arts see SHAOLIN CHALLENGES NINJA (aka HEROES OF THE EAST) starring MASTER KILLER himself, Gordon Lau (aka Lau Kar Fei, Liu Chia Hoi). For those curious to see more of Jet Li at his best in vehicles that are worthy of him see HERO, FONG SAI YUK (aka THE LEGEND), and ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA I and II.
Movie Review: Best of the Best!
Summary: 5 Stars
Jet Li remakes Bruce Lee, and the result is great. It's a movie with both a) great martial arts and b) a social conscience, which is more than most kung-fu flicks can boast. Only rarely does amazing kung-fu action meet up with a solid story in the same film. Normally, this genre showcases a whole lot of kicking and crowing, with little else in the way of plot. But Fist of Legend, a remake of the 1972 Bruce Lee film, Fist of Fury, is a marvel to watch. The gravity-defying fight scenes are virtually non-stop, but what makes this film stand out from other kung-fu flicks, is that the story is pretty good. The strong point of this film is the cinematography of Derek Wan. The images are imbued with the rich, vibrant color which has become a hallmark of modern Chinese films. While this may seem to follow the typical you-killed-my-teacher-now-I-must-kill-you plot, Fist of Legend delves deeper. This film demonstrates some pretty impressive storytelling techniques. It has an interesting political sub-plot and by the end, the character of Chen Zhen is legendary. It's a fine movie.? Jet Li is in fine form, with minimal wirework and only subtle under cranking necessary to enhance his skills. All credits of all the terrific and pitch-perfect fight scene should be given to Matrix Action Director - Yuen Woo Ping. With the combination of Yuen's fights direction and Jet Li's presence and skills, notable fights were all over the place. One highlight is when Li takes on a whole class of Karate-Jap students, some of the overheads shots will remind many Matrix's fans, but in fact this was made almost 10 years ago is even more a classic. In some ways Fist of Legend is very much like the Matrix, especially of many philosopher's sayings like 'Japan is like an venous insect biting an elephant (China)' and a quote that I will always remember is eventually how and why Jet Li won his final fight against Billy Chow - 'If you learn to adapt, and to be fluent, then you will always be invincible'. The final fight, is probably as good as it can be and most likely the best fight scene ever filmed on camera. It was so well directed by Woo Ping that it push the already HK martial arts classic Fist of Legend to even greater heights. It also defy the fact that remakes are usually bad, but this remake of Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury, is as good as it can be and some even say it surpass the original, but no matter what the case is, Fist of Legend is just the best of the best and a must for all HK cinema starters and fans alike.?Movie Review: High Class Martial Arts
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of the best martial arts flicks to hit American shores. It has got everything and a good mix of it. It only vaguely resembles 'Chinese Connection' and I didn't think of that picture at all while watching this beautifully shot film. Fist of Legend delivers not only as an action film, but as a morality play. Although it uses many old plot devices to get the best fighters into their cloud of fists, Fist of Legend does so with an evenhanded measure of respect. One can see the admiration of foes. The conflict over the status of women and the treachery of subordinates also figure in the larger drama of racial conflict between Chinese and Japanese. There is even a scene in which the hero, a Chinese is mistaken for Japanese - something almost unheard of to these American ears. The pacing of this film is unusually good. There is not so much grumbling and posturing by wise old uncles. Even on multiple viewings you are not so likely to fast-forward to the fight scenes to get over mumbling in the middle. That said, the fight sequences are extraordinary. Li uses a varitey of styles, even a bit of Bruce Lee's own Jeet Kune Do. The match against the Japanese master is breathtaking, and in my opinion, a far better show than the final battle. A fabulous set of hand grabs and unusual moves (not to spoil it) are displayed that I have seen nowhere else. Li's own stoic attitude works excellently here where in other films it just makes him distant. In his black tunic, he is the picture of young, harboiled arrogance, only softening his resolve for his lady. Even though it is rated R for violence, I found myself wanting my 7 year old boy to see how people can conflict and still respect each other. This is a fundamental tenet of any warrior code but it is often lost in Western action movies in which conflict (and destruction) is eagerly enjoined for its own sake or for the sake of some machiavellian end. In Fist of Legend despite the fact that there are clear heroes and villians you can clearly see the reasons combattants fight and respect those reasons. All in all this period piece is a great movie experience. The fights are brilliant, the gore is mimimal, the drama is good and the film itself is state of the art - no blurry off color stuff here. This one is not to be missed, a sure classic.Movie Review: Not Bruce Lee, but the next best thing.
Summary: 5 Stars
I know, I know, it's almost blasphemous to say that this movie even gets close to topping the greatness of Bruce Lee's orginal Chinese Connection, but I have to say it does! I rented this movie once on a whim a couple of years ago when a friend of mine and I were having a martial arts movie night, and what I witnessed on that DVD was pure, raw, kung-fu and karate action! The Fist of Legend is a sort of unofficial remake of(you guessed it) the Chinese Connection. This movie really shows off the talent of the young martial artist, Jet Li, whose movies in the United States have done him no justice and, in my opinion, nearly blemished his career. Take all that "Romeo Must Die" and "The One" crap, toss it out the window, and watch this movie with a fresh look on Jet Li, and you will understand what I'm talking about. No one can deny that Bruce Lee executed the Chinese Connection perfectly, however The Fist of Legend falls short of that only by a hair. Jet portrays a college student in Japan named Chen Zen who gets word that his master in China has died. He drops his studies and hops over to China for his master's funeral, but when he arrives he smells corruption lurking behind the strange and untimely death, which was after a martial arts duel against a karate dojo-master of lesser talent. Things begin to heat up when Chen Zen discovers that his shambled kung-fu school is only the tip of the iceberg, and the military is involved with his master's slaying. Billy Chau plays a military general bent on squandering Chen Zen's attempts at unearthing the truth, and it's an all out battle-royale! The movie consists of several explosive and lengthy action sequences that leave you thirsting for more. The final battle between Jet Li and Billy Chau is a hardcore deathmatch that lasts nearly ten minutes long! Phenomenal is the only word I can use to describe this high-flying martial arts frenzy by Yuen Woo Ping, and although it doesn't top the Bruce Lee version, it may be the next best thing. Die-hard martial arts fans need not bother with renting this movie prior to viewing, for you will not be disappointed! Purchase your copy of The Fist of Legend today and experience what others are raving about!