Zhong hua ying xiong (1986)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Jet Li

Writers:

Jia Er-Ge (writer)
Yeung-Ping Sze (writer)

Release Date:

2004 (USA)

Genre:

Action | War

Plot:

Jet, a young soldier at the end of the second world war must overcome some abusive Americans who are bullying him as well as the Chinese people.

Plot Keywords:

Rickshaw | Jail | Chinese Dragon | Wheelbarrow | Bar Fight

Cast

Jet Li	...	Jet
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dean Harrington	...	US Marine
Mark King	...	GI Blue
Kurt Roland Petersson	...	Captain Hans
Jia Song	...	Na
Paulo Tocha	...	Bailey
Erkang Zhao	...	Zhang

Also Known As:

Born to Defence (Hong Kong: English title) (International: English title)
Born to Defend
Born to Defense (USA)
Chinese Hero (Hong Kong: English title) (literal title)
Jung wa ying hung (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)
Nameless Soldiers (Hong Kong: English title) (informal title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and some language.

Runtime:

USA:120 min (including commercials) | Hong Kong:92 min | UK:89 min

Country:

Hong Kong | China

Language:

English | Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | UK:18 | South Korea:18 | Australia:M | USA:R

Trivia:

This is the only film Jet Li has directed to date (2004).

A martial arts movie that has something more.

I stumbled onto this film being shown 5/14/2006 on Spike TV. The stunning production work caught my eye in the opening battle scene. The color photography throughout this film is first rate. The film is entertaining from beginning to end. According to IMDb, this is the only film Jet Li has directed. His direction is first rate. This is a Chinese version of a film of soldiers fighting and coming home from the war, in this case World War 2. The film primarily focuses on the exploits of one soldier returning to a town where his buddy, a lieutenant in the marines, lives. He becomes involved in the life of his friend, the friend's daughter and the goings on in their town. The town is occupied by some American sailors who like to run roughshod over the Chinese occupants. Conflicks take hold. There is a style in this movie of words that I cannot find, but it is entertaining and at a very high level than the few pictures that I have seen out of China. There is a wonderful "gritiness" throughout the movie. Two scenes that demonstrate this is the group of Chinese soldiers playing their little wind instruments marching down the street and the fight scene in the driving rainstorm in the bar. Great movie!(added 05/15/2006-The style of this film for some reason reminds me of GUNGA DIN).