Jet Li’s (“Hero” and “Unleashed”) newest, but supposedly his last, martial arts epic is entitled “Fearless.” It is based loosely on the life of Chinese hero Huo Yuanjia and takes place around 1910, when Western countries tried to extend their powers into China.
This film is from the same company that made “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Hero.” Like the previous films it is in Mandarin with English subtitles. But if you’re looking for the beautiful martial arts ballet that the other two were, this isn’t that kind of film. “Fearless” is a more gritty action-centric film, the kind that Bruce Lee made.
The story and the action are a lot of fun and very reminiscent of the Bruce Lee movies like “The Chinese Connection” (a.k.a. “Fist of Fury”), which is based on Yuanjia’s wushu school. This good old-fashioned kung-fu film feeling leaves your heart beating like you just fought against Li himself. It also carries you through some of the more prosaic moments of the story.
Apart from a brief set up, via a few lines of text, director Ronny Yu (“Freddy vs. Jason”) wastes no time in getting right into the action. Western societies present in China have set up tournaments to embarrass and repress the Chinese. Huo Yuanjia stands up to become the representation of “Asian weaklings” when he takes on fighters with names like Hercules O’Brien. His skill is proven quickly to his western counterparts. He easily bests the first three of four combatants like they were no more than henchmen from the 1960’s “Batman” television show. But, before he gets to the last fighter the story flashes back and details his rise as a master of wushu.
He grows up under the careful eye of his father who doesn’t want him following in his footsteps as a wushu master. However, Yuanjia steals his father’s manual and teaches himself to fight anyway. The pivotal moment for our young hero arrives when his father loses a local fight. Yuanjia becomes determined to defend his family’s honor for the loss and challenges the son of the man who beat his father. His face bloody after a humiliating loss himself, he vows never to lose a fight again and he doesn’t.
Fists and feet fly as match after match show his increasing superiority as a fighter. But his focus on fighting for the sake of fighting takes him down a dark path. One last fateful fight takes away everything he loves. Only after he truly loses does he really come to see what winning means.
In the midst of all the action, there are some endearing moments between Yuanjia and a young girl called Moon. Moon is a rice farmer he meets while recovering from the devastating loss of his family. Unfortunately, this relationship (which ultimately changes his character’s philosophy) is only clumsily resolved in the closing moment of the film.
When he ventures back to his hometown after years of soul searching, he has decided to turn his life around. Now he fights for a reason other than just winning, he fights to represent his people against the “West.” He also forms the Chin Woo Athletic Association, which not only unifies all the different forms of wushu, it also symbolizes the beginnings of unification for China itself.
Jet Li’s fight choreographer is master of martial arts choreographer, Yuen Wo Ping (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “The Matrix”). Working with Li on many of his previous projects, he doesn’t disappoint on this one either. He’s always playing with your adrenaline rushes by pitting two or more men in a deadly dance. Such precision in the movements that define his amazing work.
If you’re like me and you feel like you are some kind of kung-fu master after watching a martial arts flick, “Fearless” will bring out the Daniel LaRusso in you… just in case you run into any trouble outside the theater.
