Title:	Fist of Legend	Also known as Jing wu ying xiong
Publisher's site:	None known	c
IMDB score	7.4/10	2589 voters
IMDB link	Internet Movie Database	c
Amazon link:	Fist Of Legend	c
Date:	1994	c
Available formats:	DVD & Video	PAL & NTSC
Director	Gordon Chan	c
Starring:	Jet Li	Chen Zhen

Fist of Legend

Fist of Legend is set during the Japanese occupation of China in 1937. It seems incredible now, when China is so populous and has such a powerful military, that they would ever be occupied by Japan, but they were, so there you are!

Jet Li plays Chen, a Chinese university student who finds out that his kung fu master has been killed in a duel with the local karate master. Chen rushes back to Shanghai with his Japanese girlfriend in tow, only to discover that the death is not as straight forward as it at first appeared.

To make matters worse, tensions are already running high between the rival Japanese-supported karate school, and his own Chinese-run kung fu school. After a threatening visit by the rival school, Chen can contain himself no longer, so in a fit of anger, he storms out to seek revenge, and his actions only serve to worsen the situation.

The Chinese are cowed by their Japanese masters, and Chen is evicted from his school by the new master, a former best friend. He moves into a shack outside town to live with his girlfriend. During this period, he receives a visit from the girl's Uncle, a famous Japanese sword master named Funakochi (like the founder of Shotokan karate), but who seems to be inspired by the legendary Miyamoto Musashi. The two men have a duel that has a surprising conclusion.

The film moves towards an inevitable showdown, during which Chen fights the Japanese sensei, and the military general in charge of the local troops. The latter ten minute fight sequence is probably the most realistic martial arts fight I've ever witnessed in a movie, and any martial artist with an eye for detail can pick up a wealth of tactical knowledge by repeated studying of this thrilling battle.

Fist of Legend is a vastly superior retelling of Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury, which was itself inspired by actual events. The characters in Legend are a bit more believable, and the choreography is much better. It doesn't quite have the original's sense of humour, but it undoubtedly deserves to be in every martial artists' film collection.

Fight choreography
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Entertainment					c
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