Chances are that if you have made it to the depths of kung fu cinema known as Bruceploitation, then you don't need any introduction to Jet Li. In the early to mid-nineties, the name Jet Li was on the lips of every kung fu fanatic, hailed by many as the second coming of Bruce Lee. No doubt this stemmed from the fact that in 1994 Li made FIST OF LEGEND, a remake of Lee's 1972 classic FIST OF FURY.
Li stars as Chen Zhen, a young student studying in Japan who returns home after he finds out his kung fu master has been killed. Initially believing his sifu was slain in a martial arts contest with a Japanese fighter, Chen Zhen discovers that he was poisoned. Seeking to avenge his master's death, Chen Zhen challenges the local Japanese school, but soon uncovers a much larger mystery involving the Japanese.
Rather than exploiting Bruce Lee, FIST OF LEGEND pays homage to the master with a serious and intense reworking of FIST OF FURY. Li never mimics Bruce Lee, but instead gives his own powerful interpretation of the student turned avenger. The film unfolds in almost the same manner as the original, complete with the Japanese dojo fight (amazingly re-envisioned) and downbeat ending. However, a few slight variations appear, most notably in the depiction of the Japanese. In the 90's version, not all Japanese are bad and Li's character has a relationship with a young Japanese girl. The fight with her uncle is one of the film's highlights as he teaches Chen Zhen the strengths and weaknesses of Japanese fighting while battling him. The final showdown is significantly altered as well, perhaps improving on the original as Li takes on a single Japanese killing machine (expertly essayed by Billy Chow).
An excellent example of how the work of Bruce Lee can be updated, FIST OF LEGEND is easily Jet Li's best work and not to be missed. I still vividly remember seeing this in a theater full of Chinese folks in Washington DC in 1995. The crowd cheered and screamed with each fist and kick Li threw. It is quite possibly the closest I have ever come to understanding the impact Bruce Lee had on modern kung fu cinema. Too bad Li decided he wanted to play second fiddle to DMX for the remainder of his career.
Reviewed by William.
