The Legend (1993)

This Hong Kong martial-arts extravaganza tells of evil emperors and true love. The secret Red Lotus Flower Society is committed to the overthrow of the evil Manchu Emperor and his minions. ... See full summary »

Director:

Corey Yuen

Writers:

Kin Chung Chan, Susan Godfrey (english adaptation)

Stars:

Jet Li, Josephine Siao, Michelle Reis

3 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Jet Li	...	Fong Sai Yuk
Josephine Siao	...	Miu Chui Fa
Michelle Reis	...	Ting Ting
Wenzhuo Zhao	...	Governor of Kau Man
Sung Young Chen	...	Tiger Lui
Sibelle Hu	...	Siu-wan
Adam Cheng	...	Chan Ka Lok
Kong Chu	...	Fong Tak
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lung Chan	...	Macu
Xian Gao	...	Support
Tao Guo	...	Bully
Yueming Pan	...	Background Actor
Yankai Yu	...	Yu Tung

Storyline

This Hong Kong martial-arts extravaganza tells of evil emperors and true love. The secret Red Lotus Flower Society is committed to the overthrow of the evil Manchu Emperor and his minions. One of his Governors is sent on a mission to retrieve a list of members of that secret society. Meanwhile, Canton kung fu practitioner Fong Sai-Yuk falls in love with the beautiful daughter of a rich merchant, recently moved to Canton. Her father, in an attempt to gain influence in the region and thus improve his business, offers his daughter in marriage to the winner of a kung-fu contest. Some interesting gender role-reversals take place during a 'comedy of errors.'

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Plot Keywords:

platform | kung fu | emperor | secret society | martial arts | 

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Taglines:

Fast. Furious. Deadly.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

A comparison of the Hong Kong and American versions of Fong Sai-yuk illustrates the impact of Miramax's tinkering and its effect on the viewing experience. Directed by Corey Yuen Kuei and starring Jet Li, Fong Sai-yuk involves the youthful adventures of the titular hero, a legendary Cantonese martial artist who was trained by his mother and inspired several series of films. Miramax released its version on DVD through its Dimension label, re-titling it The Legend, cutting approximately ten minutes, and adding a new score and a English dubbed dialogue. An analysis of two sample scenes - one involving changes in music and dialogue, the other also featuring excised material - suggests that the American version is not only more taut, inoffensive, and consistent in tone than the Hong Kong original, but also offers a substantially different interpretation of character motivations and relationships. It is also simply not as funny.

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Quotes

Fong Sai-Yuk: [assaults "intruder"] Who are you?
Mother Fong: [removes disguise] I'm your mother.
Fong Sai-Yuk: Wow. Mom! You look just like a man!
Mother Fong: Yeah, and I just won Tiger Lu's daughter's hand in marriage.
Fong Sai-Yuk: Does Dad know?
Mother Fong: Nooo!

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Crazy Credits

In the original Hong Kong cut, the final scene has Tiger throwing the Red Flower scroll into the air where it unfurls. The closing credits then roll down a parchment labeled "Red Flower Society Name List", as if the entire cast and crew were members of it.

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Alternate Versions

UK version was cut by 1 sec. for sight of real animal cruelty (horse tripped so that it falls forward onto head) due to BBFC policy and the Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937.

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Connections

Spoofs Once Upon a Time in China (1991)

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Soundtracks

Excerpts
from Shu gim yan sau luk (1976)

User Reviews

One of Jet's best movies

Jet revives another Chinese folk-hero into traditional action with a spirited portrayal of Fong Sai Yuk, kung fu wonderkid with a happy-go-lucky attitude and gleaming smile: despite their moral standings and martial artistry, Fong couldn't be more different than Jet's other alter-ego Wong Fei-hung. FSY is mostly played for laughs, and succeeds in all departments. Plots run parallel: one, in which Fong enters a kung fu competition held by former bandit Tiger Liu (Chen Sung Yung) offering his daughter as the prize, only to lose out to Liu's wife, Siu (Sibelle Hu), so his equally-spirited mother presumes male garb and takes over: she not only wins the competition but also wins Siu's heart! The other reveals Fong's father to be a key member of the Red Flower society and in possession of a list of its members, gutlessly pursued by an evil Manchu general (Zhao Wen Zhou). Everything simply falls into place and we're left with a truly delightful action romp, with special turnouts from charming comedienne Josephine Siao (as Fong's mother) and the always-exciting Jet Li.

Details

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese

Release Date:

4 March 1993 (Hong Kong)

Also Known As:

The Legend

Company Credits

Production Co:

Eastern Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min 95 min (USA)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1