|
Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen
This Eastern Eye release
by Madman has been dubbed as the "long-awaited sequel to Bruce Lee's
Fist of Fury" that although does fit into this category, it seems more a
remake or a token event at a sequel like the
excellent Tron: Legacy as opposed to that bad 80's sci-fi film.
Unfortunately at times,
Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen seems to be
cashing in on the Bruce Lee name and although it's not the most original
martial arts movie, it is quite acceptable, especially with the fight
scenes, albeit overtly clichéd story. Even so, the movie has a stellar
Asian cast that include Donnie Yen, Shu Qi, Anthony Wong Chau-sang,
Yasuaki Kurata and Shawn Yue who are under the direction of the
excellent Mr. Andrew
Lau.
The story is set in the 1920's that sees China threatened by the
powerful Japanese as they push towards Northern Shangai. As the city is
in turmoil from international takeovers, there is a cabaret club
called Casablanca that is a crossroad for all those who visit Shangai
such as the Chinese, British and Japanese. This is where the legendary
hero Chen Zhen makes his move against the growing power of the Japanese,
disguised as a masked warrior (more akin to super hero than warrior) who
attempts to thwart the Japanese by rescuing key individuals who the
Japanese have targeted.
Of course, Chen Zhen is believed dead but when
sightings and stories of him surface, the people of Shanghai have a new
hope. It's also amusing to see Donnie Yen play almost two totally
opposite characters here, that of entrepreneur Ku and that of the
legendary warrior Chen Zhen. Joining Donnie Ken is Shu Qi
as Kiki, a beautiful singer at the Casablanca which does serve as some
sort of love theme for our hero but has a very interesting history that
may clash with the legendary martial arts hero.
Story
aside, the power behind this film is the Kung Fu which looks quite
spectacular once the battles commence, especially the almost computer game
like boss battle at the end of the story. One aspect I did notice with
this film is the Japanese anti-sentiment which is heavily played in this
story but considering the era and history, it is understandable in this
content. At times Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen tries a
little too hard and ends up being a poor man's version of the Green
Hornet and when compared to Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury. Even so, it still
works.
Video, Audio &
Special Features
Video quality is quite decent with sharp images, vibrant colours and
deep blacks. There are no errors whatsoever and the audio supports Dolby
Digital 5.1 which sounds thoroughly cool through our surround sound
system. In terms of special features, there is a Making of, behind the
scenes, deleted trailers and original trailers. Definitely quite a bit
for a non-Western film and actually quite engaging.
Special Features
Making of LEGEND OF THE FIST (15 mins)
Behind the Scenes (48 mins)
Deleted Scenes (12 mins)
Original trailers
Conclusion
At the end, Legend of the Fist:
The Return of Chen Zhen is an interesting take on the original premise and
does to some extent pay some homage to Bruce Lee, even though it's more
money spinner than true sequel... prequel... whatever! However if you're
a fan of Asian styled action movies, than go no further but if you're
still a little dubious, rent it first! |
