This is the first martial arts film that I enjoyed very much. It has a very strong plot which is also based on a true story about an martial arts master, Huo Yuan Jia and together with great actors and actresses, a masterpiece is presented. As an Asian, I have already seen too much martial arts movie, however this one stuns me with the story and acting as I have mentioned above, but as well as their visual effects, every movement is shown clearly, one would find their heart beating hard as the fight is going on, the music in the film also fits perfectly with the film. I have to mention that this film is quite Hollywood standard and I believe it is because Jet Li had already learn a few elements to make a good Hollywood film when he was filming some Hollywood films a few years back. As Jet Li has said, this will be his last martial arts movie and wants to make it a good one, I think he has already fulfilled his dreams, because this is a truly Jet Li movie and I think a lot of people would like this film.
226 Reviews
Jet Li's paean to martial arts
rmj197113 April 2006
Make no mistake about it, Fearless is the best straight-ahead martial arts film since Jackie Chan's seminal Drunken Master 2. Director Ronny Yu crams more bone-jarring, well crafted fight scenes into the first forty minutes of this movie than most films can match in their entire runtime. This is a canny move, as it pulls in the viewer via the blurring action before beginning to develop the film's narrative in the middle third. While the story is a well used one (kung-fu bully comes to realise his skills can be used to educate rather than brutalise), it's a perfect structure on which to hang the film's many excellent confrontations. It's obvious that this film is Li's love letter to his Wu Shu background and martial arts in general. In dramatic terms, Fearless never reaches the heights of recent wuxia movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Hero and so is unable to feel truly fulfilling as a great movie per se. It is however up there with Jet Li's very best work in the genre, OUATIC & Fist of Legend for example, and if it is (sadly) true that it is to be his last period martial arts picture, it's a hell of a bang to go out on.
Jet Li's best film in years!
zxantosdragon7 February 2006
Let's get to the point. This is Jet Li's best movie in years. Not because of the fight scenes, but because the plot is engaging throughout and the emotional tension of the movie works, even though it was a bit tangled with a bit of preach.
The plot is simple. I think everyone here knows about it, so I won't spent time talking too much about it. Jet Li plays Huo Yuan Jia, an arrogant young man that has no regard for human life so to speak, and in one brash move, he indirectly caused the death of his family. He journey to a remote village to learn humility. This is probably the weakest part of the film. Mainly because a large part of it was cut out from the theatrical release. Huo had a few dialogues with Betty Sun, who played a blind girl. Their relationship was very underdeveloped. And Huo's return to Shanghai to fight was with brevity, and hardly explained. He returns to Shanghai and defends his country's honor.
I thought Jet Li did a great job acting both as the arrogant man and as the wiser wushu master. But people of course, came to see Jet Li fight. And to me, the earlier fight scenes are good, but have too much computer effects and slow motion. Still, it was refreshing to see Jet Li return to using Chinese Kung Fu.
The best fight scenes in the movie are definitely the battle between Huo and Nathan Jones, the hulking giant and the weapons fight between the Japanese Samurai and Jet Li using the sword against the three sectional staff. The ending was very emotional, and it was refreshing to see a different take unlike most endings of old Jet Li movies.
The movie could have been better of course, but I was very satisfied with it, both the plot and the action sequences.
9/10
The plot is simple. I think everyone here knows about it, so I won't spent time talking too much about it. Jet Li plays Huo Yuan Jia, an arrogant young man that has no regard for human life so to speak, and in one brash move, he indirectly caused the death of his family. He journey to a remote village to learn humility. This is probably the weakest part of the film. Mainly because a large part of it was cut out from the theatrical release. Huo had a few dialogues with Betty Sun, who played a blind girl. Their relationship was very underdeveloped. And Huo's return to Shanghai to fight was with brevity, and hardly explained. He returns to Shanghai and defends his country's honor.
I thought Jet Li did a great job acting both as the arrogant man and as the wiser wushu master. But people of course, came to see Jet Li fight. And to me, the earlier fight scenes are good, but have too much computer effects and slow motion. Still, it was refreshing to see Jet Li return to using Chinese Kung Fu.
The best fight scenes in the movie are definitely the battle between Huo and Nathan Jones, the hulking giant and the weapons fight between the Japanese Samurai and Jet Li using the sword against the three sectional staff. The ending was very emotional, and it was refreshing to see a different take unlike most endings of old Jet Li movies.
The movie could have been better of course, but I was very satisfied with it, both the plot and the action sequences.
9/10
Jet Li in a Masterpiece
drqu198126 April 2006
I've always been a fan of Jet Li since his early days, and frankly his movies and performances in them have been terrible in the last few years mainly due to his attempts to be a profitable and a more mainstream actor in the US. As a result, we were treated to "nice" movies like The One and Cradle to the Grave. This movie though makes up them. This was truly a gem. Not only were the action sequences spectacular, and I iterate spectacular, but the story line and acting as well as screen play was very tastefully done. Gone were the traditional comedic side plot, and welcomed was a sense of respect not only for the Chinese but also for some of the foreign countries that are often portrayed poorly in the movies. In the end, I can't help but feel like I've not only seen a great movie but felt the humanity and pride that the movie released. See it!
An exceptional martial arts movie
hkswordman30 April 2006
This is an exciting, beautiful, exceptional martial arts movie that cements Jet Li's superlative contribution to kung-fu cinema. It is absolutely filled with stirring martial arts and gloriously made, with eye-filling cinematography. Although the story is simple, it is heart-felt and effective. It's hard to understand how anyone who could call this boring, unless they are so jaded and cynical that their review would be useless in any case. This film is a great accompaniment to Jet's Shaolin Temple series, Once Upon a Time in China films, Fist of Legend, and Hero, and an absolute must-see for anyone who enjoyed those films.
What a wonderful martial artist!
FrenchEddieFelson28 May 2019
While not as accomplished as Ying xiong (2002), this film is successful, benefits from combat scenes particularly well choreographed and (it's sufficiently rare to be noted) a moral. Thus, if the first half might be reduced, by being slightly in bad faith, to a succession of d*ck comparisons, the second half highlights a philosophy of life based on respect, dignity and honor, even with the foreigners, even while knockin' on heaven's door. Nice! As a synthesis: 7/8 of 10.
Jet Li's finest martial arts film
brentsoffcenter24 September 2006
Almost flawless, this new release improves on the style and genre in a significant way. The film is presented in a way that the viewer can appreciate it from several perspectives without heavily relying on the genre's standard formulas. We don't have to wade through the typical love triangle, the maniacal drug lord contracting a hit, or the beloved school's instructor being tortured and murdered before the ultimate revenge takes place. This film has a legitimate story line, skillfully presented in a clear and well edited manner.
Although the film was generally concerned with the development of a specific fighting style and philosophy, the audience is also treated to some authenticity of the then Chinese culture and the biography of a Chinese martial arts master. These features seem to give the production a much higher level of credibility than the average martial arts action movie.
Although we did experience some speed editing in fight scenes, it was done in such a way that it enhanced, rather than detracted, from the believability of the film. In "House of Flying Daggers", for example, the ballet and acrobatic like choreography of some of the fight scenes tended to undermine, rather than enhance. If there was any flaw in the fight scenes present, it was minor. This flaw may have been inescapable because of the inherent limitations of the style of the film itself. For example, trivial features such as disconnected striking combinations at the expense of speed editing, or the fact that the Japanese martial artist did not seem to be using a typical Japanese style of fighting. (It appeared to be a combination of Chinese and Korean oriented styles).
This film should, by all rights, reset the bar for the standards of martial arts films from now on. It was simply an outstanding film in every way.
Although the film was generally concerned with the development of a specific fighting style and philosophy, the audience is also treated to some authenticity of the then Chinese culture and the biography of a Chinese martial arts master. These features seem to give the production a much higher level of credibility than the average martial arts action movie.
Although we did experience some speed editing in fight scenes, it was done in such a way that it enhanced, rather than detracted, from the believability of the film. In "House of Flying Daggers", for example, the ballet and acrobatic like choreography of some of the fight scenes tended to undermine, rather than enhance. If there was any flaw in the fight scenes present, it was minor. This flaw may have been inescapable because of the inherent limitations of the style of the film itself. For example, trivial features such as disconnected striking combinations at the expense of speed editing, or the fact that the Japanese martial artist did not seem to be using a typical Japanese style of fighting. (It appeared to be a combination of Chinese and Korean oriented styles).
This film should, by all rights, reset the bar for the standards of martial arts films from now on. It was simply an outstanding film in every way.
Fearless
jon200528 June 2006
Fearless has a similar structure to last years' Unleashed (2005), in that this is not just a martial arts extravaganza, but also a film with heart and proper acting on the part of Jet Li. This latest effort, despite flaws, is the much more accomplished of the two works; both contain exceptional and brutal fight scenes, and a central 'drama' section where Li's character learns about life and about who he is, and both of these aspects are handled better in Fearless.
Based on actual events, the story focuses on Li's Huo Yuanjin, martial arts master whose family is murdered and who flees his home, only to be taken in by simple farmers. Spending many years there, Huo learns to embrace peace and live out his simple life with the villagers. However, he is tempted back to his home town in an effort to show the foreign powers that are flooding China that the Chinese people are unified, and will not be suppressed by foreigners. He sets up a martial arts school and competes in a four-way tournament to prove that he is the greatest fighter in the world.
Make no mistake; the main appeal to the film is the fight sequences. Courtesy of the ever versatile Yuen Wo Ping, (The Matrix Trilogy, Crouching Tiger) the staggering fight choreography manages to combine the graceful moves of Hero (2002) with the brutality of Unleashed to create possibly the greatest action scenes put to film, aided by Jet Li's so-good-it-looks-easy martial arts capabilities. The film starts as it means to go on, and contains plenty of inventive action, the main highlights being a colossal one-on-one in a restaurant and of course the climactic four-way tournament.
The film is not all action though; at its centre is the time spent with the villagers where Huo 'finds himself'. This is perhaps the films weakest point, but it is held up by the fact that Jet Li, showing he's not only a martial arts expert, can actually act. However, the scenes are lacking, from a scripting and directing point of view, enough emotional depth to allow us to truly get involved. Being based on a true story the film had to play out as it did, but one feels that Huo could have gone anywhere to find himself, even stayed at home and become a recluse. Director Ronnie Yu lacks the directorial range to let these scenes flourish, so the section begins to bog itself down with unnecessary sentimentality. However, it is a more developed section than the comparable parts in Unleashed and although maybe is too short it could have been developed into much more it at least doesn't outstay its welcome. Jet Li is good though, and nicely moves from the arrogance of his early days to the wiser warrior in the second half.
Fearless shows us a moralistic China that is ruled by an honour that is now lost amongst the modern world, and its portrayal of upholding traditional values is a welcome move; it gives the film purpose, and not just an excuse to make good action scenes. Ironically, the films message is one of anti-violence, and if this is indeed to be Jet Li's last martial arts film, then he has gone out on a high.
Rated: 8/10
More reviews at: http://www.thelazylounge.net
Based on actual events, the story focuses on Li's Huo Yuanjin, martial arts master whose family is murdered and who flees his home, only to be taken in by simple farmers. Spending many years there, Huo learns to embrace peace and live out his simple life with the villagers. However, he is tempted back to his home town in an effort to show the foreign powers that are flooding China that the Chinese people are unified, and will not be suppressed by foreigners. He sets up a martial arts school and competes in a four-way tournament to prove that he is the greatest fighter in the world.
Make no mistake; the main appeal to the film is the fight sequences. Courtesy of the ever versatile Yuen Wo Ping, (The Matrix Trilogy, Crouching Tiger) the staggering fight choreography manages to combine the graceful moves of Hero (2002) with the brutality of Unleashed to create possibly the greatest action scenes put to film, aided by Jet Li's so-good-it-looks-easy martial arts capabilities. The film starts as it means to go on, and contains plenty of inventive action, the main highlights being a colossal one-on-one in a restaurant and of course the climactic four-way tournament.
The film is not all action though; at its centre is the time spent with the villagers where Huo 'finds himself'. This is perhaps the films weakest point, but it is held up by the fact that Jet Li, showing he's not only a martial arts expert, can actually act. However, the scenes are lacking, from a scripting and directing point of view, enough emotional depth to allow us to truly get involved. Being based on a true story the film had to play out as it did, but one feels that Huo could have gone anywhere to find himself, even stayed at home and become a recluse. Director Ronnie Yu lacks the directorial range to let these scenes flourish, so the section begins to bog itself down with unnecessary sentimentality. However, it is a more developed section than the comparable parts in Unleashed and although maybe is too short it could have been developed into much more it at least doesn't outstay its welcome. Jet Li is good though, and nicely moves from the arrogance of his early days to the wiser warrior in the second half.
Fearless shows us a moralistic China that is ruled by an honour that is now lost amongst the modern world, and its portrayal of upholding traditional values is a welcome move; it gives the film purpose, and not just an excuse to make good action scenes. Ironically, the films message is one of anti-violence, and if this is indeed to be Jet Li's last martial arts film, then he has gone out on a high.
Rated: 8/10
More reviews at: http://www.thelazylounge.net
Indeed, it is a Fearless hit !
samuelding8529 January 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Fearless marks Jet Li's last martial art production, where i am glad to say, he did not let anyone down in his martial art swan song.
Worked together with director Ronny Yu of The Bride With White Hair and Freddy VS Jason, Fearless marks the return of Jet and Ronny in the Asia market from Hollywood failures such as Lethal Weapon 4, The One and Formula 51.
Jet portrays the life of martial art master Huo Yuan Jia, which is also the Chinese title for the film. Fearless surrounds how he restored the pride and glory of the Chinese during the early 1900's from the intrusion and invasion of the Western powers and the growing Japanese power, where they have been calling the Chinese 'the sick man of Asia.' Huo Yuan Jia proves them wrong by accepting the challenges of the American fighters, the British and Spanish fighters, and the Japanese samurai Tanaka (Japanese actor Shidou Nakamura of Ima, Ai Ni Yukimasu or Be With You fame.) But before we have the showdown before Tanaka and Huo, we are introduced to the past of Huo, who was then a proud and arrogant fighter who wants to make himself the one and only invincible fighter of TianJin (Huo's hometown.) His arrogance and past victory from the competition indirectly leads to the death of his mother and daughter, where he killed one of his opponent just to prove that he is invincible.
Huo lost his sanity after the death of his loved ones, and he drowns into a river, where he was saved by a young lady and her granny. Living with them for 7 years makes Huo realize the real meaning of martial arts, which he eventually sets up Jing Wu Martial Art School, to promote the value of strengthening and developing Mind, Body and Soul.
Previously stated in his interview on making a movie that he truly ones, Jet Li has achieved his objective in Fearless. Unlike any other B-Action flick focusing on how well the actor fights, Fearless carry the message of not to resort violence to settle any problem, where we can see how violence did to Huo's loved ones.
The showdown between Huo and other foreign fighters also promotes the idea of sparing your enemy a chance, no matter how deadly they could be. This, somehow, reflects on part of the idea and philosophy Jet Li understands and promotes from his one year Buddhism studies.
Director Ronny Yu has also made the right choice of casting Jet Li as Huo Yuan Jia, after Jet portrays Huang Fei Hong in his remarkable Once Upon A Time Trilogy. This has once again strengthen the image of Jet Li as the Chinese hero among the Chinese around the world.
Casting Shidou Nakamura as Tanaka (one of the main supporting cast) is fresh and new, where he was more well known for his role of Takumi, the husband who had an encounter with his late wife in Ima, Ai Ni Yukimasu. Nakamura was more well for romantic and heart warming dramas. The showdown between Jet and Nakamura has not only make Fearless a must watch, but also the climax of the film.
However, Fearless is badly edited from the original 150 min version. To fit in the market demand, Fearless has been mercilessly chopped into a 103 min theatrical version. Michelle Yeoh, who makes a special appearance in Fearless, has been unfortunately removed. The duel between Jet Li and Thai boxer has also been removed, sad to say. Somehow, the movie has make the audience wants to go for something more than 103 min version.
Hope that the DVD release of Fearless will not disappoint the fans of Jet Li and anyone who loves the film with the deleted scenes. Apart from that, Fearless is remarkable. Definitely a must watch !
Worked together with director Ronny Yu of The Bride With White Hair and Freddy VS Jason, Fearless marks the return of Jet and Ronny in the Asia market from Hollywood failures such as Lethal Weapon 4, The One and Formula 51.
Jet portrays the life of martial art master Huo Yuan Jia, which is also the Chinese title for the film. Fearless surrounds how he restored the pride and glory of the Chinese during the early 1900's from the intrusion and invasion of the Western powers and the growing Japanese power, where they have been calling the Chinese 'the sick man of Asia.' Huo Yuan Jia proves them wrong by accepting the challenges of the American fighters, the British and Spanish fighters, and the Japanese samurai Tanaka (Japanese actor Shidou Nakamura of Ima, Ai Ni Yukimasu or Be With You fame.) But before we have the showdown before Tanaka and Huo, we are introduced to the past of Huo, who was then a proud and arrogant fighter who wants to make himself the one and only invincible fighter of TianJin (Huo's hometown.) His arrogance and past victory from the competition indirectly leads to the death of his mother and daughter, where he killed one of his opponent just to prove that he is invincible.
Huo lost his sanity after the death of his loved ones, and he drowns into a river, where he was saved by a young lady and her granny. Living with them for 7 years makes Huo realize the real meaning of martial arts, which he eventually sets up Jing Wu Martial Art School, to promote the value of strengthening and developing Mind, Body and Soul.
Previously stated in his interview on making a movie that he truly ones, Jet Li has achieved his objective in Fearless. Unlike any other B-Action flick focusing on how well the actor fights, Fearless carry the message of not to resort violence to settle any problem, where we can see how violence did to Huo's loved ones.
The showdown between Huo and other foreign fighters also promotes the idea of sparing your enemy a chance, no matter how deadly they could be. This, somehow, reflects on part of the idea and philosophy Jet Li understands and promotes from his one year Buddhism studies.
Director Ronny Yu has also made the right choice of casting Jet Li as Huo Yuan Jia, after Jet portrays Huang Fei Hong in his remarkable Once Upon A Time Trilogy. This has once again strengthen the image of Jet Li as the Chinese hero among the Chinese around the world.
Casting Shidou Nakamura as Tanaka (one of the main supporting cast) is fresh and new, where he was more well known for his role of Takumi, the husband who had an encounter with his late wife in Ima, Ai Ni Yukimasu. Nakamura was more well for romantic and heart warming dramas. The showdown between Jet and Nakamura has not only make Fearless a must watch, but also the climax of the film.
However, Fearless is badly edited from the original 150 min version. To fit in the market demand, Fearless has been mercilessly chopped into a 103 min theatrical version. Michelle Yeoh, who makes a special appearance in Fearless, has been unfortunately removed. The duel between Jet Li and Thai boxer has also been removed, sad to say. Somehow, the movie has make the audience wants to go for something more than 103 min version.
Hope that the DVD release of Fearless will not disappoint the fans of Jet Li and anyone who loves the film with the deleted scenes. Apart from that, Fearless is remarkable. Definitely a must watch !
Among Jet Li's Finest
bs3dc3 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
If Fearless truly is Jet Li's last martial arts film, then it is a fitting ending to his work in the genre. His choice of project has been excellent in the last few years after turning down Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon then appearing in Cradle to the Grave and Romeo Must Die, which were both a far cry from the quality of his films from the early 90's such as Once Upon a Time in China and Fist of Legend.
After playing famous historical figures such as Wong Fei-Hung and Fong Sai-Yuk he returns to create what could be described as a prequel of Fist of Legend, playing Huo Yuanjia, made famous from Leung-Kar Yan's portrayal in Legend of a Fighter, and Bruce Lee and Jet Li have both played his top student, Chen Zen.
Jet Li uses the film to put across his philosophy on violence and martial arts, which is told in such a way as to not be patronising even if it is obvious. In recent years he has shown his frustration at how his films are perceived as encouraging violence as a solution. Sadly the debate about who would win a fight between Bruce Lee and himself will probably continue to haunt him, even 30 years and more after the former's tragic death. I believe this film should have a wider audience than just martial arts fans, as it carries a poignant message, that Jet has also tried to convey in Hero and Unleashed (Danny the Dog). It must be noted that Fearless is far more tolerant than other Huo Yuanjia films, especially Fist of Fury where all the Japanese were depicted as degenerate or just plain evil. Compare that with the Japanese characters in Fearless, especially Tanaka, played with great gravitas by Shido Nakamura.
The action does not disappoint in Fearless, with the numerous fight scenes being well choreographed by his extremely frequent collaborator Yuen Woo-Ping. There is enough wire work involved to annoy purists, but there are plenty of grounded moves, with Jet showing off his skills with the spear, sabre and three-section-staff to good effect. The most exciting of the action scenes is Huo Yuanjia fighting against Master Chin.
There are a few issues in pacing, perhaps due to the removal of Michelle Yeoh's scenes, but it does detract much from the overall quality, and simply making films longer does not necessarily improve them - e.g. Alexander.
The acting is convincing and all the characters are beautifully portrayed, with few big names in Chinese cinema involved other than Jet himself, which in no way detracts from the portrayal. Betty Sun in particular creates a large impact even though her scenes do not take up much of the running time. This is backed by another haunting score from Shigeru Umbayashi (House of Flying Daggers), who seems to have replaced Tan Dun in scoring Chinese epics.
Overall this has become one of my favourite Jet Li films and I have seen all but a handful of them. The sense of tragedy and morality is well balanced with the action, and does not leave a bad taste in the mouth compared to many martial arts films where revenge is considered the only option.
After playing famous historical figures such as Wong Fei-Hung and Fong Sai-Yuk he returns to create what could be described as a prequel of Fist of Legend, playing Huo Yuanjia, made famous from Leung-Kar Yan's portrayal in Legend of a Fighter, and Bruce Lee and Jet Li have both played his top student, Chen Zen.
Jet Li uses the film to put across his philosophy on violence and martial arts, which is told in such a way as to not be patronising even if it is obvious. In recent years he has shown his frustration at how his films are perceived as encouraging violence as a solution. Sadly the debate about who would win a fight between Bruce Lee and himself will probably continue to haunt him, even 30 years and more after the former's tragic death. I believe this film should have a wider audience than just martial arts fans, as it carries a poignant message, that Jet has also tried to convey in Hero and Unleashed (Danny the Dog). It must be noted that Fearless is far more tolerant than other Huo Yuanjia films, especially Fist of Fury where all the Japanese were depicted as degenerate or just plain evil. Compare that with the Japanese characters in Fearless, especially Tanaka, played with great gravitas by Shido Nakamura.
The action does not disappoint in Fearless, with the numerous fight scenes being well choreographed by his extremely frequent collaborator Yuen Woo-Ping. There is enough wire work involved to annoy purists, but there are plenty of grounded moves, with Jet showing off his skills with the spear, sabre and three-section-staff to good effect. The most exciting of the action scenes is Huo Yuanjia fighting against Master Chin.
There are a few issues in pacing, perhaps due to the removal of Michelle Yeoh's scenes, but it does detract much from the overall quality, and simply making films longer does not necessarily improve them - e.g. Alexander.
The acting is convincing and all the characters are beautifully portrayed, with few big names in Chinese cinema involved other than Jet himself, which in no way detracts from the portrayal. Betty Sun in particular creates a large impact even though her scenes do not take up much of the running time. This is backed by another haunting score from Shigeru Umbayashi (House of Flying Daggers), who seems to have replaced Tan Dun in scoring Chinese epics.
Overall this has become one of my favourite Jet Li films and I have seen all but a handful of them. The sense of tragedy and morality is well balanced with the action, and does not leave a bad taste in the mouth compared to many martial arts films where revenge is considered the only option.
Good but not great
junkj12 May 2006
I saw this movie in Asia and heard that U.S will release it sometime in July 2006. Overall the movie was good. But considering that this is the last action Kung Fu film that Jet Li is going to make, it really was a bit disappointing. His old films had better fighting sequences and techniques. Nothing surprisingly good was in this movie, and for it to be the last one he's making, it's a bit sad. The story was not bad though, but I'm not sure about the accuracy. Since if I remember correctly, Huo Yuan Jia (His character) had a different ending compared to the one shown in the movie. There were also parts of the movie which I thought could have improved a bit. But I guess if they did, the movie would have been too long. Overall, it's totally worth watching, just the fact that it's his last action fighting film, even if it sucks, it's worth it.
"A masterwork in action filmmaking" Extraordinary ( Chines A+ Movie) My Ratings 10/10
THE-BEACON-OF-MOVIES-RAFA10 March 2020
I really enjoyed this movie it's so much more than an marital art film it centers around Li's character who is a young & arrogant marital art master, until a tragic event takes place leaving his life meaningless as he begins to find meaning he learns a lot & changes completey, he realises he was wrong & makes amends with his past actions to become a man of great understanding & wisdom. A lot of life lessons can be learned from this one.
Tradional martial art movie with extra everything on the side...
ded_meet24 September 2006
By saying that I mean that the plot was somewhat average and typical for this kind of movies, but the whole movie was exceptionally well made. The actors were really good, the fight scenes were awesome, and the sceneries in the movie were like something out of some "China is fantastic"-commercial. It was a pretty awesome movie and one that I feel perhaps gave a bit more insight into the history and culture of China as well.
With a stronger plot I would probably have given this movie at least a nine. So you should certainly go see this one as soon as possible or better yet - buy the DVD...
With a stronger plot I would probably have given this movie at least a nine. So you should certainly go see this one as soon as possible or better yet - buy the DVD...
Enjoyable but far from great
oshram-35 October 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I suppose I should blame films like Crouching Tiger and House of Flying Daggers for my general disappointment with Jet Li films. I don't dislike Li even though I'm mostly dispassionate about his films, my favorite one having been that traffic accident known as Romeo Must Die but somehow he manages to keep doing material that I find, well, not worthy of his superstar status. And sadly, Fearless is no different.
Li plays Huo Yuanjia, a Chinese martial artist who lived in the second half of the nineteenth century and who founded the Jin Wu Sports Federation, a competitive martial arts arena that accepted all forms and favored none. Huo's story is somewhat familiar in this genre; growing up he sees his father shamed in a fight and vows to be the greatest fighter in the land. Through hard work and discipline he achieves that goal, but then it goes to his head, his whole world becomes fighting, and soon his ego and reputation mean everything to him blah blah blah, we've seen this before. And just like most protagonists, Huo has a third act revelation and spends the rest of his life trying to atone for his sins and his pride (you don't even have to dip in the martial arts films to get this story. See also The Last Samurai). Huo then uses his skill and newfound humility as an example to others on how not to use fighting as an end unto itself (some 30-odd years ago Bruce Lee summed up this outlook as "the art of fighting without fighting").
So the story's really nothing new, but that's hardly why you go to a Jet Li picture now, is it? Yes, the fights are pretty good; one match set on a high platform is a real eye-opener, though the match where pride overcomes Huo is set in a restaurant and flashes the viewer back to the similar but better sequence in Crouching Tiger. What Fearless does have going for it is a nice dose of Chinese pride; set in an area of enforced modernization and encroaching westernism (nicely reinforced in a subtle way through costuming and a hilarious but where Huo tries coffee), Huo's insistence on remaining true to his Chinese roots and his belief in them give a nice lift to an otherwise tired concept.
Though Li has said this is his last martial arts epic, by now you know enough about him and his movies to know whether you'll enjoy them or not. Fearless isn't bad enough to sour anyone on Li, but it's also nowhere near strong enough to bring him any converts either. This is pretty much martial arts by the numbers here, except in a few moments where the film flares to life. But it hardly ever thinks outside the box, and it ends up leaving you wanting more the more that films like House of Flying Daggers delivers.
Li plays Huo Yuanjia, a Chinese martial artist who lived in the second half of the nineteenth century and who founded the Jin Wu Sports Federation, a competitive martial arts arena that accepted all forms and favored none. Huo's story is somewhat familiar in this genre; growing up he sees his father shamed in a fight and vows to be the greatest fighter in the land. Through hard work and discipline he achieves that goal, but then it goes to his head, his whole world becomes fighting, and soon his ego and reputation mean everything to him blah blah blah, we've seen this before. And just like most protagonists, Huo has a third act revelation and spends the rest of his life trying to atone for his sins and his pride (you don't even have to dip in the martial arts films to get this story. See also The Last Samurai). Huo then uses his skill and newfound humility as an example to others on how not to use fighting as an end unto itself (some 30-odd years ago Bruce Lee summed up this outlook as "the art of fighting without fighting").
So the story's really nothing new, but that's hardly why you go to a Jet Li picture now, is it? Yes, the fights are pretty good; one match set on a high platform is a real eye-opener, though the match where pride overcomes Huo is set in a restaurant and flashes the viewer back to the similar but better sequence in Crouching Tiger. What Fearless does have going for it is a nice dose of Chinese pride; set in an area of enforced modernization and encroaching westernism (nicely reinforced in a subtle way through costuming and a hilarious but where Huo tries coffee), Huo's insistence on remaining true to his Chinese roots and his belief in them give a nice lift to an otherwise tired concept.
Though Li has said this is his last martial arts epic, by now you know enough about him and his movies to know whether you'll enjoy them or not. Fearless isn't bad enough to sour anyone on Li, but it's also nowhere near strong enough to bring him any converts either. This is pretty much martial arts by the numbers here, except in a few moments where the film flares to life. But it hardly ever thinks outside the box, and it ends up leaving you wanting more the more that films like House of Flying Daggers delivers.
One of the best films of its genre
siderite17 June 2006
This movie has it all: a good story, based on real history; very good imagery and soundtrack; nice fighting scenes; last, but not least, a moral.
Jet Li plays a very important character in Chinese history, one that made Chinese people feel proud in a time when all their traditions were torn up by the interaction with the West. One can interpret the message of the movie in many ways. It is a movie about conquering yourself, about the meaning of honor and what it really means to be respected. Jet Li's character evolves from basically a glorified bully to the founder of a true Martial Arts competition based on respect of people and of fighting art. It is also a movie about how industry screws up... everything, really.
I personally feel that the film had enough material to be turned into a mini-series. The time from his personal tragedy to his realizing the meaning of his father's words it's very short and could have been expanded.
In conclusion, this is a great movie of Jet Li's and it's not only for martial arts lovers. I feel that his last "block busters" were meaningless violence films. Fearless is obviously NOT one of these movies. Enjoy.
Jet Li plays a very important character in Chinese history, one that made Chinese people feel proud in a time when all their traditions were torn up by the interaction with the West. One can interpret the message of the movie in many ways. It is a movie about conquering yourself, about the meaning of honor and what it really means to be respected. Jet Li's character evolves from basically a glorified bully to the founder of a true Martial Arts competition based on respect of people and of fighting art. It is also a movie about how industry screws up... everything, really.
I personally feel that the film had enough material to be turned into a mini-series. The time from his personal tragedy to his realizing the meaning of his father's words it's very short and could have been expanded.
In conclusion, this is a great movie of Jet Li's and it's not only for martial arts lovers. I feel that his last "block busters" were meaningless violence films. Fearless is obviously NOT one of these movies. Enjoy.
A Nutshell Review: Fearless
DICK STEEL26 January 2006
The first Jet Li movie which I watched as a little boy, was his Shaolin Temple. Jet next shot to fame and prominence with the various Chinese folk heroes that he played in the late 80s and 90s, like Wong Fei Hong, Fong Sai Yuk, Zhang San Feng, and even taking on Bruce Lee's Chen Zhen role in a Fist of Fury remake called Fist of Legend. In Fearless, he plays martial arts master Huo Yuanjia / Fok Yuen Gaap, whom I presume most who are familiar with Fist of Fury, will know who this chap is.
Like Fong Sai Yuk, Jet's portrayal of Huo Yuanjia starts off like Fong, who initially is a cocky person, proud of his skills, but nothing interests him more than the challenge in the ring. He's uninterested in politics (at that time China was being "invaded" by shiploads of foreigners), and adopts a whole host of disciples who prove to be his downfall.
Also like Fong, we see Huo reeling from his carefree days, get into some serious soul searching, before returning for the finale. But Huo returns a more calm and measured person, setting up the famous Jing Wu Sports Federation, and taking on a whole host of foreign fighters to inspire his countrymen that they are not the "sick men of the east".
As this is much touted as Jet Li's final martial arts film, it's plain obvious of the messages he wished to use this platform to spread. Scattered throughout the film are various martial arts, and probably life philosophy on themes like respect and responsibility, that violence isn't the means to an end. Somehow you forgive the fact that it's so blatant, and it seemed to work well into the plot and narrative, given that Huo's mission in setting up Jing Wu, is for that purpose to, to "spread the word" so to speak. From his early days of Chinese battling Chinese for the "Number 1 pugilist" title, Huo learnt that instead of fighting each other, they should unite in the face of new and external threats, but yet to remember not to neglect the home front, which he personally experienced from tragedy.
But no, the kungfu doesn't suffer from those messages though. In probably one of the most violent Jet Li movies (it's rated NC-16 here, and no cuts detected, except for the absence of Michelle Yeoh's scenes which ended up on the cutting room floor), with bone crunching and blood spewing - you might think that Tony Jaa's acting in it. And director Ronny Yu takes his time to showcase many of Li's moves, be it plain martial arts moves with the fists, with the various weapons used, or Yuen Wo Ping's jazzed up wire work for some of Huo's fights.
And there are many fights which will keep the action fans happy. Though the much touted ones shown ad nausem in trailers against the foreign legion, seemed a bit short in the final product. The filmmakers did keep one awesome fight scene under wraps though, and that is between Huo and nemesis Mister Chin in a teahouse - wreaking tables, chairs, flipping around pillars, navigating through different floors, and ending up in the wine cellar.
It's probably a fitting end to signal Jet's departure from the martial arts movie scene, with the portrayal of Huo given the known circumstances of what happened to the character. Though there are various interpretations, the essence is retained well in the movie. It is inevitable, and there is no Chen Zhen character to distract the audience from what is essentially a showcase movie for Jet Li.
(P.S. I still can't figure out how Michelle Yeoh would have played out in the movie, and no disrespect to her, I thought it worked well, except perhaps for the unnecessary lengthy middle where Huo was searching for himself)
Like Fong Sai Yuk, Jet's portrayal of Huo Yuanjia starts off like Fong, who initially is a cocky person, proud of his skills, but nothing interests him more than the challenge in the ring. He's uninterested in politics (at that time China was being "invaded" by shiploads of foreigners), and adopts a whole host of disciples who prove to be his downfall.
Also like Fong, we see Huo reeling from his carefree days, get into some serious soul searching, before returning for the finale. But Huo returns a more calm and measured person, setting up the famous Jing Wu Sports Federation, and taking on a whole host of foreign fighters to inspire his countrymen that they are not the "sick men of the east".
As this is much touted as Jet Li's final martial arts film, it's plain obvious of the messages he wished to use this platform to spread. Scattered throughout the film are various martial arts, and probably life philosophy on themes like respect and responsibility, that violence isn't the means to an end. Somehow you forgive the fact that it's so blatant, and it seemed to work well into the plot and narrative, given that Huo's mission in setting up Jing Wu, is for that purpose to, to "spread the word" so to speak. From his early days of Chinese battling Chinese for the "Number 1 pugilist" title, Huo learnt that instead of fighting each other, they should unite in the face of new and external threats, but yet to remember not to neglect the home front, which he personally experienced from tragedy.
But no, the kungfu doesn't suffer from those messages though. In probably one of the most violent Jet Li movies (it's rated NC-16 here, and no cuts detected, except for the absence of Michelle Yeoh's scenes which ended up on the cutting room floor), with bone crunching and blood spewing - you might think that Tony Jaa's acting in it. And director Ronny Yu takes his time to showcase many of Li's moves, be it plain martial arts moves with the fists, with the various weapons used, or Yuen Wo Ping's jazzed up wire work for some of Huo's fights.
And there are many fights which will keep the action fans happy. Though the much touted ones shown ad nausem in trailers against the foreign legion, seemed a bit short in the final product. The filmmakers did keep one awesome fight scene under wraps though, and that is between Huo and nemesis Mister Chin in a teahouse - wreaking tables, chairs, flipping around pillars, navigating through different floors, and ending up in the wine cellar.
It's probably a fitting end to signal Jet's departure from the martial arts movie scene, with the portrayal of Huo given the known circumstances of what happened to the character. Though there are various interpretations, the essence is retained well in the movie. It is inevitable, and there is no Chen Zhen character to distract the audience from what is essentially a showcase movie for Jet Li.
(P.S. I still can't figure out how Michelle Yeoh would have played out in the movie, and no disrespect to her, I thought it worked well, except perhaps for the unnecessary lengthy middle where Huo was searching for himself)
Could be considered Ronny Yu's signature piece
harry_tk_yung26 January 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Director Ronny Yu, just like HUA Yuan Jia, is a fighter who has conquered his inner devil. Moderately handicapped by polio, he endured an isolated childhood. Against his father's (kindly meant) wishes for him to go into business, he followed his own dreams of directing movies, something for which his physical handicap makes him particularly unsuitable. Not among the prolific Hong Kong directors, he kept up with bringing to the local audience good quality work in the 80s and early 90s.
Then an interesting thing happened. In 1993, he made "The bride with white hair", which is both a martial arts yarn and a heart-breaking love story adapted from a well-known martial art novel that most local high-school kids in the 60s would have read. A few years later Hollywood was looking for a change in the formulaic horror genre that the public had long grown tired of. "When they saw The Bride with White Hair, maybe because of the exotic atmosphere, they identified it with the horror genre", Ronny Yu observed with a chuckle. A Hong Kong director could be what they wanted, to bring something new.
Yu did bring something new, a comical dimension to "Bride of Chucky". It was not easy for Yu to convert to the Hollywood system because in Hong Kong, the director is king. To wait, like a defendant waiting for the jury's verdict, for a randomly picked sample of mass movie-goers' "report card" on the test screening of your movie is not something that a pampered Hong Kong director can often handle. To see your movie re-edited (sometimes drastically) based on these pedestrian views is even tougher to stomach. Yu, however, has the maturity to understand that the system is market-driven and everything boils down to dollars and cents, and nothing more. You just have to play by the rules of the game. "Bride of Chucky" was obviously a success, as Yu was asked to take on "Freddy vs Jason", not an easy task as both are household names to the horror genre fan population. While not a huge success "F v J" was reasonably well received and, a little to his own amusement, Ronny Yu became an established Hollywood horror-comedy director. But he wants to do more than that.
There is no room for comedy in "Fearless". It is about a person who in a most revered icon in the world of Chinese martial arts as well as modern Chinese history. HUA Yuan Jia's story is truly inspiring, not only in its period significant in Chinese history, but also in a more universal realm of the highest ideal of wushi, or martial arts, as a path towards self-realisation, very much in line with Bruce Lee's philosophy. Yu treats the subject matter with respect. Although there is a fair amount of "preaching", he sensibly refrains from sensationalised emotion stirring tricks. Very brutal action sequences are balanced with most serene scenes, such as rice planters stopping in unison to listen to the sound of nature, the breeze rustling the leaves.
In an hour-long radio interview, director Yu explained what a wushi movie really is about a real life person who has made contributions to the world of martial arts. The action sequence, therefore, should be as realistic as possible. To do this, we must have a true wushi expert, and Jet Li is of course just the best one. By the same token, his opponents should be reasonably seasoned martial artists. He then went on to explain that in Fearless, he has tried to minimise using camera techniques but instead shot the bouts and parries with a straight take and let the actors do their job. In this I was a little disappointed, as there was less of what he has promised, and certainly nothing as spontaneous and brilliant as the Donnie Yan and WU Jing duel in "Saat Po Long". But I shouldn't be too critical as this is, after all, not a wushi documentary but a commercial movie. The camera is in fact extremely well used, with excellent editing, putting the action sequences with the best I've seen.
In "Danny the dog" Jet Li has demonstrated that he can act. In "Fearless" he brings out well the contrast between the abrasive and the humbled Hua in the two halves of the movie. The only other role that has some meat is the Japanese challenger (the all-goodness blind girl is not difficult to do). As much as I like the guy (particularly in "Be with you" or "Ima, ai ni yukimasu"), Shido Nakamura is miscast. Despite good acting ability, he simply does not have that fierce intensity to portray the top notch Japanese martial art expert. More suitable would be Ken Watanabe or Hiroyuki Sanada, both in "The Last Samurai" and the latter also in "Twilight Samurai".
Then an interesting thing happened. In 1993, he made "The bride with white hair", which is both a martial arts yarn and a heart-breaking love story adapted from a well-known martial art novel that most local high-school kids in the 60s would have read. A few years later Hollywood was looking for a change in the formulaic horror genre that the public had long grown tired of. "When they saw The Bride with White Hair, maybe because of the exotic atmosphere, they identified it with the horror genre", Ronny Yu observed with a chuckle. A Hong Kong director could be what they wanted, to bring something new.
Yu did bring something new, a comical dimension to "Bride of Chucky". It was not easy for Yu to convert to the Hollywood system because in Hong Kong, the director is king. To wait, like a defendant waiting for the jury's verdict, for a randomly picked sample of mass movie-goers' "report card" on the test screening of your movie is not something that a pampered Hong Kong director can often handle. To see your movie re-edited (sometimes drastically) based on these pedestrian views is even tougher to stomach. Yu, however, has the maturity to understand that the system is market-driven and everything boils down to dollars and cents, and nothing more. You just have to play by the rules of the game. "Bride of Chucky" was obviously a success, as Yu was asked to take on "Freddy vs Jason", not an easy task as both are household names to the horror genre fan population. While not a huge success "F v J" was reasonably well received and, a little to his own amusement, Ronny Yu became an established Hollywood horror-comedy director. But he wants to do more than that.
There is no room for comedy in "Fearless". It is about a person who in a most revered icon in the world of Chinese martial arts as well as modern Chinese history. HUA Yuan Jia's story is truly inspiring, not only in its period significant in Chinese history, but also in a more universal realm of the highest ideal of wushi, or martial arts, as a path towards self-realisation, very much in line with Bruce Lee's philosophy. Yu treats the subject matter with respect. Although there is a fair amount of "preaching", he sensibly refrains from sensationalised emotion stirring tricks. Very brutal action sequences are balanced with most serene scenes, such as rice planters stopping in unison to listen to the sound of nature, the breeze rustling the leaves.
In an hour-long radio interview, director Yu explained what a wushi movie really is about a real life person who has made contributions to the world of martial arts. The action sequence, therefore, should be as realistic as possible. To do this, we must have a true wushi expert, and Jet Li is of course just the best one. By the same token, his opponents should be reasonably seasoned martial artists. He then went on to explain that in Fearless, he has tried to minimise using camera techniques but instead shot the bouts and parries with a straight take and let the actors do their job. In this I was a little disappointed, as there was less of what he has promised, and certainly nothing as spontaneous and brilliant as the Donnie Yan and WU Jing duel in "Saat Po Long". But I shouldn't be too critical as this is, after all, not a wushi documentary but a commercial movie. The camera is in fact extremely well used, with excellent editing, putting the action sequences with the best I've seen.
In "Danny the dog" Jet Li has demonstrated that he can act. In "Fearless" he brings out well the contrast between the abrasive and the humbled Hua in the two halves of the movie. The only other role that has some meat is the Japanese challenger (the all-goodness blind girl is not difficult to do). As much as I like the guy (particularly in "Be with you" or "Ima, ai ni yukimasu"), Shido Nakamura is miscast. Despite good acting ability, he simply does not have that fierce intensity to portray the top notch Japanese martial art expert. More suitable would be Ken Watanabe or Hiroyuki Sanada, both in "The Last Samurai" and the latter also in "Twilight Samurai".
Proficient martial arts film
Vartiainen18 September 2014
Martial arts films tend to be rather over the top and fantastic in tone as a norm. As such it's refreshing to see one taking place in recent history and featuring actual historical people.
Fearless tells the tale of Huo Yuanjia, the prodigious son of a long line of martial arts practitioners, who grows in the late 19th century China, in a nation that's buckling under the Western pressure and occupation. We see him growing from a cocky young fighter into a man that in his own way tried to preserve and protect the ideal that was and still is China.
In my opinion this is Jet Li's finest film. He's everything the role needs him to be and then some. Absolutely perfect casting and one of the films where you can see that he actually has a lot of acting talent as well. Sure he can probably identify a lot with the role, but that only makes him so much better for the role. He can also pull off the more serious tone of the story in comparison to usual martial arts ware. Someone like Jackie Chan would be too comical and not arrogant enough for the role.
Aside from that, it's a professionally done film. The production values are very high, the whole film looks and sounds great, the story has enough soul and depth behind it to convince and it's interesting to follow. The need to follow a historical story does make some of the plot twists seem a bit weird, because the film doesn't have enough time to give us the whole context, but that never becomes a major problem.
Fearless is an excellent film to pick if you're looking for a more serious take on the martial arts genre, without giving up any of the quality or enjoyability.
Fearless tells the tale of Huo Yuanjia, the prodigious son of a long line of martial arts practitioners, who grows in the late 19th century China, in a nation that's buckling under the Western pressure and occupation. We see him growing from a cocky young fighter into a man that in his own way tried to preserve and protect the ideal that was and still is China.
In my opinion this is Jet Li's finest film. He's everything the role needs him to be and then some. Absolutely perfect casting and one of the films where you can see that he actually has a lot of acting talent as well. Sure he can probably identify a lot with the role, but that only makes him so much better for the role. He can also pull off the more serious tone of the story in comparison to usual martial arts ware. Someone like Jackie Chan would be too comical and not arrogant enough for the role.
Aside from that, it's a professionally done film. The production values are very high, the whole film looks and sounds great, the story has enough soul and depth behind it to convince and it's interesting to follow. The need to follow a historical story does make some of the plot twists seem a bit weird, because the film doesn't have enough time to give us the whole context, but that never becomes a major problem.
Fearless is an excellent film to pick if you're looking for a more serious take on the martial arts genre, without giving up any of the quality or enjoyability.
Worth watching even if you hate fight movies.
semi-buff8 August 2007
Not being a fan of the kung fu genre, I watched this because I like Jet Li. For me, some the fight scenes were too long or too CGI'd. I especially detest enhanced metal-on-metal sounds and had to mute and/or fast forward through some of those scenes. After about a half hour of almost non-stop very lonnng fight scenes, I almost gave up; but I;' glad I didn't, because the rest of the movie was very worth watching. I wondered at the historical accuracy of some of it. For example, would there really be an all-girl drumming team in ca. 1905 China? Would there be female students at the sports school? Women were very important to the story, as they are in real life, and I appreciated that. Beautiful cinematography. look forward to seeing Li in his future non-martial arts films.
Great fight, good looking, well acted
SnoopyStyle4 February 2015
It's 1910. China is considered the sick man of Asia. In Shanghai, the foreign powers created a contest with their four champion fighters. Only martial artist Huo Yuanjia (Jet Li) rose to the challenge. He dispatches the three western champions in various disciplines. Only Tanaka from Japan is left. The movie flashes back 30 years ago in Tianjin. Yuanjia's father wants him to learn writing rather than the family wushu. Despite that, he continues to strive to make Huo Wushu the best. However family tragedy strikes and he has to reconsider his life.
The fights are terrific and wall to wall. The action is great. The stunt work is exceptional. The story is actually good and compelling. Jet Li is an action hero who provides good emotional acting this time around. Director Ronny Yu brings good work to the film. The fight against the boxer is a great set piece.
The fights are terrific and wall to wall. The action is great. The stunt work is exceptional. The story is actually good and compelling. Jet Li is an action hero who provides good emotional acting this time around. Director Ronny Yu brings good work to the film. The fight against the boxer is a great set piece.
A magnificent work of art by Jet Li!
GOWBTW22 September 2006
Jet Li is known for his prowness and skill as a martial artist. For his final movie, "Fearless" makes its point! Based on the life of Wushu master Huo Yuanjia. Ronny Yu did a spectacular job make this movie work. Huo(Li) is a proud fighter, who would goes to the extremes to be the best. His pride however always seems to get the better of him. Whenever he wins a battle, disciples follow him around and began to worship him. When he picks a battle against Master Chin. His fates was sealed. After defeating, and killing Chin his godson takes advantage of killing his mother and daughter Jade. It's a shame that his pride got himself into trouble, then again one of his disciples isn't as loyal as he thought. So Huo leaves his city, and when he made a settling, he meets Moon(Li Sun), a young, blind caring woman. She helps his find himself again which is good, and he also finds a sense of redemption. Then after a few years of exile, his city has changed. It has foreigners residing there. I guess exile served as a purpose to see the errors of his country's lifestyle. In that city he meets a Japanese fighter named Tanaka(Shiro Nakamura). Who talks to Huo about tea, and fighting styles. A sign of respect is brewing between countries. And that fight between Huo and O'Brien(Nathan Jones) makes another awakening. This movie is great. I liked everything it has: The storyline, the choreography, and the fighting skills which surpasses all other movies Jet Li has made. The main theme of this movie is Honor! 5 Stars!
A film to be remembered
goodtah28 January 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This film stands out. It becomes interesting as it promotes the idea of love out of the heart-pumping kung-fu action. 'To fight on stage is to better know yourself', Huo, the character played by Jet Li, says in the movie.
The fighting scenes are impressive and beautiful-to-watch. Choreographed by Yuen, as always, they are one of those reasons that makes you stick to your chair. The acting and special effects are just about average, so don't expect too much.
Here comes the spoiler.
One thing to notice is that it can be viewed as a prequel to the Bruce Lee's film 'Fist of Fury'.
Jet Li was actually playing the master of Bruce Lee's character in 'Fist of Fury'. Jet Li's character was poisoned at the end in 'Fearless'. Remember Bruce Lee returned at the beginning of 'Fist Of Fury' and found out that his master was poisoned?
The place that Huo (jet's character) set up in Shanghai resembles the place in Fist of Fury.
One more! That evil Japanese was also present in the 2 films!
This is the most exciting thing in the movie.
The fighting scenes are impressive and beautiful-to-watch. Choreographed by Yuen, as always, they are one of those reasons that makes you stick to your chair. The acting and special effects are just about average, so don't expect too much.
Here comes the spoiler.
One thing to notice is that it can be viewed as a prequel to the Bruce Lee's film 'Fist of Fury'.
Jet Li was actually playing the master of Bruce Lee's character in 'Fist of Fury'. Jet Li's character was poisoned at the end in 'Fearless'. Remember Bruce Lee returned at the beginning of 'Fist Of Fury' and found out that his master was poisoned?
The place that Huo (jet's character) set up in Shanghai resembles the place in Fist of Fury.
One more! That evil Japanese was also present in the 2 films!
This is the most exciting thing in the movie.
Jet Li's Masterpiece
yskwong22 March 2006
This movie is definitely one of the best movie featuring Jet Li.
Let me tell you why, I personally am a Chinese, who speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, and several other dialects, but those doesn't matter as Jet Li has only featured in Mandarin and Cantonese movies. I have basically watched almost all of Jet Li's movies, not because I'm a big fan of his, but most of the Chinese movies starring him after the the "Once Upon A Time In China (Wong Fei Hoong)" series, he has rise to stardom, therefore making all his movies a big hit in Asia. And I'm pretty much into watching big hit movies.
What I would like to comment on Jet Li is that, he is one of the worst actors from China and Hong Kong (flame me if you wish, but, that's true, read on). Go ahead and watch all his movies in the past, and you'll realize he has no talent in acting, no expression at all. BUT, bear in mind, he is actually good in martial arts, graduating from one of the martial arts school in China, with distinction, winning multiple awards for acrobatic martial arts displays. Don't get me wrong, just because he's not good at acting doesn't mean I don't like him, his martial arts applied in movies are mostly his true skills, and fun to watch. But the truth is, he isn't as determined as compared to other Asian actors who has starred in Hollywood movies. A very good example would be, Jackie Chan. When he first came into Hollywood, he can't speak English at all, and now, he speaks fluent English. Whereas for Jet Li, he still can't speak fluent English. This shows how determined an actor is to build up his/her own acting career.
Regarding why I think this movie is one of Jet Li's masterpiece. Most of you who doesn't understand Mandarin wouldn't appreciate this movie as much as those who does. True, you might think that you understand the story, I never doubt that. But, Chinese, is a very beautiful language, where you can use many kinds of words to describe the same thing (bear in mind that Chinese has the most characters/words among all other languages ever existed). You can use a certain word to describe a scenario with mild tone, or you could use other words to make it more meaningful, and sometimes, make the whole sentence sound like a disaster, in the end, it serves the same purpose as sending the same message to the audience, but you would get different response from your audience on how you send the message to them. In this movie, Fearless (Huo Yian Jia), the appropriate words the producer chosen for the dialogue couldn't be any better than what it is. Words used were very touching, and perfectly executed at the right place, and the right time. Although Jet Li's expression in this movie still haven't reached the level of what I would classify him as a good actor, his actions, and synchronization in this movie, along with the storyline made this a masterpiece.
Although some of the martial arts actions may be a bit exaggerated, but what is in the movie is mostly true events occurred in the past. This movie gives you a brief idea of how Hua Yian Jia was brought up as a child, and got himself involved in the world of martial arts, how he went through highs and lows part of his life, and how he and his fellow friends started up the Martial Arts Association back in China in the early 1900's.
Trust me, this movie is worth the watch. You'll learn many moral values out of this movie. You will appreciate this movie no matter if you understand Mandarin or not, but if you do understand Mandarin, it would be an advantage, which would make you appreciate this movie more.
Overall, I would rate it a 9/10 as I am still somewhat not too satisfied with Jet Li's acting skills. But yet, he deserves my respect for creating a masterpiece for his very final appearance. I wish him all the best for his future.
Let me tell you why, I personally am a Chinese, who speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, and several other dialects, but those doesn't matter as Jet Li has only featured in Mandarin and Cantonese movies. I have basically watched almost all of Jet Li's movies, not because I'm a big fan of his, but most of the Chinese movies starring him after the the "Once Upon A Time In China (Wong Fei Hoong)" series, he has rise to stardom, therefore making all his movies a big hit in Asia. And I'm pretty much into watching big hit movies.
What I would like to comment on Jet Li is that, he is one of the worst actors from China and Hong Kong (flame me if you wish, but, that's true, read on). Go ahead and watch all his movies in the past, and you'll realize he has no talent in acting, no expression at all. BUT, bear in mind, he is actually good in martial arts, graduating from one of the martial arts school in China, with distinction, winning multiple awards for acrobatic martial arts displays. Don't get me wrong, just because he's not good at acting doesn't mean I don't like him, his martial arts applied in movies are mostly his true skills, and fun to watch. But the truth is, he isn't as determined as compared to other Asian actors who has starred in Hollywood movies. A very good example would be, Jackie Chan. When he first came into Hollywood, he can't speak English at all, and now, he speaks fluent English. Whereas for Jet Li, he still can't speak fluent English. This shows how determined an actor is to build up his/her own acting career.
Regarding why I think this movie is one of Jet Li's masterpiece. Most of you who doesn't understand Mandarin wouldn't appreciate this movie as much as those who does. True, you might think that you understand the story, I never doubt that. But, Chinese, is a very beautiful language, where you can use many kinds of words to describe the same thing (bear in mind that Chinese has the most characters/words among all other languages ever existed). You can use a certain word to describe a scenario with mild tone, or you could use other words to make it more meaningful, and sometimes, make the whole sentence sound like a disaster, in the end, it serves the same purpose as sending the same message to the audience, but you would get different response from your audience on how you send the message to them. In this movie, Fearless (Huo Yian Jia), the appropriate words the producer chosen for the dialogue couldn't be any better than what it is. Words used were very touching, and perfectly executed at the right place, and the right time. Although Jet Li's expression in this movie still haven't reached the level of what I would classify him as a good actor, his actions, and synchronization in this movie, along with the storyline made this a masterpiece.
Although some of the martial arts actions may be a bit exaggerated, but what is in the movie is mostly true events occurred in the past. This movie gives you a brief idea of how Hua Yian Jia was brought up as a child, and got himself involved in the world of martial arts, how he went through highs and lows part of his life, and how he and his fellow friends started up the Martial Arts Association back in China in the early 1900's.
Trust me, this movie is worth the watch. You'll learn many moral values out of this movie. You will appreciate this movie no matter if you understand Mandarin or not, but if you do understand Mandarin, it would be an advantage, which would make you appreciate this movie more.
Overall, I would rate it a 9/10 as I am still somewhat not too satisfied with Jet Li's acting skills. But yet, he deserves my respect for creating a masterpiece for his very final appearance. I wish him all the best for his future.
Fantastic film
riotinto23 June 2006
I thought this film was truly fantastic. Others might think that this is just a normal martial arts film but i say different i probably think this because i am into all aspects of Chinese lifestyle but really this movie is fantastic. This film shows Huo Yuanjia right from when he was a kid watching his dad practising to his final fight where he is poisoned. I thought jet li's performance was really good but i think there were times where he could have showed more emotion. I like the end part where you see him practising and then he turns around facing the camera and smiles. Oh yeh the movie music is really good. I also think that the blind girl that he meets in the village is really nice and cute.
watch his older movies instead
angrylilasiangrrl1 October 2006
the beginning held a lot of hope for the movie with a lot of fighting and a good start for a story line... but after watching the whole thing, i decided i didn't like it.
after watching his movies growing up like fong sai yuk, once upon a time in china, and others like fist of legend, this movie was just a mish mash of all of his previous fighting moves thrown on to a story filled with holes. this movie is perfect for American audiences, but if you knew jet li before the mid-early 90's, you'd expect more from him.
if you want a better fighting movie, check out musa (a Chinese-korean collaboration). i like jet li a lot but i'm sad that this was the kind of movie he'd leave as his last impression.
after watching his movies growing up like fong sai yuk, once upon a time in china, and others like fist of legend, this movie was just a mish mash of all of his previous fighting moves thrown on to a story filled with holes. this movie is perfect for American audiences, but if you knew jet li before the mid-early 90's, you'd expect more from him.
if you want a better fighting movie, check out musa (a Chinese-korean collaboration). i like jet li a lot but i'm sad that this was the kind of movie he'd leave as his last impression.
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