First there was Bruce Lee’s Fist of Fury, then there was Jet Li’s Fist of Legend and now Chen Zhen is back in Donnie Yen’s Legend of the Fist. Lead by Infernal Affairs director Andrew Lau, this is not only the return of Chen Zhen, but the return of beautifully shot traditional hand to hand Wing Chun Kung Fu. In recent martial arts films (at least that were released in the US), there have been plenty of CGI, special effects and stunt doubles but Donnie Yen is a true action star and does all his own fighting and stunts. While, the time in between fight scenes are polluted with way too many subplots and twists, the story is still intriguing enough to keep you busy while the story unfolds. You’ll appreciate the glamorous old-time Hong Kong sets, big band performances and of mouth watering choreographed action scenes. Check out this eye-popping scene from the opening sequence before you read the rest of the review:
Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen begins with a Chinese unit sent to France to assist in World War I. It isn’t easy for the Chinese troops and they lose a lot of brothers on the battlefield. Chen Zhen uses the opportunity to fake his death and return to their homeland under his friend’s name, “Qi”. Back in 20s-era China, Chen Zhen infiltrates a popular nightclub owned by well-connected Mr. Liu (Anthony Wong Chau-Sang) and headlined by the beautiful Kiki (Qi Shu). At the same time, the Japanese are closing in on China and trying to make the appropriate alliances and murders to set the stage for their imminent invasion. Chen Zhen works with a group of businessmen, students, police, etc. that want to keep China Chinese while Japanese mobsters set up an underground headquarters and send out an assassination list. Chen Zhen must turn into a masked superhero that looks like Kato from The Green Hornet and protect his peoples.
Just fighting in the rain, we're fighting in the rain
Confused? That’s not even half of the stories going on in the movie. Similar to Infernal Affairs, there are plenty of simultaneous plots that you must keep keen on in order to get the greatest satisfaction from the conclusion. Nevertheless, there’s a lot of fun mixed into the movie allowing audience members to travel back in time to a vibrant culture that many aren’t even aware existed. One of my favorite scenes didn’t have any fighting at all actually and was when Chen Zhen and Kiki travel outside of the city to a more rural China where you can see what everybody was fighting to preserve. There is a love story thrown in to appeal to those who aren’t into straight up action as well as a political angle, some sub par comedy, patriotism and a bunch of other themes.
Kiki (Qi Shu) and Chen Zhen (Donnie Yen) in The Lgend of the Fist
While there are a lot of problems with the story, the writing is actually really good. There’s a lot more substance and clever dialogue than you would expect from a martial arts film. The movie is being shown in its original language and subtitled for international viewers which I greatly appreciate. The actors did a great job putting emotion to the words and really capturing the old era. Some of the scenes were a bit over the top, but they still conveyed the right message. If only the screenwriters would have cut 2 or 3 plots, many of the story lines could have been highlighted more and have a greater meaning.
You should definitely check out this flick if you can. It’s a superhero war film that isn’t mystic or supernatural. It’s traditional Hong Kong film making at heart and reminiscent of a boisterous era that shouldn’t be forgotten. Donnie Yen does an amazing job displaying his martial arts skills while having an on screen charisma that can be understood in any language. This is a great break from the American blockbusters out right now and a really enjoyable fight fantasy that both women and men can enjoy.
Tags: Andrew Lau, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Chen Zhen, Donnie Yen, Legend of the Fist, Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen, Qi Shu
Matthew Fong created advancescreenings.com and is the lead contributor. He watches every type of movie and will try almost anything twice. You can follow him on twitter here: @matthewfong
