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Fist of Legend

Fist of Legend

List Price: $14.99
Your Price: $11.99
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!!
Review: I can't even begin to rave about this movie! The martial arts and choreography are first rate and the storyline is intriguing. Anyone who hasn't seen a Jet Li movie are in for a treat. There is a reason why he is the most popular actor in China! END

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "A good fist is one that wins..."
Review: One of the best opening scenes ever shot in a Kung Fu movie. Jet Li moves with ease dispatching Japanese toughs with magnificent traps and locks leaving dislocated arms, legs and jaws in his wake. Fist of Legend is a worthy tribute to Bruce Lee's "Fists of Fury" set in Japanese occupied China.

Jet Li is a member of the Chinese National Wu Shu Team so the Kung Fu you see on screen is for the most part real. Sit back in your easy chair with the remote and be prepared to rewind and watch the fight scenes again and again. If your good enough you might even learn 'Hua Fist'. END

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Essential To Any Kung Fu Fan.
Review: I am already a huge fan of jet li, and this is the movie that started my whole fandom. This is my favorite kung fu movies without a doubt, the fighting scenes are terrific, the story line was in my opinion good although ive heard the talk about how this movie copies the bruce lee movie "fists of fury/chinese connection" and to me, that really didnt make the movie any less spectatular. i myself own many bruce lee and jet li movies, and personally i enjoy this movie over all of them, but thats just me.. definately a must buy for any kung fu fan. makes matrix look pathetic, and w/o all the flying either

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A five-star movie in a four-star release.
Review: First off, let me say that this film is a classic. While Jet Li isn't as sleek or as menacing as Bruce Lee, he certainly managed to pack more action into this version of "Fist of Fury", aka "Chinese Connection." Jet takes on the role of Chen Zhen, the martial arts student who wages a one man war on the local Japanese when his master is murdered. The fights come fast and furious here, and the final scene where Chen fights the Japanese general Fujita is worth the hefty pricetag alone. However, I can't really bring myself to watch this version. The dubbing is horrible, and for no discernible reason, 3 minutes have been cut and lines have been changed. After I watched the American DVD version, released by Dimension, I wished that Columbia TriStar had acquired the rights instead, after the bang-up job they did with "Fearless Hyena", not to mention the other Jet Li epics, the "Once Upon a Time in China" series. Until Miramax/Dimension gets the original Cantonese language track and some subtitles in here, or until they release it in Asia, I'll probably just stick with my 8-year-old Chinese VHS version. The tape may be close to breaking by now, but it's also in letterbox, and the original version just seems to have more heart... corny music and all.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: What about the original language
Review: One big issue I have with these new releases of the martial arts movies are the lack of the original language with subtittles. You only get the dubbed version as it seems the people who remake these things think we are dumb a$$es! or ignorant of culture and originality... This is one of Jet li good movies.... but I am told it lacks the ability to show some of the language difficulties shown in the original cantonese/japanese version which is essential to the original version and has been done no justice in this one. I bought this without checking that the original language was available so although I enjoyed the movie, I'd like the choice to play the original language!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Martial Arts Flick With Heart And Soul!
Review: As a loyal fan of martial arts movies, this movie is likable for Jet Li's presence alone. Not just because he's a true martial artist who's skilled at showcasing his craft on-screen, but also because he played his character very well in this movie. But wait, let me not forget to say that this movie also has a story, yes, a story that's based on meaningful historical context, and also of an unlikely couple in love.

This film is a remake of another earlier seminal Chinese martial arts film, "Fist of Fury", starring the great Bruce Lee. For those of you who are just looking for some martial arts choreographic eye candies, you'll get plenty of that in this remake. "Fist of Legend" is different from other Chinese martial arts movies though, in that it falls in the realist category, as opposed to productions like the "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". A minimal amount of wire work is used, most of the fighting stays on the ground, which has its upsides because you can tell the moves are very realistic, and I promise you, knowing some of the actors in this movie from numerous other films, I know many of them have had true martial arts training, and are not just actors who've been taught to move gracefully flying in the air. For all of you "Matrix" fans out there, you will find some of the moves used by the actors and set-ups in the film very reminiscent to the ones in the sci-fi action flick. That's because the martial arts choreographer in "Fist" is none other than Yuen-Wo Ping, who was hired as the martial arts director by the Walchowski brothers after they had seen his work. Take special notice of the fight scene between Li and karate students and master in the dojo, and the final duel scene between Li and the Japanese general. The action is simply fantastic!

Now onto the story if you've cared to read this far. Like "Fist of Fury", "Legend" is set in China in the 1930's. A period when Japanese imperialism in the Pacific was at its height, and the independence and well being of the Chinese people were truly at stake. Li's character Chen Zhen, who is a martial artist educated in Japan (ironically), emerges as a symbol of freedom and the struggle against injustice by standing up to the Japanese martial artists and military, who are clearly there to assert their dominance over the Chinese people. This was a message that was brought out in Bruce Lee's version as well, however, it's worth noting that there are several key differences between the two films. Whereas Bruce Lee's interpretation of Chen Zhen tended to be very one-dimensional --- he was basically a can of "whoop-a$$" filled with rage, ready to take down any agressors who even dares to look at him in a funny way, Li's portrait of Chen Zhen's character is one of depth and moderation. Li's Chen Zhen dislikes the Japanese imperialists, but also realizes that for China to be powerful, it must learn from others, understand its own weaknesses and combine the strenghs of others. He does this by incorporating elements of other martial arts such as boxing and karate into kung fu. Moreover, that Jet Li's love interest in the film happens to be a Japanese university student confirms that the director of this remake is promoting the message of possible understanding and reconciliation between the Chinese and Japanese people, despite all that's happened.

The only regret that I would have with this DVD is the fact that it does not include the original Cantonese soundtrack (which also has authetic Japanese dialogues in them). I personally find watching dubbed foreign films to be unbearable, but that could simply be a preference. In addition, I suspect that some elements from the original Chinese version was cut in this version, as is customary in American Hollywood style releases, in order to keep the film "short and sweet", so to speak. Other than that, I would highly recommend this film to anyone looking for a solid martial arts flick that's also got substance.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Worth watching many times
Review: I didnt think this movie was good the first time I saw it, but it has become one of my favorite movies. The fighting is more than good because each fight is has something that makes it different. The plot to each fight is awsome and the dialogue throughout the whole movie is great. I know almost every word of this movie. I dont own many kung fu movies, but this one is probably my third favorite film.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: My favorite Jet Li movie and my favorite martial arts movie
Review: This was wonderfully done. No physically impossible wired fight scenes, which I have nothing against, just realistic ones are always cooler, in my opinion. They were about 2/3 realistic, a nice balance. The plot held it's own too. There isn't tons of blood and no disgusting flying limbs or a ridiculous amount of bullets and machine guns or anything like that. Just quality martial arts thoughout a good story that's watchable many times over.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A rather good Jet Li film.
Review: I'm not a big fan of Jet Li. But I do have to say, as Jet Li films goes, this one is quite entertaining. The fight sequences are semi-realistically good, and the story, typically a weakpoint in a film like this, isn't bad at all.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best Martial Arts Movie Ever
Review: First off my favorite part about this movie, the fight scenes were realistic, no flying around, no impossible leaping just fast-paced real martial arts.

Second, the plot is amazing, I normally dont buy martial arts movies for their plot, but I would buy this movie without the amazing action sequences.


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