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FIST OF LEGEND This remake of the 1972 Bruce Lee classic, Fist of Fury, is an excellent martial arts film in its own right thanks to its star, Jet Li. Remaking the 1972 Bruce Lee classic Fist of Fury is something few would attempt and even fewer would be likely to succeed in, but the combination of rising martial arts star Jet Li and director Corey Yuen works a treat in this splendid 1994 retelling. Maintaining the basic story of the original, but making its point in a more nuanced fashion than the rather racist Fist of Fury, Fist of Legend again focuses on the character of Chen Zhen (Li), a serious young Chinese man studying in Japan in the early 1920s. Japanese aggression is rife in his homeland, where his martial arts master is murdered at the hands of the invaders. After silencing some racist Japanese bullies at school with his impressive kung fu skills, Chen returns home upon hearing the news of his master's death. Fearless and determined, he looks for evidence to prove his belief that his master did not die of natural causes, as everyone is lead to believe. His path to the truth is not an easy one, however. His main opponents are the bullies at the Japanese martial arts school, a front for Japanese military aggression. Closer to home he is unwillingly pitted against his own kung fu school, as the successor to his late master is having trouble establishing himself in the face of Chen's superior skills. In addition, his Japanese girlfriend causes considerable consternation. Though Jet Li pays homage to the late Bruce Lee with the odd gesture and facial expression in this performance, he comes into his own here as a star of modern kung fu action, having previously established himself in period action films. His graceful yet powerful kung fu style, combined with his signature calm, can-do attitude, is perfectly suited to this role. He shines in Yuen Woo Ping's brilliantly choreographed fight sequences, which, unlike fantasy kung fu films in particular, involves very little wirework (a technique that enables the actors to literally fly through the air). The final battle, between Chen and the ruthless Japanese general Akatagawa, is breathtaking, but all the more enjoyable because Li is not presented as invincible. Though the last moments of Fist of Legend lacks the cathartic impact of the original, the little twist it gives to the outcome is probably more satisfying than slavish mimicry. TRISH MAUNDER Trish Maunder is the National Film Editor for CitySearch. She has previously contributed her Top Ten to Heroic-Cinema.
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