Jing wu ying xiong (1994) 7.5
In 1937, a Chinese martial artist returns to Shanghai to find his teacher dead and his school harassed by the Japanese. Director:Gordon Chan |
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Jing wu ying xiong (1994) 7.5
In 1937, a Chinese martial artist returns to Shanghai to find his teacher dead and his school harassed by the Japanese. Director:Gordon Chan |
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| Credited cast: | |||
| Jet Li | ... | ||
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Shinobu Nakayama | ... | |
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Siu-hou Chin | ... |
Hou Ting-An
(as Chin Siu Ho)
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Billy Chow | ... |
General Fujita (Supreme Killer)
(as Billy Chau)
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Yasuaki Kurata | ... |
Fuimo Funakoshi
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Paul Chun | ... |
Uncle Noh
(as Paul Chiang)
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Ada Choi | ... |
Rose
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Cheung-Yan Yuen | ... |
Captain Jie
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Toshimichi Takahashi | ... |
Japanese Ambassador
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Suk-Mui Tam | ... |
Wei
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Jackson Liu | ... |
Ryuichi Akutagawa
(as Lou Hsueh Hsien)
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Sun Wong | ... |
Cook
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Man Biu Lee | ... |
Biu
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Shaun Britton | ... |
English Gentleman at dock
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Gary Mak | ... |
Lun - Jingwu Mun student
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Chen Zhen, a Chinese engineering student in Kyoto, who braves the insults and abuse of his Japanse fellow students for his local love Mitsuko Yamada, daughter of the director, returns in 1937 to his native Shangai, under Japanse protectorate -in fact military occupation- after reading about the death of his kung-fu master Huo Yuan Jia in a fight against the Japanese champion Ryuichi Akutagawa. While overcoming suspicion and ambition within the kungfu school, Chen exhumes his master to prove Hou's defeat was the result of poisoning. Both nationalities make the case a test of honor, so Chinese and Japanese pride are at stake when it culminates in Chen's final epic duel against the ruthless, undefeated Japanese general Fujita. Written by KGF Vissers
Simply put, Fist of Legend is one of the very best martial arts films ever made. It stands in a group with Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon, Jackie Chan's Drunken Master II, and...as soon as I think of anything as good as those three, I'll let you know.
Choreographed by the legendary Yuen Wo-Ping, this is Jet Li at his best (and that's saying a lot, folks). Eschewing the aerial wire stunts, Li relies on skill, speed and agility, and is more than up to the task. These fights - and there are a lot of them - are stunning. But the real wonder is that there's a real movie here underneath all the stuntwork. Interesting characters, an intriguing plot, and conflict that goes deeper than "you killed my master"; there's even some political comment. This is a thinly-veiled remake of Bruce Lee's "Fist of Fury" (or "The Chinese Connection" in the US, for some bizarre reason), but the story's been widened and given more depth. There's less Japanese-bashing, with more of an attempt to pin blame on individuals instead of nationalities.
If Jet Li is ever going to have a formidable American presence, it's films like this one that should be making the conversion, instead of merely above-average fare like "Black Mask".