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In Japan circa 1937, Chinese student Chen Zhen (Jet Li) finds
himself interrupted during a class by a group of Japanese bullies
looking to kick him out of their university. Chen dispatches the
lot of them while hardly breaking a sweat, but then is dealt some
bad news by the bullies' teacher, Funakochi Fumio (Yasuaki Nurata). Seems
Chen's master, Huo Yuanjia, has died following a challenge match
with a rival from a Japanese training school. Bidding farewell to
his Japanese girlfriend -- and Fumio's niece -- Mitsuko (Shinobu
Nakayama), Chen travels back to Japanese-occupied Shanghai to return
to Huo Yuanjia's legendary training school, Jin Woo, where he
finds the school's reputation under attack due to his
master's recent demise.
Reuniting with his old friend Huo Ting-An (Siu-hou Chin), who has
been named the school's new master, Chen then sets out to the Japanese
fighting school that challenged his master, determined to find out
who was responsible for Huo Yuanjia's demise. Soon, a combination
of butt-kicking and somewhat anachronistic CSI work leads to
the conclusion that Huo Yuanjia was poisoned before his final match,
fatally weakening him for the kill. Has someone within Jin Woo
itself turned traitor?
 But soon, a dead body is delivered to the Japanese fighting school
Chen suspected of foul play...that of the students' teacher, Akutagawa
Ryoichi (Jackson Liu), the man who dealt the fatal blow to Huo
Yuanjia. Soon, the murder is pinned on Chen, who is put on trial
for his life...but he is given an alibi by none other than surprise
witness Mitsuko, who arrives to explain that she and Chen were
together all the same night of the murder ("What do a man and
woman do all night in bed if not sleeping...?"). Exonerated
of the charges, Chen is nevertheless banished from Jin Woo for fraternizing
with a Japanese girl, and, unable to acquire room and board at any
of the local hotels due to racial prejudice against Mitsuko, the
two set up a modest home near the grave site of Yuo Juanjia.
 Then, Japanese military General Fujita (Billy Chau) sends out a
challenge to Jin Woo, saying that he will close the school permanently
unless he can be defeated by the school's greatest master. Hou Ting-An
and Chen, who have made inroads to mending their fractured relationship,
both arrive at the Japanese school's dojo to accept the
challenge, setting up a final, brutal showdown between Chen and General
Fujita.
A loose reworking of Bruce Lee's classic Fists Of Fury, Fist
Of Legend is one of star Jet Li's best Hong Kong vehicles,
and stands up remarkably well nearly 15 years after it's initial
release. Historically, the film is utter balderdash in it's depiction
of the death of Yuo Juanjia (who, interestingly, Li himself
would play years later in the very fine 2006 feature Fearless)...Juanita
died in 1910, while this film moves his death up to pre-war 1937
(mainly to give more historical tension to the proceedings), but,
hey...if I want a meticulous history lesson, I'll pick up
a book or something. What shines here are the film's bloody beautiful
fight sequences (choreographed by the ubiquitous Yuen Woo-Ping),
which showcase Li at his formidable physical prime. Not to say that,
even now, in his mid-40's, Li's martial arts skills are anything
to sneeze at, but 15-20 years ago, the man was an oiled machine
of pure destruction.
 The film also earns points by presenting not all Japanese characters
as completely one-note devils, with Kurata's aging master using a
sparring match with Li mainly as an excuse to teach the youngster
some key fighting styles and improve his odds against the fearsome
General Fujita.
Slickly-directed and excitingly staged, Fist Of Legend is
another Hong Kong action gem, presented here win a sparkling new
edition by the invaluable Dragon Dynasty label.
 Presentation
You can always count on Dragon Dynasty to assemble the best elements
for their freshly-struck prints, and Fist Of Legend looks
great for a nearly 15-year-old film, with only moderate grain and
excellent color and depth to the image. The original Cantonese 2.0
audio (with additional options in Mandarin 2.0 and English 5.1) doesn't
use the surrounds for much, but the symphony of thwacks, cracks, and
smacks are replicated very nicely. Yahhhhhh!!!!!
 Extras
What isn't here? DD gives us yet another 2-disc set full
of goodies for the seasoned martial arts fan as well as newbies,
starting off on disc one with a typically excellent audio
commentary by Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan. Anyone who's
been following my Dragon Dynasty reviews thus far will know my stance
on Logan's work. His rat-a-tat-tat delivery sometimes makes
him sound a bit like the Micro Machines guy, but he provides
a non-stop torrent of film geeky trivia, personal anecdotes,
and the kind of genial pleasure that's too-often missing
in most critical commentaries.
 Disc two has three major submenu's. Under the Interview
Gallery section you'll find five featurettes ranging from recollections
from the cast and crew to critical dissections of the film. The
Man Behind The Legend: An Exclusive Interview With Director Godron
Chan (35:36) offers the film's soft-spoken director (in lightly accented
English) discussing the film's production (relating a touching tale
about how Jet Li shut down the set for a full day -- at enormous
expense paid out of his own pocket -- so Chan could visit the hospital
while his infant son was in surgery), it's legacy (only a minor
hit in it's original release, and now considered a classic) and
telling a funny story about attending Cannes one year and being
surrounded by a gaggle of star struck young men who then proceeded
to bow to him! Brother In Arms: An Exclusive Interview
With Kung Fu Impresario Chin Siu-ho (23:19) has the film's
handsome co-lead discussing how he never really made it as a major
star and how he counts Legend as one of his best
films. The Way Of The Warrior: An Exclusive Interview With Japanese
Action Legend Kurata Yasuaki (29:41) features the film's semi-heavy
talking about his career typecasting as the "Japanese
Bad Guy" in Hong Kong cinema (he can also be seen in Heroes
Of The East, among countless other Shaw Brothers films
of the 70's and 80's) and other topics in a relaxed, amusing chat. The
School Of Hard Knocks: A Screen Fighting Seminar At The Celebrated
Kurata Fighting School (26:32) features Kurata and host Kea
Wong showcasing the art of cinematic combat in Kurata's dojo. Lastly,
there's A Look At Fist Of Legend With Director Brett Ratner
And Film Critic Elvis Mitchell (9:37) has the nerdy auteur
behind the Rush Hour series and the newspaper critic
discussing the film's legacy and generally fawning over it's every
aspect.
 Under the Deleted Scenes menu there are five excised scenes
running a combined 5:08 (with a "play all" button), including "Blood
Oath", "Exit Strategy", "Love Or Addiction", "Melting
Heart" and "War Games", which mainly deal with a removed
subplot involving Huo Tin-Ang's addiction to opium and how it severely
impairs his fighting skills.
Finally the Trailer Gallery offers the film's Original Trailer (2:46)
with optional subtitles and a new U.S. Trailer (1:46) plugging
this very DVD.
Bottom Line
Fast-paced and full of extraordinary feats of flying feet and fists, Fist
Of Legend is something to behold for Jet Li fans.
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