FEARLESS
****1/2 out of *****
Reviewed by Finger_Of_DOOM

Screening in the 2006 New Zealand International Film Festival
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Genres
Action
Martial Arts

2006
Directed by
Ronny Yu
Written by
Chris Chow
Cast
Jet Li .... Huo Yuan Jia/Fok Yuen Gaap
Jon T. Benn .... Businessman
Collin Chou .... Hua Yuan Jia's Father
Anthony De Longis .... Spanish fighter
Masato Harada .... Mr. Mita
Nathan Jones .... Hercules O'Brien
Mike Leeder .... Referee Randall
Jean Claude Leuyer .... Boxer
Shido Nakamura .... Anno Tanaka
John Paisley .... English businessman
Qijing Bao .... Hua Yuan Jia's mother
Ian Powers .... Bellboy Dante
Brandon Rhea .... German Fighter
Li Sun .... Yueci
Nan Sun .... Yueci

For my money there is no better martial arts action star of this generation than Jet Li. Forget Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Donnie Yen, Tony Jaa (although I have a feeling this young man will become the next martial arts action icon) and even Chuck Norris…there I said it: Jet Li can kick Chuck Norris’ ass any day and I don’t care who knows it.

I was introduced to Li like most other Western mainstream audiences, from his appearance in Lethal Weapon 4 when he cleaned the floor with Murtaugh and Riggs, well at least until the end when they fought him together and won…just barely. I was captivated by his onscreen presence; he commanded the camera and his fighting abilities were out of control. I’d never seen anyone move as quickly as he had during those fights. I later discovered a treasure trove of films made while in Hong Kong, which opened a completely new world for me. The Tai-Chi Master, Swordsman II, Once Upon a Time in China I, II and III, King Fu Master and Fist of Legend were among my favorites and in an action career spanning over 25 years and some 36 movies Li has decided to call this film his final martial arts epic.

Fearless tells the story of a Chinese martial arts master, Huo Yuanjia (Jet Li) who was the founder of the Jin Wu Sports Federation. From childhood Yuanjia had wanted to learn wushu and fight like his father, a popular fighter at the time. When he loses a match, Yuanjia is challenged by a local boy in order to defend his family name. Yuanjia is beaten and from that point onwards he made a vow that no one would beat him again. As an adult Yuanjia fought his way to the top, beating opponent after opponent and became the self-proclaimed champion. His egotism and arrogance destroyed his personal life, in an effort to claim ultimate championship he lost his best friend and saw the murder of his family.

Yuanjia, tormented and angry, left his home and journeyed to remote China, where he was discovered by villagers. For the next few years he would live the simple life, working the rice paddies and connecting with the simple things. This time served as therapy, the anger inside subsided, his arrogance and egotism was no more. He returned to his home and then went onto Shanghai to participate in a tournament to defend the honour of his country. In the process he etched his name into history and legend.

I must admit that after seeing the trailers for this film online I got goose bumps, sitting through this film was in a word exciting. However, as one would expect the story is fairly simple, Yuanjia always wanted to be a fighter, his fighting caused him to lose everything and his fighting also allowed him to gain it all back by the end. Despite this wafer thin plot, screenwriter Chris Chow finds ways of adding depth to the character by providing a rich history behind him and his motivations (and not the usual “someone killed my master and I must get revenge” motivational through line you see in many martial arts films). Care was taken with developing this character’s depth to ensure he’s not the typically two-dimensional action hero.

Over the last couple of years Li has surprised me as a performer, taking on dramatically demanding roles and turning in impressive performances. Especially in last year’s schizophrenic yet none-the-less fantastic Danny the Dog (aka Unleashed), Li stretched his acting chops alongside Morgan Freeman and Bob Hoskins and managed to give them a run for their money, delivering a poignant and sensitive performance (on the other hand there was the ferocious action). Fearless shows off Li’s acting range as his character moves from one chapter in this life to the next, and not just relegating himself to stone cold stares during the fight scenes.

The photography lends a very epic feel to the film. Shot in cinemascope, the 2.35:1 frame is vast and captures the turn of the century China in all its depth. The camera techniques could be considered contemporary, with the use of crane shots getting near impossible angles and movement following the action. There were a few shots that tip the hat to traditional Kung-fu films including the quick zoom, being a staple of the genre for many years.

Fearless used the close mid-shot with fast zoom out to reveal a massive wide set occasionally. Matching the overall modern feel of photography was the film’s fast paced editing, although the pace tended to slow down as the story required. I did find some of the sped-up moments in the fight scenes a little too music video-like. It somehow doesn’t feel right considering the era this film’s story takes place in.

Now, let’s get to the real reason you’d go to this flick…the action! Jet Li teams up with fight choreographer extraordinaire Woo-ping Yuen and the result is some of the best Kung Fu action committed to film that I have ever seen. From the opening battle, that sees Li lay to waste a series of combatants from around the world, to his rise as the champion. Some of the most impressive set pieces were the wooden structure fight with his childhood bully. Balancing high off the ground the two fought within a small area utilising close proximity fighting styles. And a sword battle in a restaurant counts among the more violent encounters in the film. The sequence begins with a vicious sword battle that lays waste the premises and continues into hand-to-hand combat leaving his enemy bloody and with a broken shoulder blade that pops out of his back. Certainly not for the faint-of-heart these scenes are fast, furious and totally exciting. However the best is certainly kept for last, as Yuanjia faces his Japanese adversary Tanaka in a three stage battle royale that will leave you on the edge of your seat. In fact, I found myself out of my seat during many of the exhilarating moments of this fight.

The fight choreography was certainly the delicious cherry on the top, I was also pleased that the film was well paced and with a runtime of 103 minutes it didn’t overstay its welcome. Fearless is quite possibly Jet Li’s finest martial arts film, it breached my expectations and is an excellent way of saying goodbye to a genre that made Li a household name.

This film will screen in Wellington on July 22nd at the Paramount Theatre. Refer to the Film Fest homepage for more information.

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