Jing wu ying xiong (1994)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Gordon Chan

Writers:

Gordon Chan (screenplay)
Lan Kay Toa (screenplay)

Release Date:

22 December 1994 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Plot:

In 1937, a Chinese martial artist returns to Shanghai to find his teacher dead and his school harassed by the Japanese.

Plot Keywords:

Kung Fu | Martial Arts | Abuse | Slap In The Face | Sword

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Jet Li	...	Chen Zhen
Shinobu Nakayama	...	Mitsuko Yamada
Siu-hou Chin	...	Hou Ting-An (as Chin Siu Ho)
Billy Chow	...	General Fujita (Supreme Killer) (as Billy Chau)
Yasuaki Kurata	...	Fuimo Funakoshi
Paul Chun	...	Uncle Noh (as Paul Chiang)
Ada Choi	...	Rose
Cheung-Yan Yuen	...	Captain Jie
Toshimichi Takahashi	...	Japanese Ambassador
Carol Tam	...	Wei
Jackson Liu	...	Ryuichi Akutagawa (as Lou Hsueh Hsien)
Sun Wong	...	Cook
Man Biu Lee	...	Biu
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Shaun Britton	...	English Gentleman at dock
Tai Woh Dang	...	Ngai
Gary Mak	...	Lun - Jingwu Mun student

Also Known As:

Fist of Legend (Hong Kong: English title) (International: English title)
Cheng miu ying hung (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some strong martial arts violence.

Runtime:

103 min | Germany:98 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

English | Japanese | Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | France:U | Norway:18 | UK:18 | USA:R

Company:

Eastern Productions

Trivia:

Jet Li plays Chen Zhen in this movie, a student of master Huo Yuanjia. Jet Li will then go on to play Master Huo Yuanjia in Huo Yuan Jia (2006)

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Although set in 1937, one of the cars seen on the street in Shanghai is a 1947 Chevrolet, and another is a 1948 Buick.

Quotes:

Fumio Funakoshi: What fist is this?
Chen Zhen: Don't ask, it's a good fist if it wins.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Jackie Brown: How It Went Down (2002) (V)

Possibly the greatest martial arts movie ever

Bruce Lee will probably always be remembered and referred to as the greatest Screen martial artist of all time, and his most famous movie probably The Chinese Connection AKA Fist Of Fury, the movie that Fist Of Legend remakes, or the story at least. I would love to have had the chance to see Bruce and Jet square off because im not sure the outcome would be so clear. In this remake Jet surpasses even the Dragon himself, and i say this in all respect to Bruce.

The story is well known, but this remake goes deeper in probing the racial conflict in japanese occupied china. Jet plays folk legend Chen Zen, famously out to avenge the death of his master by seemingly fighting every japanese martial artist in the world, while at the same time battling racism not just from the japanese but his own people.

Yuen Woo Ping is famed for his fight sequences and use of wires, but in this movie wires are used in no more than two or three scenes, while the movie still retains the classic martial arts fights, in barren landscapes and courtyards of kung fu schools. Thus this is probably the greatest showcase yet of the incredible talents of Jet. Without the use of wires jet can move more freely and more realistially and while it cannot be denied that you must have great talent to work a wire to your advantage as jet did in the once upon a time series, this really shows us just what jet is capable of everyday, and boy, what a talent.

The showdown with the japanese karate master in the hills where jet's character comes to live is beautifully choregraphed, packed with skill, gracefull like a deadly ballet and totally natural, the way great martial arts should be, absolutly awe inspiring. The same can be said for every fight sequence in this movie, all left me gasping, all left me full of admiration, not just for jet who i have long believed to be possibly the greatest talent in martial arts today or any other time, but for his opponents.

Great story, amazing fight sequences, fluent direction, smooth cinematography... it might not be as great or as grand in narration as Once Upon a Time in China or Crouching Tiger, but this is one of the greatest martial arts film ever, and accessable to everyone. One of my Jet Li favourites along with OUATIC2 and Tai Chi Master (AKA Twin Warriors)and definetly one of my all time favourites.