Fist of Legend (1994) Jing wu ying xiong (original title)

Director:

Gordon Chan

Writers:

Gordon Chan (screenplay)
Kwong Kim Yip (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:

Martial Artist | Death | Kung Fu Master | Hero | Fight

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
Suk-Mui 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
Gary Mak	...	Lun - Jingwu Mun student
Tai Wo Tang	...	Ngai
Kenji Tanigaki

Directed by
Gordon Chan

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gordon Chan		screenplay
Kwong Kim Yip		screenplay (as Ip Kwong Kim)

Produced by
Chui Yin Lam	....	co-producer
Jet Li	....	executive producer
Jet Li	....	producer

Original Music by
Stephen Edwards
Joseph Koo

Cinematography by
Derek Wan		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ki-hop Chan		(as Chan Kei Hop)
Chak-Man Cheng

Production Design by
Horace Ma

Costume Design by
Shirley Chan

Production Management
Julia Chu	....	production supervisor
Bo-Chu Chui	....	executive in charge of production
Helen Li	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ging-Chi Chan	....	assistant director
Cheung-Yan Yuen	....	action director

Sound Department
Todd Beckett	....	sound re-recording mixer
Trip Brock	....	supervising sound editor (1999 English soundtrack)
Michael J. Fox	....	sound editor
Dean St. John	....	adr mixer (English version)

Stunts
Huan-Chiu Ku	....	martial arts and stunt double: Jet li

Camera and Electrical Department
Kwok-Man Keung	....	gaffer

Editorial Department
David B. Baron	....	editorial consultant (2001 English version)

Other crew
Norm Hvam	....	main title graphics
Shun-Yee Yuen	....	action director
Woo-ping Yuen	....	action director
Woo-ping Yuen	....	martial arts choreographer (as Yuen Woo Ping)

Production Companies

• Eastern Productions

Distributors

• Arte (2007) (Germany) (TV)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Buena Vista Home Video (2001) (Netherlands) (VHS) (rental)
• Buena Vista Home Video (2003) (Netherlands) (VHS) (retail)
• Buena Vista Home Video
• Dimension Films (USA) (dubbed)
• Evolution Entertainment (2008) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Manga Films (1998) (Spain) (video)
• Mei Ah Entertainment (1994) (Hong Kong) (video)
• Metropolitan Filmexport (France)
• Miramax Films

Other Companies

• Fine Art Film Production Company  subtitles
• Kodak (Hong Kong) Ltd.  film stock supplied by
• Monkeyland Audio  post-production sound services
• Showreel Film Facilities  post-production sound services
• Toplight Engineering  camera and lighting equipment supplied by
• True Technic Ltd.  post-production sound services
• Union Film Laboratory  film processing

Also Known As:

"Jing wu ying xiong" - Hong Kong (original 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:

France:U | Norway:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Australia:M | Hong Kong:II

Company:

Eastern Productions

Trivia:

Even though the plots are different, the premise of this movie; about the 5th disciple of Master Huo Yuanjia who returns to China after the master's death to avenge him and uncover the circumstances of his murder, is also the premise for The Chinese Connection (1972), starring Bruce Lee as Chen Zhen.

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 style is that?
Chen Zhen:don't ask! if it works, it's a good one!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Asian Cop: High Voltage (1995)

Come for the fights, stay for the movie

A remake of Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury, this movie gives us amazing martial arts sequences, with good plot and acting in between.

The fights are spectacular. A lot of martial arts movies incorporate wonderful movements and acrobatics, designed to show off the skill and grace of the fighter. However in a life or death struggle, these sometimes seem out of place. This is a "realistic" martial arts movie. You almost feel yourself cringing with each hit. As the man said: "These lads are out to hurt each other." This is fighting in its purest, taking cue from Bruce Lee's personal style, where the aim is to defeat your opponent in the most efficient manner possible. The opening fight of the movie sets its style right away and continues to its climax.

But what made this movie go above and beyond a martial arts flick is the storyline and plot. This movie deals with themes of racism, tolerance and acceptance not only between the Chinese and Japanese, but within each group as well. Here Jet Li shines in his performance. While events cause him to lose his composure and give in to his feelings, at the core you see that he is a righteous person. When he realizes the correct course of action, either by himself, or when it is pointed out by others, he does what is right. And we see the people around him learn from his behavior and they seek to emulate it.

The movie also tries to present a rather fair view of both the Chinese and Japanese. Neither side is portrayed as good or evil, rather as normal human beings, running the whole spectrum from selfish to noble, from hateful to kind.

As a martial arts movie, this is one of the best ever made, but it stands on its own as a good film, one dealing with a historical subject that has a very strong resonance even today.