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Fearless
2006
Superstar Jet Li headlines this action-packed film, his final martial arts epic. The film reteams him with producer Bill Kong ("Hero") and action director and choreographer Yuen Wo Ping ("Unleashed"). Li plays real-life martial arts legend Huo Yuanjia, who became the most famous fighter in all of China at the turn of the 20th .. Read more
| Starring | Jet Li |
|---|---|
| Director | Ronny Yu |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, World Cinema |
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Fearless
Superstar Jet Li headlines this action-packed film, his final martial arts epic. The film reteams him with producer Bill Kong ("Hero") and action director and choreographer Yuen Wo Ping ("Unleashed"). Li plays real-life 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 himself at a tournament for the honor of his country and the true spirit of martial arts.
| Starring | Jet Li |
|---|---|
| Director | Ronny Yu |
| Studio | UNIVERSAL PICTURES VIDEO |
| Run time | Blu-ray: 1 hr 43 mins HD DVD: 1 hr 43 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, World Cinema |
| Language | Mandarin |
| Subtitles | English |
| Released | DVD: 23 Oct 2006 Blu-ray: 05 Jan 2009 HD DVD: 26 Nov 2007 Production year: 2006 |
| Format | DVD |
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Most helpful member's review
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31 out of 33 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Fearless
This, apparently, is Jet Li's last pure martial arts film. What the 43 year old will do from here on out is unclear but at least he's quit while still in good enough shape to go out with an interesting film.
For the first hour Fearless is everything you want from a martial arts film. The fights are tightly packed together with only a little space left for plot and character. The fights are coreographed by the great Yuen Woo Ping, best known in the US for The Matrix but reknowned among Kung Fu movie fans as the director of, among others, Iron Monkey and Drunken Master. Here his coreography is graceful but hard hitting, it flows beautifully but remains largely grounded with only minimal use of wires and CG.
Even as he approaches his mid 40's Jet Li is still a breathtaking martial artist, his speed really is awe inspiring and, crucially, you believe he could best each of the fighters he comes up against.
What Jet Li isn't, though, is a great actor and this hurts the second half of the films. Huo goes into exile and learns some life lessons and here the pace flags badly as the fun of the fights vanishes and the whole thing becomes rather po faced. Even on his return home much time is eaten up with worthy speeches before the ineveitable last reel showdown.
Ronny Yu returns to China for this film and it looks just as good as his Hollywood work and the fight scenes retain all Yu's customary style but he too seems a little lost when the films slows down in the middle.
If you can retain patience and interest over the half hour of, essentially, waiting time in the middle of the film then this is a decent finish to Li's martial arts movie career, fight wise it's often brilliant but if you simply want to see a great Jet Li movie start with Once Upon a Time in China or Hero. -
Most recent members' review
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4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Magnificent.
If this is truly Jet Li's final martial arts epic then all i can say the wee man has gone out with a bang. This film is a joy to watch with everything an epitome of what Asian filmaking has achieved over the last fifty years. The cinematography is superb, the sets first class, the locations beautiful, the acting magnificent and best of all the incredible fight scenes which shows up Li's grace, agility and abilities brilliantly and shows to all and sundry that he is THE true heir to Bruce Lee's martial arts crown.
The film is based on a true story with Li playing an arrogant martial arts master who goes one step too far in trying to prove to everyone he is the best which has tragic consequences to all around him.
Realising his mistakes he goes on a journey, meets a beautiful blind girl who teaches him humility before he goes back to his homeland a changed an humble man.
This is easily the best martial arts film since Hero and even if your not a fighting fan i challenge you not to enjoy this film.
I just hope Li decides to go back on his word and makes more films of this ilk and not back to shambolic fodder like Unleashed and Kiss of the dragon.
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- whitehotblue
- Posted 01 Apr 2007 11:56
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Fearless - HD DVD Version
Following the death of his father in combat, Huo Yuanjia (Jet Li, HERO) vows to become a great martial artist and starts establishing himself as one of the greatest fighters in Tianjin, China. After a tragic incident that results in a number of deaths, Huo flees the region. When he returns to ...
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- Fearless - BLU-RAY Version
- Blu-Ray: £11.93
Free Delivery - RRP £19.79 (you save: 40%)
Following the death of his father in combat, Huo Yuanjia (Jet Li, HERO) vows to become a great martial artist and starts establishing himself as one of the greatest fighters in Tianjin, China. After ... -
