47
Metascore
5 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- Director Kang Woo-Suk spins an epic swirl of masculine psychodrama over his many punishing fight sequences...But he also makes a handful of sage points about desperate times, the cycle of bullying and our modern culture of ratings-sanctioned aggression.
- 60VarietyJustin ChangVarietyJustin ChangBloated but energetic, entertaining but interminable, tortured but strangely satisfying, Fists of Legend spends two-and-a-half hours unraveling the knotty saga of three middle-aged fighters, their shared dark past and their rocky road to redemption.
- 50Slant MagazineSlant MagazineThe film is so generous in its characterizations that it's easy to overlook the fact that its hot-topic drama (bullying, economic marginalization, etc.) amounts to little more than padded lip service.
- 50The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisShot with some wit and considerable speed, its short, sharp beatdowns are a refreshing change from the bloated action sequences favored by some of Mr. Kang’s genre contemporaries.
- 30Village VoiceNick SchagerVillage VoiceNick SchagerThe battles are staged with moderate intensity but a dispiriting lack of surprise that's also characteristic of the story in general.