Customer Reviews

Jet Li's Fearless (Unrated Director's Cut)

5 star:		(124)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

[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.

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.

Don't miss out on a great movie because of Universal Studios mistake!

It has been confirmed that JET LI'S FEARLESS: DIRECTOR'S CUT, Universal's highly anticipated re-release of Ronny Yu's Huo Yuanjia biopic promising nearly 40 minutes of additional footage is missing the director's cut. Released July 8th, it promised three versions of the movie, one of which was supposed to be the complete two hour and 21 minute director's cut. However, upon inspecting the two-disc release purchased from Walmart today both discs contain only 103-minute international and theatrical versions. Other readers have been e-mailing and posting messages on this site stating the same problem which suggests this defect is widespread.


Additionally, both discs appear to function erratically in my player. Disc two displays nothing but pixels and disc one periodically will not start up. I was only able to confirm the contents of disc two by using a disc burning tool. Both discs appear to be identical and the director's cut is no where to be found despite what the back cover clearly states.

Universal was unavailable for comment at the time of writing and an e-mail sent Thursday has so far gone unanswered.

At this point I would suggest that anyone who is considering buying this release to not do so until Universal releases corrected discs and issues a statement, preferably along with a recall.

For those who have already purchased the defective FEARLESS discs and are unable to return them to the store, try contacting Universal direct during normal, weekday business hours. You may also want to notify your local retailer.

Universal Home Entertainment
Phone: 818-777-1000
E-mail: http://www.universalstudios.com/contact_form.php?email_id=10

!!Attention!! !!Attention!! !!Attention!! !!Attention!!
Universal Studios Writes:
Thank you for contacting Universal Studios Home Entertainment. We strive to provide the highest standard in product quality and customer care.

Please let us know your shipping address and daytime telephone number, and we will send you a postage paid envelope in which to return your "Jet Li's Fearless Director's Cut" disc #1 for replacement. In the envelope, please send the original disc #1 only, along with a copy of this correspondence.

Please allow 1 - 4 weeks to receive your replacement.

We appreciate your patronage and hope that you will continue to enjoy this and future Universal releases.

Sincerely,

Consumer Relations
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT

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.

The reason I am giving this DVD 3 stars is not because the movie is bad, but because the DVD version is bad. I loved the movie itself and for the most part agree with the positive reviews that have been posted here. I have been a Jet Li fan, as well as a martial arts movie fan in general, for many years and this is by far one of Jet Li's finest films. Unfortunately, this DVD version suffers from terrible subtitling and a lack of extras for the price. There are no theatrical trailers, only one deleted scene out of many which have been written about throughout the internet, and no running commentary. But the biggest problem I had, as mentioned earlier, was the subtitling. I had watched the Chinese released DVD before the theatrical release and then watched it in the theatre. There were some differences between these two versions in regards to the translation of the Mandarin and Japanese being spoken, but for the most part were the same. However, the translation for the US released DVD is totally different in some parts and to me ruined some of the more important dialogue. One example is when Huo Yinjia is explaining his philosophy on martial arts to his soon-to-be opponent Tanaka. Also, since I understand just a tad bit of Japanese I knew that some of the translations on this DVD were way off the mark and ruined the overall feeling of those scenes. This was not the case of the Chinese released DVD and the US theatrical release. Again, I'd like to make it very clear that the movie itself was awesome and would rate 5 stars in book. The 3 star rating is for the US released DVD. Whether you saw the movie in the theatre or want to watch it for the first time, I'd stay clear of this version and go to your local Chinatown or Ebay and purchase the Chinese version of the DVD. How or why they did such a poor job on the translation compared to the US theatrical release and the Chinese DVD is a mystery to me.

FEARLESS is one of the BEST Kung Fu films I've seen in a long time. The film is based on the real-life tale of the legendary Huo Yuan Jia, founder of the Jin Wu Martial Arts Federation. Up to this day, is still considered to be one of best established Kung Fu schools. "Fearless" is among Jet Li's best; right up there with his most memorable roles as Wong Fei Hung and Fong Sai Yuk. Some may say that "Fearless" is a prequel (of sorts) to Bruce Lee's "Fist of Fury" (aka. Chinese Connection) and Jet Li's "Fist of Legend", where the two renowned stars play Huo's greatest student.

The story may be a bit simple, but delivers a strong message NOT to be ignored. It explores the consequences of revenge and the sin of hubris. Arrogance is a strong taint in one's soul and vengeance darkens it. The message is that tolerance and understanding is the way of a TRUE master, humility his tool and above all, honor is the true goal. Huo learned quite a lot in his experiences, and what is more important is that he learned from his mistakes.

The theatrical cut of "Fearless" was very good, but it did suffer a bit in pacing. Now, with this Director's cut, we see why. The theatrical release was edited in a way that action films were cut, now, re-cut and re-edited; Fearless is better than ever. It now feels more of a dramatization and re-edited in a way a TRUE Martial Arts Epic should be...

There are major differences in the director's cut, with 40 minutes more footage. This version is even better than the recent unrated version. It includes the opening sequence with Michelle Yeoh and while the previous release started in the middle of the action, this cut begins the story with Huo in a boat. I will outline the scenes because I can still remember (I saw this version in 2006) since this film gave me such impact with its message and emotional action sequences.

1. Opening sequence with Michelle Yeoh as a Chinese diplomat, in the bid to consider Wu Shu in the Olympics.

2. This cut shows more of Huo's childhood. From his determination to study Wu Shu that he stole his father's notebooks that leads up to his second encounter with the boy who had beaten him after Huo's father was beaten in a match. Huo also has a rematch with the same boy before he fought him again as an adult.

3. Huo's arrogance is explored, he is often in a disagreement with his best friend.

4. After he had fled the town and found by farmers. There are additional scenes where he mends. He learns more of the farmers' lifestyle and becomes puzzled how these simple people can be so gentle and humble in their ways. He admires how they care for an old ailing bull. Huo's blossoming relationship with the blind girl is more explored.

5. Now, this is the keeper; this scene was included in the theatrical release in Thailand. Huo defends the honor of a child who is accused of stealing an animal, he offers himself for punishment while an "incense" still burns. He engages a Muay Thai fighter in combat but instead of fighting back, he only defends himself and ends up saving his opponent's life.

Now, for the question; is the director's cut worth owning? A RESOUNDING YES...in spades!! Jet Li is in his absolute best in this film. Not only do we see him in excellent fights (choreographed by the legendary Yuen Woo-Ping), in this cut we also see his skills as an actor. The renowned action star can indeed perform in a very emotion-driven role. The extra 40 minutes of footage is worth every penny that this release even outshines the previous unrated release.

Jet Li claims that this will be his last WU SHU film. ( I hope not). Li has won Best Actor in the recent Hong Kong film awards for his role in the historical epic; "The Warlords". Director Ronny Yu has definitely redeemed himself with "Fearless" after his abysmal "Bride of Chucky". (Freddy vs. Jason, anyone?)

HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION!! [5- stars]

VIDEO/AUDIO: 2.40 Anamorphic Widescreen. The picture is flawless, strong blacks, radiant colors and nary a speck of dirt or compression artifacts are visible. It has not been clarified if this region-1 release will carry the awesome 6.1 DTS Mandarin Language track.
It is expected to also carry the unrated Theatrical release.

Note: Parts of this review was originally posted under the region-3 release.

All I have to say is that this movie has a charming story about the true martial artist, Huo Yuanjia, who stood up against all those against China in dire times of diplomatic and social depravity of his people and rose above all odds and in the end, became a legend in his own right. What's sad is that the reality about Huo was so enthralled and mixed with legend that the so called 'truth' about him is a mystery. Was he able to jump over 20 feet in the air? Maybe. Was he truly the most legendary martial artist of all time? He could be. The fact that fiction revolves around his existence, or the short time there was of his (he died when he was in his 40's...) it's hard to tell who he really was... or how he really even died!

Check him out, do some research about him and if you've seen the movie already, watch it again after gaining some insight and knowledge about this legendary man and you might gain an astounding amount of respect for this man and his exploits whether this film does the trick or not... the MESSAGE of the film overrules all else, just as Jet Li intends in this film. He wanted the lesson to be learned, of restraint, of martial arts being purely a defensive mechanics for self-improvement, discipline and insight.

The story tends to jump around, a bit TOO much from one time frame into Huo's adulthood... but the final fight in the end, which is interluded in the beginning, then finished at the end of the movie... is soul moving. I've watched a lot of movies that have brought tears to my eyes, brought joy to my soul and laughter to my heart but the final fight in this movie was one of the most powerful scenes I'd ever seen in filmographic measure-- almost bringing up to the caliber of oldskool cinematography, like Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. Not comparing, just stating and analysis of the scene-- it's simply something worth noting for on an immensely powerful level.

This movie is a MUST if you love Jet Li.

A MUST if you love martial arts.

A MUST if you love wonderful cinematography.

The movie is flat out great, some flaws in concept but the execution of its focus on wisdom outperforms everything else.

This movie was more about the jouney within than about martial arts and action, which is a very important message in today's society. It is sad that more people see a movie as stupid as "Jackass" while they stay away from a movie about honor and what it means to be a true human being. This Hermit Crab thinks its a sign of the times :( Peace be with you always!

For his final appearance in action films, Jet Li has chosen to personify Huo Yuanjia, China's legendary martial arts champion who founded the Chin Woo Athletic Association and brought China unity and national pride at a time when the nation was at the mercy of foreign powers. "Fearless" is historical fiction, combining fact, speculation, and purely fictional elements to create an action-packed morality tale and rumination on the meaning of martial art.

"Fearless" opens in Shanghai, 1910, as wushu champion Huo Yuanjia (Jet Li) represents China against 4 foreign fighters in a match arranged by the Shanghai Foreign Council. Yuanjia wins the first 3 fights, and as we wait for his 4th opponent, the film returns to Yuanjia's childhood and follows the events of his life that led to this point. Yuanjia was a sickly boy who stubbornly pursued martial arts in spite of his father's (Collin Chow) admonitions. Yuanjia's determination leads him to great glory, but he ignores his mother's (Hee Ching Paw) warnings against selfish ambition. Yuanjia's arrogance eventually brings catastrophe, and he must reevaluate his values and his life's purpose.

There are four extended fight scenes in "Fearless" plus a few short ones. Director Ronny Yu and fight choreographer Yuen Wo Ping have minimalized wire work, lending the fights more realism than I've seen in martial arts movies of late. There is wire work, but physics-defying moves don't dominate. It's difficult to make martial arts movies look fresh, and one attempt to do so is a nighttime fight between Master Huo and Master Chin. I've never seen hand-to-hand combat in such a dimly lit environment. While it does create variety and a certain grittiness, its difficult to make out the intricacies of the fight, so I have mixed feelings about low light combat. Overall, "Fearless" is an exciting and thoughtful film, a fitting conclusion to Jet Li's action hero career that exhibits his dramatic acting skills as well.

The DVD (Universal 2006 Unrated edition): You have the option of watching either the theatrical version or the unrated Chinese edit of the film. Bonus features include a deleted scene (7 min) that takes place in the farming village. "A Fearless Journey" (16 min) featurette includes interviews with director Ronny Yu, cinematographer Poon Hang Sang, and Jet Li. Li talks about the meaning he finds in wushu and his decision to retire. There is discussion of the film's themes, creating the fight scenes, and shooting film up to 6 times normal speed to capture the movements in the fights. The film is in Mandarin with subtitles available in English, English SDH, Spanish, or French. Dubbing is available in English.

FEARLESS is one of the BEST Kung Fu films I've seen in a long time. The film is based on the real-life tale of the legendary Huo Yuan Jia, founder of the Jin Wu Federation. Up to this day, is still considered to be one of best established Kung Fu schools. "Fearless" is among Jet Li's best; right up there with his most memorable roles as Wong Fei Hung and Fong Sai Yuk. Some may say that "Fearless" is a prequel (of sorts) to Bruce Lee's "Fist of Fury" (aka. Chinese Connection) and Jet Li's "Fist of Legend", where the two renowned stars play Huo's greatest students.

The story may be a bit simple, but delivers a strong message NOT to be ignored. It explores the consequences of revenge and the sin of hubris. Arrogance is a strong taint in one's soul and vengeance darkens it. The message is that tolerance and understanding is the way of a TRUE master, humility his tool and above all, honor is the true goal. Huo learned quite a lot in his experiences, and what is more important is that he learned from his mistakes.

The theatrical cut of "Fearless" was very good, but it did suffer a bit in pacing. Now, with this Director's cut, we see why. The theatrical release was edited in a way that action films were cut, now, re-cut and re-edited; Fearless is better than ever. It now feels more of a dramatization and re-edited in a way a TRUE Martial Arts Epic should be...

There are major differences in the director's cut, with 40 minutes more footage. It includes the opening sequence with Michelle Yeoh and while the previous release started in the middle of the action, this cut begins the story with Huo in a boat. I will outline the scenes because I can still remember (I saw this version last year)since this film gave me such impact with its message.

1. Opening sequence with Michelle Yeoh as a diplomat, in the bid to consider Wu Shu in the Olympics.
2. This cut shows more of Huo's childhood. From his determination to study Wu Shu that he stole his father's notebooks that leads up to his second encounter with the boy who had beaten him after Huo's father was beaten in a match.
3. Huo's arrogance is explored, he is often in a disagreement with his best friend.
4. After he had fled the town and found by farmers. There are additional scenes where he mends. He learns more of the farmers' lifestyle and becomes puzzled how these simple people can be so gentle and humble in their ways. He admires how they care for an old ailing bull. Huo's blossoming relationship with the blind girl is more explored.
5. Now, this is the keeper; this scene was included in the theatrical release in Thailand. Huo defends the honor of a child who is accused of stealing an animal, he offers himself for punishment while an "incense" still burns. He engages a Muay Thai fighter in combat but instead of fighting back, he only defends himself and ends up saving his opponent's life.

Now, for the question; is the director's cut worth owning? A RESOUNDING YES...in spades!! Jet Li is in his absolute best in this film. Not only do we see him in excellent fights (choreographed by Yuen Woo-Ping), in this cut we also see his skills as an actor. The extra 40 minutes of footage is worth every penny.

I have the REGION-3 Hong Kong release from EDKO. Unfortunately, there is NO official all-region version. There are a few unofficial ones in Amazon, but be careful, their quality is way below standards.
VIDEO/AUDIO: 2.40 Anamorphic Widescreen. The picture is flawless, strong blacks, radiant colors and nary a speck of dirt or compression artifacts are visible. Clean and sharp, exceptional video from EDKO. 5.1 Dolby EX/6.1 DTS-ES Mandarin track is clear and powerful. Need I say to use the DTS-ES track if you're able.

Final thoughts:
Jet Li claims that this will be his last WU SHU film. ( I hope not)
Movies like this are the reason why I love my multi-region dvd player. Director Ronny Yu has definitely redeemed himself with "Fearless" after his abysmal "Bride of Chucky". You're forgiven, Ronny!
(Freddy vs. Jason, anyone?)
HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION!! [5 stars]