Rating: II
Content:
In the early 1930's, Shanghai is under occupation by various foreign powers including Japan who is using this foothold to prepare for an invasion of the mainland. One of the opposition leaders to Japan's influence in China is Fok Yuen Gaap, a kung fu master and founder of the Jin Wu school. A local Japanese General by the name of Fujita (Billy Chow) has had the teacher poisoned before a match with the leader of a competing Japanese school which results in his death.
As the film begins, Fok Yuen Gaap's leading student hears of his master's death and rushes back to Shanghai from Japan where he has been studying. Chen Zhen (Jet Li) arrives to find the school's reputation in tatters. Unable to believe that his master could have lost a match, Chen challenges the Japanese master who fought Yuen Gaap and beats him easily. This confirms his suspicion and after performing a crude autopsy discovers that Yuen Gaap had been poisoned. With the destruction of China's martial arts reputation and the impending invasion in mind, General Fujita kills the Japanese schoolmaster in order to frame Chen for murder but his trial is thrown out after Mitsuko (Nakayama Shinobu), his Japanese girlfriend shows up to claim he was with her at the time of death. Freed of these charges Chen now has to face discrimination against Mitsuko by his own brothers at the school which leads to a confrontation with Yuen Gaap's successor, Ting On. Chen beats Ting On in a fight and goes to live in the country with Mitsuko. Their solitude is broken after General Fugita sends Matsuko's uncle (Yasuaki Kurata) to kill Chen. Chen is beaten by Fumio but the samurai has great respect for Chen and spares his life.
Meanwhile, the Jin Wu school has been formally challenged by General Fujita. Ting On manages a painful recovery from the disgrace of losing to Chen and visits him knowing this may be his last chance to see his old friend. Matsuko returns to Japan and Chen accompanies his friend to the challenge. Ting On is no match for the brutal Japanese officer's karate skills and Chen steps in to fight which leads to the general's death. To appease tensions between Japan and China, Chen agrees to accept responsibility for the General's death, but his friends may have other plans.
To begin with, this story which ties together the pre-World War II tensions between China and Japan as well as the changing face of martial arts in the modern world has become the foundation for so many kung fu movies. Its difficult to convey just how important was Lo Wei's creation of Chen Zhen (AKA Chen Jun) as portrayed by Bruce Lee to the Hong Kong film industry. But few if any films ever came close enough to the original or even dared to try for fear of failing to live up to Lee's performance. Donnie Yen may have opened up the possibly for another direct feature film adaptation after his successful Fist of Fury television series premiered on Hong Kong television. Shortly after the filming of that series came Fist of Legend that brought together the creative mastery of Jet Li in Bruce Lee's role, several Yuen brothers including Yuen Wo Ping doing choreography, and Gordon Chan whose eclectic skills as a writer and director helped bring about such memorable films as Fight Back to School (1991) and King of Beggars (1992).
(209089-V)
Fist of Legend[VCD] (Date: 2001-05-08)
Price($):
HK$49(US$)
Publisher:Silver Kent Technology Limited (Mei Ah)
Screen: 1.33:1
No of Disk: 2
Region Code: All
Languages: Cantonese,Mandarin
Subtitle: Chinese(Traditional), English
Rating: II
Audio: Mono
Video: NTSC
No of Disk: 1
Screen: 16:9
Region Code: All
Languages: Cantonese,Mandarin,English,French
Subtitle: Chinese(Simplified), French
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Video: PAL,DVD-9
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