Rating of
2/4
"Fist Of Legend" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 08/30/12
A Chinese martial artist studying in Japan returns home to find his master has been killed during a tournament, but when he faces the inadequate skills of the victor he suspects foul play. A remake of Bruce Lee's Fists Of Fury, Fist Of Legend is a Kung Fu film from the old school that features the usual ingredients of racial tension, rival schools bound by honour and a fight-melodrama-fight-melodrama-fight format. It's a great showcase for Jet Li's physical prowess as it concentrates on a more naturalistic representation of the bouts rather than the usual floating around on wires and the action sequences are suitably impressive. Unfortunately the characterisation is typically cliched and stereotypical and the direction lacks sophistication making for some rather long winded and tiresome interludes in between. Worth it for some nice fight choreography but it's very much a by the numbers chop socky action film that was bettered in every department by the infinitely superior Fearless Li went on to make in 2006.
