The Legend
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Movie Reviews of The Legend
Movie Review: A silly movie (at least, the Buena Vista version sure is)
Summary: 2 Stars
If, like me, you were introduced to the stupendously cool Let Li via the "Once Upon A Time In China" series, you know him to be not only a highly skilled and gifted kung fu master, but a nuanced and convincing actor as well. Accordingly, slapstick comedy and all-around mugging are not necessarily a weird thing to see Li participating in (there's a little in the UOATIC movies, in fact). He can do the range thing, including the light-touch thing, very well indeed. But for me, at least in the Buena Vista "Jet Li Series" DVD version, this movie is just plain silly.
I don't mean silly like a toddler is silly (i.e., endearing & cute), but silly as in "implausible and annoying." This is coming from someone who happily suspends disbelief when faced with blatant but cool wire-work and other common kung-fu-movie indulgences. Those are just part of the form, as is, for that matter, a *modest* amount of broad humor. But to me, the gags, conceits, and plot of this film just don't cut it for a Jet Li vehicle.
Other reviewers have mentioned how cool it is to see Josephine Siao wreaking havoc on bad guys again, and I agree, but in one scene we see her badly bruised after a beating by her husband (whom we're later expected to revere as a noble patriot). I'm sure there's a cultural/historical disconnect involved in my own reaction to that scene, but to me it's an unsettling and jarring one -- there just isn't anything funny or light about domestic abuse, historically-plausible or no.
And then there's Li's performance. Gone is the ultra-cool ueber-controlled poise of Wong Fei-Hung: as Fong Sai Yuk, a carefree teenager (until the fighting starts, naturally), Li isn't exactly ineffective -- aside from the obvious age difference between actor & character -- rather, for me it's sort of *uncomfortable* to see mighty Li cracking jokes, mugging goofy smiles, and engaging in shtick with the family servant (who has big Godfather-calibre wads of cotton jammed down his cheeks for no discernible reason).
This is uncomfortable not because it's comedy, but because by my standards it's pretty *lame* comedy, and "lame" and "Jet Li" simply don't go together. Li makes a valiant effort at putting on a good face, but there's no saving some of this material.
The English dubbing doesn't help any of this, though I suppose it could be worse. The real problem with the dubbing is that it can't be turned off: this is an extremely feature-poor DVD, obviously intended for the very most clueless segments of the English-speaking market.
I can only hope that the original version (entitled "Fong Sai Yuk") is as good as others say. I'd be interested to see it, but not before cleansing my palate with some Hong Kong versions of other Li films I haven't seen yet.
If you haven't seen this movie yet, DON'T START WITH THE "Jet Li Series" VERSION. And if you haven't seen Jet Li at all, start with "Once Upon a Time in China." It's the standard by which I measure other Li films, and you can't go wrong with that one.
By the way, "The Legend" (i.e., even this version) does have its moments. The final DVD-chapter in which the climactic battle occurs is mighty exciting stuff indeed, with an unexpected appearance by a sword-wielding and mind-bogglingly debonnair Adam Cheng.
And Josephine Siao's combat sequences are also pretty riveting (no pun intended) -- there's even one bit where she and her son fight side-by-side in perfectly synchronized mirror-image choreography that I found to be particularly entertaining. If only the stuff immediately before and after that sequence were as effective.
Movie Review: Dimension is killing me
Summary: 2 Stars
This senseless dubbing has got to stop. Fans know this film as Fong Sai Yuk. And this, like all Dimension releases, has ONE audio track: a bad English dub that makes every character in the whole movie sound like some fool straight out of a 70's "chop sockey" film. What, praytell, is the point of the DVD format when there is no language option? ESPECIALLY when they purge the original preferred subtitled format for a Saturday-morning version that perpetuates the whole badly-synced Asian stereotypes of the past.Just take one look at how many Hong Kong DVDs are imported by Americans each year and TRY to tell me that Americans aren't ready for subtitled films. Look at the success of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. AMERICANS ARE NOT THE CULTURALLY INEPT IGNORAMUSES THEY WERE IN THE 70'S!!!!
Though this dumb home video move should not really surprise anyone.... So PLEASE buy this film... via import, from Hong Kong, so you can see it how it was meant to be viewed and heard.
Movie Review: Overly edited version of a great movie
Summary: 2 Stars
I have a copy of Fong Sai Yuk on tape. This version was in Chinese and the subtitles weren't great, but it was a funny movie with great action. I bought it on DVD because I wanted a good version of this great movie. Unfortunately they cut enormous amounts out. There is only a dubbed English track and the subtitles are just this track and not an actual translation. The voice acting is mediocre and especially fails for Fong Sai Yuk's mom who is the funniest character in the movie. They cut a lot out. It is mostly jokes, but they also cut out some fighting parts which they must have felt would be inappropriate (Fong Sai Yuk fights using the dead body of his friend as a weapon).My advice. ...Search around for a Chinese language version. I am usually happy with dubbing. I wasn't too upset about the cuts made in the theatrical release of Iron Monkey (Ironically, both cuts removed a scene of a women spraying water out of her mouth), but this brutal edit of Fong Sai Yuk bugged me.
Movie Review: Get the subtitled version Fong Sai Yuk
Summary: 2 Stars
I love the movie Fong Sai Yuk (subtitled version)! I bought The Legend (dubbed version), so that I can enjoy the movie without being busy reading all the subtitles. That was a BIG mistake.In The Legend, they had cut out some scenes and changed the dialogue. With those changes, the mood of the film has changed and you don't see the development of each character. That's why the story doesn't quite make sense or seem to flow entirely together. The Chinese culture and their beliefs (buddhism) is "taken out." The movie is actually more hilarious in Fong Sai Yuk.
Don't be left in the dark. A little reading in Fong Sai Yuk won't hurt. You'll enjoy this comedy, action film. I give Fong Sai Yuk 5 stars. As for The Legend...=(
Movie Review: DVD RELEASE BY DIMENSION IS BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Summary: 2 Stars
English dubbing is good with 5.1 Dolby. Sound effects editting is mediocre. Why can't they just leave the original sounds alone? I am huge fan of Jet and occasionally enjoy English dubbing on any martial arts movie. But this DVD version is a total turnoff! I highly recommend seeing the original version which is titled Fong Sai Yuk. You will not be disappointed!