FIST OF LEGEND (1995)

Starring: Jet Li, Chin Siu Ho, Ada Choi, Nakayama Shinobu, Billy Chow, Paul Chun, Kurata Yasuaki, Yuen Cheung Yan, Yuen Woo Ping

Fist of Legend is more than a remake of the classic Bruce Lee film Fist of Fury, it is also an homage to the great kung fu master. After all, no matter how many pretenders there are, Bruce Lee was simply the greatest - no one, not even Jackie Chan or Jet Li, can emulate the master.

The story is similar to that of Fist of Fury: Chen Zhen (Jet Li) leaves Tokyo after hearing news of his master's death. He returns to Shanghai to find his school "Jing Mo Mun" in disarray. Their morale is low, and they are looked upon by even the local Chinese. Chen doesn't hesitate in finding the Japanese bloke who killed his master, Fok Yin Kap, so he goes to a Japanese dojo and challenges Ryuichi to a fight, and wins. Realising that Ryuichi simply could not have killed his master in a fair fight, he discovers that his master had actually been poisoned.

With the truth now out in the open, Jing Mo Mun begins to regain their lost prestige, and many people are willing to accept Chen as their new teacher, much to the chagrin of Fok Tin Yan (Chin Siu Ho), the only son of Master Fok, and now head of the school. A Japanese general, Fujita (Billy Chow), kills Ryuichi and frames Chen for the murder, which leads to a massive fight between the men of the dojo and Jing Mo Mun. Chen is taking in for questioning, and is only set free in a subsequent court case when Chen's female friend from Japan, Yamada Mitsuko (Nakayama Shinobu), becomes his alibi.

The relationship between Chen and Mitsuko causes friction at Jing Mo Mun when they all want Mitsuko to leave simply because she is Japanese. Chen could and would not leave her, and after a fight between him and Fok Tin Yan (which Chen won), Chen have no choice but to leave his beloved school.

Unable to find a suitable place to stay, Chen and Mitsuko decide to stay in a hut in the middle of nowhere. Soon, Chen is challenged to a fight by Funakoshi (Kurata Yasuaki), and it ends in a draw. At the end of the film, Jing Mo Mun is challenged to another fight, by General Fujita, and both Chen Zhen and Fok Tin Yan team up to face this new adversary.

Apart from noticing the obvious similarities and differences between Fist of Fury and Fist of Legend, what suddenly comes to mind when viewing this film is that this is Jet Li's greatest film (besides Once Upon a Time in China). The fight scenes (of which there are plenty) are outstanding and full of intensity and tenacity. The action is fast and furious, and offers the opportunity for Jet to show what he is capable of without the use of wires. He simply rocks.

There are many plus points in the film, and many issues that can be explored fully in our minds. For example, there is the contrast between old and new, tradition and modernity. For many of the people at Jing Mo Mun, they are still living in a traditional world, and the appearance of Chen turns their world around. He teaches them the advantages of modern training techniques, and explains to them the benefits of modern science, as well as the ability to speak in both Japanese and English.

However, his relationship with Mitsuko is doomed from the start, especially with the Chinese loathing of the Japanese, Mitsuko would never be accepted by the Chinese. The relationship might have worked in Japan, as Chen could have easily passed as a Japanese, but impossible in China. In the end, Chen sacrifices love for protecting his country from foreign invaders. A noble cause, obviously, but Mitsuko's leaving would always be at the back of his mind.

With all the action scenes in the film, it is hard to pick out the best. For one on one action, I think the scenes where Chen fights his friend Fok Tin Yan, and Funakoshi are the best of the lot. The opening intro where we see Chen fight a dozen Japanese students in Kyoto is also excellent, as well as the fight in the dojo in Shanghai.

Overall, Fist of Legend is an excellent film, one that matches Bruce Lee's original in style and pace. Although Jet Li is no Bruce Lee (and can't kick as well), I think Fist of Legend is undoubtedly Jet's best modern film. A definite must-see for all martial arts action fans.

RATING

9 / 10