Search - Jet Li's Fearless (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) on HD DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 1/3/2019...

ALERT - You are ordering an HD-DVD item. This format can be played only in HD-DVD players (the discs will NOT play in regular DVD or Blu-Ray players). If you do NOT have an HD-DVD player, you should not order this item.

A must for Jet Li fans!

Martial Arts Action with Soul: Jet Li's Best in Years

Tsuyoshi | Kyoto, Japan | 05/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"[The following review refers to the 104 minute version of `Fearless' released in Japan in March, 2006, starring Jet Li.]



`Fearless" is inspired by the life of Huo Yuan Jia, real-life Chinese martial arts master. Jet Li plays this legendary figure, whose martial arts style and fearless fight helped the people in China regain their pride in the early 20th century when China was intimidated and humiliated by the growing Western and Japanese powers.



Well, so much for the history. Now, let's talk about actions. In `Fearless' Jet Li has shown his best performance since the days he did `Once Upon A Time In China' playing the role of Wong Fei Hung, another legendary hero in China, and the fight scenes (choreographed by Yuen Woo Ping) are all fantastic, sometimes visceral, and sometimes graceful, and always powerful. Good and smooth editing and gorgeous production designs also help greatly to create the background.



[JET LI'S PHILOSOPHY] After the opening martial arts competition sequences in Shanghai, 1910, the film begins to follow the life of Huo Yuan Jia from the days he was a boy in a flashback section. Jet Li and director Ronny Yu (yes, the guy who did `Bride of Chucky' and `Freddy vs. Jason') made a wise decision in showing Collin Chou as Father of young Huo Yuan Jia because the image of charismatic Chou (previously seen in two `Matrix' sequels as body guard Seraph) as the stern father who forbids his son to fight well-represents Li's philosophy about martial arts.



Yes, `Fearless' is a first-rate martial arts action film, but the film is more than that. The film, which was released under the title of `Spirit' in Japan, has Li's message about martial arts, which impresses without being obtrusive.



Besides splendid Collin Chou, the film has assembled interesting names from in and outside of Asia: Nathan Jones as `Hercules' one of Huo Yuan Jia's opponents: Anthony De Longis as Spanish fighter: Brandon Rhea as German fighter: Masato Harada (seen in `The Last Samurai') as Mr. Mita. Debuting actress Sun Li (Betty Li) is impressive as a blind girl, and so is Dong Yong who steals the show as Huo Yuan Jia's old friend. But probably to the Western viewers the real find is the Japanese rising star Shidou Nakamura as Anno Tanaka samurai fighter. Nakamura, who will be seen Clint Eastwood's `Red Sun, Black Sand,' is already known as a talented actor in Japan, and he shows it with the brilliant fight scenes.



But the film is of course a Jet Li film, with the genuine actions that no one but he can do, and Li also succeeds in bringing life and dignity into the character of Huo Yuan Jia. As you know, it is said that `Fearless' will be the last martial arts film for Jet Li. I don't know if it is really true, but I know this is his best film in years."

This version of the film is a travesty.

Jeff Rockwell | The Island, British Columbia Canada | 06/23/2007

(1 out of 5 stars)

"When I first saw this movie (the 104 minute version we have here) in the theatre I enjoyed it very much, but I left with the nagging feeling that something wasn't right about it. A minor quibble was that a good part of the film's main climactic scene took place right at the beginning, but more bothersome to me was the fact that the film didn't seem sure of itself-- like it couldn't decide if it wanted to be a run-of-the mill martial arts picture, or a telling of a historical tale with an underlying philosophical message. Structurally it came across primarily as the former, but watching this in the theatre I had the nagging feeling that something much deeper was inside longing to emerge. For one thing, the 104 minute version contains very choppy editing. Great spans of history pass along in a flash. For example, during the scene where Huo is living in the village, years are supposed to have passed for him there, however one gets the feeling watching this that it has only been a few weeks. Furthermore, one simply doesn't buy, in this version of the movie, that he has really learned the lessons he is supposed to have learned-- or even that the film itself has much awareness of what those lessons were. The narrative seems very rushed, as though the filmmakers simply couldn't be bothered to tell their own story and were eager for the next fight scene to come along. I remember leaving the theatre thinking that it was a good movie, but also that a better, more fulfilling story, was waiting to be told about this fascinating character. Little did I know!



Fast forward a few months to the release of this DVD. I bought it, as I said I enjoyed the movie, but when I watched it I noticed something different about the subtitles-- they seemed to lack the same penetrating subtlety of perception that were found within the best scenes of the theatrical version. The two most glaring examples were during the "Tea" scene, where a very profound exchange between Huo and Tanaka gets reduced to a bunch of gibberish, and at the end, when Tanaka's manager asks him how he could say that Huo won and (in the theatrical version) he says "I know it in my heart" whereas in this version he simply mutters a threat. Again, it's still a good movie on some level, but watching this version one can't help the feeling that there is something much better within it waiting to come out.



AND THERE MOST CERTAINLY IS.



Surfing around online one night I discovered that there exists a "Director's Cut" of this movie that was released early this year (only in China though) that contained a whopping /40 minutes/ of extra footage. 40 minutes? How do you add 40 minutes to a 100 minute movie without basically making a whole new movie? This I had to find out. Fortunately I had previously hacked my DVD player to play all regions so I didn't hesitate to order the movie (which is presently only available in a region 3 compatible format). When I eventually watched the film, I came to a number of realizations.



1) This was the movie that was originally intended. It is not one of those "Director's Cuts" where loads of extra unnecessary crap is tacked on. This was the movie that was made to be seen, and it was butchered for its North American release.



2) The movie is an absolute masterpiece and currently resides in my top 5 movies of all time. I do not say this lightly. All my uneasiness about the 104 minute version evaporated entirely with this one. For one thing the structure of the narrative is greatly improved-- the climactic fight scene takes place at the end (where it was always supposed to and where it feels much more natural). For another, the movie actually feels like a story now-- told completely and deliberately. The bulk of the footage that was reinserted was from the movie's middle (and most important) act, where Huo is on his self-imposed exile. This version actually takes the time to flesh out Huo's relationship with Moon, and to show us exactly how the cosmic forces conspired to show him the error in his previous mode of life. One really gets the feeling watching this version, that Li's character is evolving, and the transition is very believable-- we are right there beside him, taking notes. Compare this to the shorter version where everything seemed disjointed and rushed. Furthermore, the Director's Cut contains more footage of Huo as a precocious child, which does much to give us a full picture of his life and spiritual evolution. An added bonus is that the Director's Cut contains the original, vastly superior subtitles, which actually seem to have been translated by someone who understood the story, and the subtlety of the philosophy it was trying to convey.



3) Lastly, whoever edited this movie for American theatres wanted to do away with the philosophical soul of this wonderful film, and leave us with a stereotypical "Kung Fu" flick. The result was that one of the greatest movies ever made was almost totally lost. If you just want to see Jet Li dominate, watch Fist of Legend. If you want to see the spirit and essence of the martial arts captured on screen, a wonderfully told story of a very fascinating character, and a beautiful portrait of how the forces of Nature are constantly conspiring to push us ahead in our spiritual advancement-- watch the Director's Cut of this film. Anything less is a waste of time.

"

The prequel to Bruce Lee's Chinese Connection!

Sith Warlord | Iowa, USA | 12/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Let me just say that I cannot wait to own this movie. It was not until after watching it, when reviewing my copy of Bruce Lee's Chinese Connection, that I realized that Jet Li's Fearless is actually the prequel to Chinese Connection. Remember in the beginning of Chinese Connection, when they're talking about their master dying from poison? Well this movie shows you what happened to their master as he grew up and learned to be one of the greatest fighters in the world.



I have seen over a hundred "kung fu" movies. Most of them were "B" movies at best, but I watched them because of the fascinating martial arts battles which took place in them.



Jet Li's Fearless is by far the greatest martial arts film I have ever seen. The story, screenplay, fight coreography, acting and action are all top of the line.



The fight scenes demonstrate a realism which pays great attention to detail and the authenticity of actual martial arts styles and limitations. They depict characters dishing out and taking a lot of punishment, which was characteristic of practitioners of the Iron Fist, Iron Palm and Iron Body disciplines of Kung Fu.



Taking place in colonial China, it is the true story of a man who stands up for his country against an oppressive regime which is bent upon their humiliation and dehumanization. After defeating a champion British boxer in a boxing ring using amazing Kung Fu techniques, the main character, played by Jet Li, is challenged to partake in a special tournament. Within this tournament, he must defeat four of the world's greatest fighters. They include both masters of weapons and bare handed fighting techniques. Let's just say that the battles between them are epic and amazingly done.



If you enjoy martial arts films, this is a must see. If you know someone who likes them, this movie will not disapoint them. Buy it today, you won't regret it. The flashy fight scenes guarantee much replay value."