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The trailer for this new Jet Li martial arts movie is promising. It's a story about how a Chinese warrior proves that his people have better martial arts skills than Europeans (which is a no-brainer, but it should provide the setting for some cool combat scenes).
I'm a big Jet Li fan, and lately, of Asian action movies in general (this summer I saw both Crouching Tiger and The Legend of Drunken Master for the first time, and they left me wanting more). This looks a little more Hollywoodized than Crouching Tiger or Hero, but it's got Yuen Wo Ping's fight choreography going for it. Man, that guy choreographed everything!
My one potential quibble: it looks like another one of those movies, like The New World and Kingdom of Heaven, in which all things European are synonymous with corruption, oppression, and evil. Maybe this won't be such a snag since it's clearly just an action flick, though.
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Jet Li's Fearless Li's "final" martial arts epic
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#2
Posted 31 August 2006 - 01:24 PM
FYI, the movie is (loosely) based on the true story of Huo Yuanjia
Here are a couple of reviews and impressions, just whet your appetite:
Twitch: "If Li holds true to his word and calls it a day on the wushu front with this one then, sad as it will be to see him go, he will at least be going out on a high note and on his own terms. I stop short of calling it a classic but it is very good."
Kaiju Shakedown: "But is it any good? Well, yes and no. Good and bad are relative terms when talking about movies, so maybe it would be more accurate to say that FEARLESS is a red-blooded, full-on, go-for-broke throwback to Hong Kong moviemaking of the early 90's."
QUOTE
Huo is well-known for his challenge matches with foreign fighters. It was a 1901 encounter with a Russian wrestler in Xiyuan Park, Tianjin that first made Huo famous. The wrestler had openly insulted the Chinese, calling them "Asian weaklings" or "Sick Man Of the East" because no one would accept his challenge to a fight. When Huo challenged him, the Russian forfeited, suggesting that he was merely putting on a performance in order to make a living. Huo then demanded that the Russian write an apology in the newspaper, which the Russian reportedly obliged.
In 1909, Huo, accompanied by his apprentices Liu Zhensheng and Zhang Wenda, traveled to Shanghai to accept an open challenge posed by a British boxer named Hercules O'Brien. The match was preceded by disagreement over what rules it would be governed by. O'Brien insisted on Western boxing rules limiting attacks to punches above the waist. Huo, on the other hand, was more accustomed to the rules of Chinese leitai challenge matches, which lacked such restrictions. They finally agreed that the first person to knock down his opponent would be considered the winner; however, the match never took place and Hercules O'Brien fled the area before the date of the match.
In 1909, Huo, accompanied by his apprentices Liu Zhensheng and Zhang Wenda, traveled to Shanghai to accept an open challenge posed by a British boxer named Hercules O'Brien. The match was preceded by disagreement over what rules it would be governed by. O'Brien insisted on Western boxing rules limiting attacks to punches above the waist. Huo, on the other hand, was more accustomed to the rules of Chinese leitai challenge matches, which lacked such restrictions. They finally agreed that the first person to knock down his opponent would be considered the winner; however, the match never took place and Hercules O'Brien fled the area before the date of the match.
Here are a couple of reviews and impressions, just whet your appetite:
Twitch: "If Li holds true to his word and calls it a day on the wushu front with this one then, sad as it will be to see him go, he will at least be going out on a high note and on his own terms. I stop short of calling it a classic but it is very good."
Kaiju Shakedown: "But is it any good? Well, yes and no. Good and bad are relative terms when talking about movies, so maybe it would be more accurate to say that FEARLESS is a red-blooded, full-on, go-for-broke throwback to Hong Kong moviemaking of the early 90's."
#3
Posted 06 September 2006 - 11:44 PM
I've seen it, albeit without English subtitles or dubs. I'd actually say it's quite a bit less Hollywoodized than Crouching Tiger. I'm split on whether or not it was good, though. I felt that the action was actually something of a minor part to the movie, and the corrupt European sensibilities that the trailer seemed to indicate also didn't really come across to me. It could have been due to the fact that only about 3% of the dialog was in a language I comprehend, but who knows.
Yuen Woo Ping's choreography is always fun to watch, regardless of who stars and regardless of the quality of the remainder of the movie. With this in mind, I'd say Fearless was on par with other similar action movies. The rest of the movie seemed like filler to me, honestly. Other than being Jet Li's "final martial-arts epic", I don't really think anyone will find this movie significant in the next few months.
Yuen Woo Ping's choreography is always fun to watch, regardless of who stars and regardless of the quality of the remainder of the movie. With this in mind, I'd say Fearless was on par with other similar action movies. The rest of the movie seemed like filler to me, honestly. Other than being Jet Li's "final martial-arts epic", I don't really think anyone will find this movie significant in the next few months.
#4
Posted 21 September 2006 - 08:58 PM
FWIW, the film opens in the US tomorrow. Also, IMDB posted this interesting tidbit today:
Li's got an interesting take on violence, considering that he's one of the best fighters alive. I'd put him roughly on par with Jackie Chan, perhaps a peg lower (for my part, I've never seen Li do anything like the work Chan pulls off in Legend of Drunken Master).
QUOTE
Expressing displeasure over the fact that the theme of martial arts movies is "always revenge," Jet Li has told the Los Angeles Times that he will no longer make such films. Li made his remarks on the eve of the opening of his latest film, Fearless, about a Chinese martial arts master who died in 1910. "In this movie and in my past three movies, I continue to say that violence is not any solution," Li told the Times.He said that he had become concerned that the spirit of martial arts, wushu, had become lost in movies, especially when young people confronted him. "On the street, I see a lot of young teenagers saying, 'Hey, Jet Li. Beat up somebody! Fight! Fight!" The true meaning of wushu, he said, is "stop fighting."
Li's got an interesting take on violence, considering that he's one of the best fighters alive. I'd put him roughly on par with Jackie Chan, perhaps a peg lower (for my part, I've never seen Li do anything like the work Chan pulls off in Legend of Drunken Master).
#5
Posted 21 September 2006 - 10:10 PM
I just watched a fansub version of Fearless tonight, and I'd agree with theoddone. It's good, and a solid note for Jet Li to end on, but it's also a bit underwhelming in places. I think the script glosses over a few too many things -- there are things that happen in the plot only to move Huo Yuanjia to the next phase of his spiritual journey, but with little explanation. Of course, that could totally be due to the subtitling, which, in all honesty, wasn't that great.
Action-wise, it's solid. The choreography is quite strong in places, and there are definitely places -- such as Huo's fight with the big American boxer/wrestler guy -- that are pretty dang thrilling. However, there's a bit too much flashy editing and camera trickery, as well as some pretty obvious CGI at times. I don't know if they felt like they had to try and measure up with the new glossy wave of action cinema, of if Jet Li is slowing down that much. I think it's the former, because even if Jet Li isn't in his prime, he's still more exciting to watch than any special effect.
In the Jet Li pantheon, it's nowhere near Fist Of Legend, Once Upon A Time In China, or Hero, but I'd definitely rank it at least as good as the various Fong Sai Yuk movies.
Keep in mind that Li and Chan come very different backgrounds with regards to the martial arts. Li was trained as a pure martial artist whereas Chan graduated from the Peking Opera, which placed as much emphasis on theatrics and acrobatics as it did on martial arts. And I think you can see that in their films. Chan's action sequences are as much about the amazing stuntwork as anything, whereas I think Li's best films are a bit more focused on pure martial arts skills. Of course, both approaches have made for some of the finest action cinema of all time.
And yes, I definitely appreciate Li's views on violence. Especially considering he could probably dispatch most folks blindfolded, with both arms tied behind his back, and his legs tied together.
Action-wise, it's solid. The choreography is quite strong in places, and there are definitely places -- such as Huo's fight with the big American boxer/wrestler guy -- that are pretty dang thrilling. However, there's a bit too much flashy editing and camera trickery, as well as some pretty obvious CGI at times. I don't know if they felt like they had to try and measure up with the new glossy wave of action cinema, of if Jet Li is slowing down that much. I think it's the former, because even if Jet Li isn't in his prime, he's still more exciting to watch than any special effect.
In the Jet Li pantheon, it's nowhere near Fist Of Legend, Once Upon A Time In China, or Hero, but I'd definitely rank it at least as good as the various Fong Sai Yuk movies.
QUOTE
Li's got an interesting take on violence, considering that he's one of the best fighters alive. I'd put him roughly on par with Jackie Chan, perhaps a peg lower (for my part, I've never seen Li do anything like the work Chan pulls off in Legend of Drunken Master).
Keep in mind that Li and Chan come very different backgrounds with regards to the martial arts. Li was trained as a pure martial artist whereas Chan graduated from the Peking Opera, which placed as much emphasis on theatrics and acrobatics as it did on martial arts. And I think you can see that in their films. Chan's action sequences are as much about the amazing stuntwork as anything, whereas I think Li's best films are a bit more focused on pure martial arts skills. Of course, both approaches have made for some of the finest action cinema of all time.
And yes, I definitely appreciate Li's views on violence. Especially considering he could probably dispatch most folks blindfolded, with both arms tied behind his back, and his legs tied together.
#6
Posted 22 September 2006 - 08:33 AM
There's a short-but-good interview with Jet Li over on GreenCine:
QUOTE
...I found the perfect story, Hua Yuan Jia, the true martial artist in the last century in China. His martial arts and his life, I think, is very close to my life, because he died at 43 years old. I made the movie at 42. Martial arts is also very important to my life. I learned everything through martial arts philosophy and I put everything in this film about what I believe. The physical is only a part of martial arts. The philosophy, honor, responsibility, what kind of person learns martial arts, how to use martial arts to help people. It's more important than just kick ass, beat up somebody. So, from that point, I put everything already in this movie, so I having nothing to say in the future. That's why it's my last martial arts film.
#7
Posted 23 September 2006 - 04:13 PM
I just posted my review.
My wife and I went to see Fearless last night, and maybe it was due to seeing it on the big screen, but I liked it a lot more the second time (though I liked it quite a bit the first time around). I still think it ranks below such movies as Fist Of Legend and Hero, but there are certainly some powerful moments throughout Fearless, and the final battle between Li's character and the Japanese warrior certainly has an epic feel to it.
It's worth noting that the original cut of the film was 150 minutes long, which was edited down to 105 minutes before release, and edited further for violence before being released into American theatres. As such, I'm sure there are a few scenes littering the cutting room floor that might have smoothed out some of the movie's narrative in places.
My wife and I went to see Fearless last night, and maybe it was due to seeing it on the big screen, but I liked it a lot more the second time (though I liked it quite a bit the first time around). I still think it ranks below such movies as Fist Of Legend and Hero, but there are certainly some powerful moments throughout Fearless, and the final battle between Li's character and the Japanese warrior certainly has an epic feel to it.
It's worth noting that the original cut of the film was 150 minutes long, which was edited down to 105 minutes before release, and edited further for violence before being released into American theatres. As such, I'm sure there are a few scenes littering the cutting room floor that might have smoothed out some of the movie's narrative in places.
#8
Posted 04 October 2006 - 08:20 AM
13 fun facts about Fearless, courtesy of HKFlix...
1. The film is based on the true story of Huo Yuanjia, the most famous martial artist in Chinese history. Jet Li portrays Huo
2. Huo's dad, was an accomplished martial artist, who made a living working as a bodyguard for wealthy people. Huo was weak and often ill as a child, so his father did not want to teach him martial arts. However, Huo was determined to learn, and would watch his father and brothers practice Wushu, then mimic their moves secretly in a nearby forest. His determination paid off and his father somewhat reluctantly began to train Huo.
3. In 1890, a visiting Wushu master engaged in trials of strength with Huo's family members, defeating all his brothers. But Huo, with one swift kick, knocked the man flat. Word of this victory spread through Huo's village and neighboring regions.
4. In 1901, Huo was present at a public match where a Russian fighter verbally insulted the Chinese people. Hearing this, Huo mounted the platform and rebuked the man. Cowed by Huo's bravery, the fighter apologized.
5. Huo incorporated his core beliefs of sportsmanship and honor with his unique Mizong (Missing) Fist method of fighting and founded the progressive Jingwu Sports Federation, which continues his legacy today with branches in over 50 countries.
6. Huo's life was cut short on September 14th, 1910, during a Shanghai tournament between Chinese fighters, and fighters from foreign occupying powers in China. The two most prevalent theories of his untimely demise is that he was poisoned at a peace-making banquet given by the Japanese Judo wrestlers; or that he was poisoned with jaundice medication prescribed by a Japanese doctor who was also a teacher of the tournament's Judo competitors. This doctor fled Shanghai upon news of Huo's death.
7. The Chinese character for "martial arts" is made up of two parts - characters meaning "stop" and "war". This sums up the essence of Huo Yuanjia, a man who promoted peace, not violence.
8. Fearless' director of photography, Poon Hang Sang, said: "Jet's actions often can't be captured at normal film speeds." Accordingly, some sequences were filmed at six times the normal speed, so that movements could be captured on camera and edited into the movie in slow motion.
9. Jet Li's Fearless marks the first time - out of nearly three dozen films in nearly thirty years - in which Jet Li will fight predominantly in an arena.
10. Fearless stars a huge cast of impressive opponents opposite Jet Li including seven-time World Kickboxing champion Jen Claude Leuyer; World Wrestling All-Stars hero Nathan Jones; and acknowledged sword-fighting master Anthony De Longis.
11. Acclaimed Japanese actor Nakamura Shidou learned to speak Chinese for his role as Japanese challenger Anno Tanaka.
12. The film crew travelled hundreds of miles throughout China to find the perfect village setting for the sequences of Huo's redemption. They finally found an abandoned village in the remote Zhejian Provice that seemed to be perfect except for the fact that there was no paved road leading to the village. So the filmmakers built their own road!
13. Beautiful Chinese actress, Sun Li, who plays the blind woman who helps give Huo's life new purpose volunteered at a school for the blind in Shanghai so she could better play the part.
1. The film is based on the true story of Huo Yuanjia, the most famous martial artist in Chinese history. Jet Li portrays Huo
2. Huo's dad, was an accomplished martial artist, who made a living working as a bodyguard for wealthy people. Huo was weak and often ill as a child, so his father did not want to teach him martial arts. However, Huo was determined to learn, and would watch his father and brothers practice Wushu, then mimic their moves secretly in a nearby forest. His determination paid off and his father somewhat reluctantly began to train Huo.
3. In 1890, a visiting Wushu master engaged in trials of strength with Huo's family members, defeating all his brothers. But Huo, with one swift kick, knocked the man flat. Word of this victory spread through Huo's village and neighboring regions.
4. In 1901, Huo was present at a public match where a Russian fighter verbally insulted the Chinese people. Hearing this, Huo mounted the platform and rebuked the man. Cowed by Huo's bravery, the fighter apologized.
5. Huo incorporated his core beliefs of sportsmanship and honor with his unique Mizong (Missing) Fist method of fighting and founded the progressive Jingwu Sports Federation, which continues his legacy today with branches in over 50 countries.
6. Huo's life was cut short on September 14th, 1910, during a Shanghai tournament between Chinese fighters, and fighters from foreign occupying powers in China. The two most prevalent theories of his untimely demise is that he was poisoned at a peace-making banquet given by the Japanese Judo wrestlers; or that he was poisoned with jaundice medication prescribed by a Japanese doctor who was also a teacher of the tournament's Judo competitors. This doctor fled Shanghai upon news of Huo's death.
7. The Chinese character for "martial arts" is made up of two parts - characters meaning "stop" and "war". This sums up the essence of Huo Yuanjia, a man who promoted peace, not violence.
8. Fearless' director of photography, Poon Hang Sang, said: "Jet's actions often can't be captured at normal film speeds." Accordingly, some sequences were filmed at six times the normal speed, so that movements could be captured on camera and edited into the movie in slow motion.
9. Jet Li's Fearless marks the first time - out of nearly three dozen films in nearly thirty years - in which Jet Li will fight predominantly in an arena.
10. Fearless stars a huge cast of impressive opponents opposite Jet Li including seven-time World Kickboxing champion Jen Claude Leuyer; World Wrestling All-Stars hero Nathan Jones; and acknowledged sword-fighting master Anthony De Longis.
11. Acclaimed Japanese actor Nakamura Shidou learned to speak Chinese for his role as Japanese challenger Anno Tanaka.
12. The film crew travelled hundreds of miles throughout China to find the perfect village setting for the sequences of Huo's redemption. They finally found an abandoned village in the remote Zhejian Provice that seemed to be perfect except for the fact that there was no paved road leading to the village. So the filmmakers built their own road!
13. Beautiful Chinese actress, Sun Li, who plays the blind woman who helps give Huo's life new purpose volunteered at a school for the blind in Shanghai so she could better play the part.
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