Fearless

I saw 霍元甲 (Fearless) yesterday. Not your average wudapian. Very violent and even gory at times. It's hard not to cheer for Jet Li as he kicks many a foreigner's ass though (I usually can't stand the 'foreigner=bad guy' convention in Chinese films, for obvious reasons), and the inevitable patriotic message does have some universal appeal (I won't spoil the ending, but the message is all in the chengyu the crowd uses to cheer on the hero: 自强不息).

Obviously a very expensive film to make, and in places a very powerful one, I think I'll watch it again someday.

This thread is on the same movie -> Jet Li's new movie - HUO YUANJIA/FEARLESS

Looks like Huo's offspring are quite unhappy about the film ...

I watched it lately too. I think it's one of Jet Li's best. I heard the mainland edition cut off a fight between Huo and a Thailand master. Unfortunately, what I saw must be the shortened version.

carlo, I don't think those foreigners in the film were bad guys, except the Japanese who arranged to poison Huo. They were all good fighters. The Japanese fighter was with great dignity too.

I didn't see any Thai boxer.... Sorry for missing the old thread btw. I read the grandson of Huo Yuanjia is sueing Jet Li and the producer for taking too many liberties with their ancestor's biography. How far is the film straying from actual events? Did the arranged fights really take place as shown in the film? Why would the foreign powers in Shanghai do something like that anyway?

outofin, I agree with you, that's one of the reasons why I liked the movie (especially the ending).

Watched it over the weekend.

The part I disliked most is the ending. And the best part I liked is the middle part which Jet Li hibernated in remote rural area. The scenery is gorgeous. Where was that part filmed?

And surprisingly Jet Li is a very good actor in this movie. Actually I admire his acting more than his fighting.

And surprisingly Jet Li is a very good actor in this movie. Actually I admire his acting more than his fighting.

I agree.

Just wide-released over the last weekend in U.S. It grossed US$10.6 million which ranked No.2 in Box Office. Moreover, it received 72% rating from rottentomatoes. However, it is weird that this film got a PG-13 while Kung Fu Hustle got a R-rating. IMO Fearless is more violent than Kung Fu Hustle.

Just wide-released over the last weekend in U.S. It grossed US$10.6 million which ranked No.2 in Box Office. Moreover, it received 72% rating from rottentomatoes. However, it is weird that this film got a PG-13 while Kung Fu Hustle got a R-rating. IMO Fearless is more violent than Kung Fu Hustle.

I agree i think the PG-13 rating is because unlike Kung Fu Hustle they translated most of the more vulgar phrases in gentler English terms. Whatever helps get the movie more viewers I guess. I told my friends to go see it, they said they’d wait for the dubbed version to be released on dvd 