Not only is it a gripping, beautifully acted drama, but the action scenes are jaw-dropping.
Fearless (2006)
Rated: 15
Runtime: 2 hrs 21 mins
Theatrical Release: 23-06-2006
Synopsis: Already a boxoffice hit in Asia, Jet Li's Fearless, directed by Ronny Yu (helmer of the Hong Kong classic The Bride with White Hair), is Jet Li's final martial arts masterpiece, capping a tremendous body of work in that genre. Jet Li's Fearless reunites the actor and martial arts superstar... Already a boxoffice hit in Asia, Jet Li's Fearless, directed by Ronny Yu (helmer of the Hong Kong classic The Bride with White Hair), is Jet Li's final martial arts masterpiece, capping a tremendous body of work in that genre. Jet Li's Fearless reunites the actor and martial arts superstar with producer Bill Kong (Hero) and action choreographer Yuen Wo Ping (Unleashed) as he portrays martial arts legend Huo Yuanjia, who became the most famous fighter in all of China at the turn of the 20th Century. Huo faced incredible personal tragedy but ultimately fought his way out of darkness and into history, forever defining the true spirit of martial arts. His self-discovery, and the choices he made, inspired his nation. The son of a great fighter who did not wish for his child to follow in his footsteps, the bullied Huo Yuanjia resolves to teach himself how to fight - and win. Years of training enable him to ace match after match in his home region of Tianjin. But as his fame as a martial arts master grows, so does his pride. After an ill-advised fight leads to another master's death, members of Huo's family are slain in revenge. Grieving and ashamed, Huo wanders the country in shock. Near death, he is rescued by women from an idyllic village, and is offered simple kindness and generosity that help him heal and regain his equilibrium over a period of several years. Huo realizes that the future of martial arts lies in sportsmanship and not brutality, and he rejoins society to apply what he has learned. Returning to Tianjin, Huo takes steps to come to terms with his past and restore his family's name. His evolving, graceful Mizong (Missing) Fist method of fighting brings Huo renewed success, and he forms the progressive Jingwu Sports Federation. Taking note, duplicitous members of the Foreign Chamber of Commerce engineer a Shanghai tournament pitting Huo against four fighters, each representing the major foreign powers in China. Huo commits to the bout and faces off against, respectively, a British boxer, a Spanish swordsman, a Belgian soldier, and a Japanese martial artist. What happened that day in 1910 has never been, and will never be, forgotten in China. [More]
Genre: Action/Adventure
Starring: Jet Li, Nakamura Shidou, Sun Li, Dong Yong, Michelle Yeoh
Producer: Bill Kong
Screenwriter: Chris Chow, Christine To
Composer: Shigeru Umebayashi
DVD Info
Release:
Aug 7, 2008
DVD Features:
- Region 1
- 2-Disc Set
- Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.40
- Disc 1: JET LI'S FEARLESS - Director's Cut
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround - Mandarin
- Subtitles - English (SDH), French, Spanish
- Disc 2: Side A: Unrated Version
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround - English, Mandarin
- Subtitles - English (SDH), French, Spanish - Optional
Additional Release Material:
- Deleted Scenes
- Featurette - A FEARLESS JOURNEY
- Disc 2: Side B: Theatrical Version
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround - English, Mandarin
- Subtitles - English (SDH), French, Spanish - Optional
Reviews
[Director Ronny] Yu is less successful, however, in dealing with his star's limited emotive abilities, the message-heavy script's melodramatic philosophising and a sappy ending.
Despite impressive, CG-light action sequences and an absorbing story which certainly stands another re-telling, director Ronny Yu barely elevates this above the level of a direct-to-video fightfest.
It does, however, have two things going for it: outstanding punch-ups and Jet Li.
More of a message movie designed for mainland China than a karate chopsocky for consumption in the West where a martial arts movie has to be about butt-kicking to generate any traction.
Not so much a message film as it is a martial-arts epic with a philosophical backdrop. And it is utterly sincere without being treacly or preachy.
Fracassa como exemplar de artes marciais e, o que é ainda pior, como homenagem a um homem que inspirou grandes atletas e atores (incluindo o protagonista desta produção).
Li carries the load on his shifty shoulders in a nostalgic wushu period piece that is philosophically solemn yet kinetically impish in its reflective spirit.
Fearless has some of the best choreography I’ve seen in years, and Li handles the task with his usual finesse.
The film is about more than complex stunts and breathtaking acrobatics. It's about a man who learns the pitfalls of pride and becomes a national hero in the process. And it's a good time at the movies.
It's a treat for fans of historical martial arts epics and especially for fans of Jet Li, who won't be the ones to tell the star if he's starting to show his age.
If Li must leave his signature genre, better this entertaining bit of history than the wall-to-wall boredom of Hero.
The martial arts master's final epic is great when the fists and feet are flying.
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