As the youngest and weakest member of the family Fok Yune Gap is forbidden from learning the family style of kung fu by his strict father (Phillip Kao). Instead Yune Gap is ordered to concentrate on his studies, has father having hired a teacher from Japan, Chiang Ho San (Kurata Yusuaki). There is more to Chiang than meets the eye though and secretly he teaches Yune Gap kung fu.
Many years later when Yune Gap has grown up (and grown from Yuen Yat Chor to Leung Kar Yan which does take a bit of a leap of the imagination but never mind) a challenger beats the school's best students and only Yune Gap is able to uphold the family honour. Yune Gap's reputation as a fighter spreads after he defeats a famous Russian boxer and he finds himself facing further challenges. The climax comes when a champion fighter is sent from Japan to avenge the death of one of Yune Gap's previous opponents.
Yuen Woo Ping once again displays his skills as an action movie director with some exhilarating fight scenes. The intricate choreography is up to the usual standard and as usual is expertly edited. The fights are also given that little extra edge through the mix of different styles. The final showdown fight is classic stuff and is certainly up there as one of Leung Kar Yan's most memorable performances. Its hard to imagine that Leung Kar Yan never had a formal martial arts lesson as here, as in every other movie of his that I've seen, he looks like a natural. He might not be able to dazzle with flashy kicks but this is compensated by the extremely convincing hand techniques.
It's also interesting to see the 'running along the walls' technique used here twenty years before 'The Matrix' and 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon'.
Like 'Fist of Fury' the story is set against the backdrop of foreign occupation and plays on the themes of national pride. The focus of rivalry with the Japanese might have been done to death ever since the Bruce Lee classic but it still works here and adds emotion to the story. The characterisations are also particularly strong with Leung Kar Yan appearing perfectly noble in his role as Fok Yune Gap.
With a fast pace that never lets up from the beginning and classic Yuen clan fight choreography, 'Legend of a Fighter' is pretty much a must-see movie.
THE DISC:
Hong Kong Legends have again put in the effort to produce another high quality disk. The quality of the print is as about as perfect as you could get with no obvious blemishes at all (well I couldn't see any). Given Seasonal's reputation for film storage and the reported poor condition of the print this is an amazing job.
The restoration, including colour correction, and expertly handled digital transfer has resulted in a sharp picture with a high level of detail. Unfortunately not everybody is going to be happy with the decision to crop the aspect ration to 16:9. I can honestly say that the cropping didn't spoil my enjoyment of the film one little bit as all of the fighting takes place centre screen. Incidentally the picture is anamorphic.
The film is provided with two different soundtracks, English or Mandarin and a choice of either English or Dutch remastered subtitles. One annoying feature I found here was that while it is possible to change soundtrack on the fly you actually have to stop the film to turn the subtitles on if you didn't select them before starting the film.
Both soundtracks are functional with a low level of background hiss and slight distortion. I didn't find this particularly distracting and given the age of the film this is probably only to be expected. Apparently the English soundtrack for the final scene was missing so Hong Kong Legends hired voice actors to construct their own. You can spot the difference but full credit to them for making such an effort.
As expected the amount of material for extras for a film like this would be limited but HKL haven't done a bad job in this department either. There's the standard photo gallery, UK promo trailer and original theatrical trailer. It's worth noting that the original trailer contains a scene deleted from the final film. In the scene Leung Kar Yan fights a Western fencer. There's also audio biographies for Yuen Woo Ping and Leung Kar Yan which are about 10 minutes long each and delivered in the same cheesy style as featured on some of HKL's previous disks. Finally there's a 10 minute interview with Leung Kar Yan and a 23 minute interview with Yuen Woo Ping.
To my mind Hong Kong Legends can't put a foot wrong at the moment (quibbles about aspect ratio aside) and this is another must have disk. I can't imagine that a better version is going to be available for quite some time, if ever.
-John Richards
http://www.wastedlife.co.uk/
I call this film the official "prequel" to the Bruce Lee classic Fist of Fury (aka The Chinese Connection). It focuses on the life of Huo Yuen Chia, the teacher whose death caused the hero Chen Zhen (Lee in FOF) to take revenge. Playing the younger version of Yuen Chia for the first 35 minutes of the film is Yuen Yat Chor, the youngest of the famous Yuen brothers, who choreographed the film's action as well as some of them making appearances. After that, he is played by Leung Kar Yan, known as the most famous "non-kung fu expert" who is an amazing kung fu expert. You heard me right...before breaking out into films, Kar Yan never studied martial arts but was a quick learner. Playing the film's villain is the Japanese sensation Yasuaki Kurata. At first, he is the mentor to the young Yuen Chia but soon they becomes enemies as the film quickly becomes a fight of China vs. Japan. Nevertheless, this is one amazing kung fu classic and it is highly recommended that this is a must see.
-Albert Valentin
http://highimpact03.topcities.com/
LEGEND OF A FIGHTER features an incredible amount of old school talent that even if you are not fond of the film, you can appreciate the cast and the martial arts choreography of the Yuen family. Leung Kar Yan top lines as respected Chinese martial artist Yun Gap Fok. Leung Kar Yan was a fixture in old school Kung Fu pictures before joining Sammo Hung’s circle of friends and going mainstream. He had key roles in IRON MONKEY (1977), GREEN JADE STATUETTE, and THUNDERING MANTIS. Kung Fu veteran Philip Ko plays his father, Grandmaster Fok. Philip Ko usually plays villains as seen in MARS VILLA, DUEL OF THE SEVEN TIGERS, and 8 DIAGRAM POLE FIGHTER, but here he is not really a bad guy. Chances are if a classic Kung Fu flick has a Japanese fighter, the character is played by the great Yasuaki Kurata. Kurata is a Japanese martial artist who spent most of his career in the Hong Kong film industry, and you can see him in CALL ME DRAGON, RETURN OF THE DEADLY BLADE, and KUNG FU PUNCH OF DEATH. Lee Ka Ting plays Sanaka, another top Japanese fighter who wants a piece of Leung Kar Yan. Lee Ka Ting kicked ass in HAPKIDO, THE HIMALAYAN, and END OF WICKED TIGER.
In 1901, China was being invaded from the combined armies of Japan, Russia, Britain, Germany, and Austria. The land was being torn by the ravages of war, and the excesses of the invading powers. The rulers of China, the Ching Dynasty, were forced to seize vast tracks of land and four hundred thousand tails of silver. During this period of great strife, a legend was born. His name was Fok Yun Gap. When he was a young man, he wanted to train under his father Grandmaster Fok (Phil Ko), but his father wanted Yun Gap to be a scholar instead, so he hired a teacher, Chen Seng Ho (Kurata) to tutor his son. The troubled youth Yun Gap quickly strikes up a friendship with his new tutor. Yun Gap is unaware that the timid Chen Seng Ho is actually a Japanese spy sent to steal secret Kung Fu training techniques from his father. Still, Chen Seng Ho feels bad for his pupil because his father refuses to teach him the martial arts. So, he offers to train him in a cross-pollination of Karate and Kung Fu, which brings the kid up to speed in no time. Suddenly, Chen Seng Ho informs Yun Gap that he must return home, and his apprentice promises to keep practicing the martial arts without the knowledge of his father.
Several years later, Grandmaster Fok is now an old man who can no longer fight off the challenges of a rival school. One day, during such an attack, Yun Gap saves his father from receiving a beating. As Yun Gap works over his opponent, his father can’t believe his mousy son has mastered self Kung Fu! Grandmaster Fok sees the error of his ways and names Yun Gap as successor to the family school. With such a high profile position also comes great responsibility. Yun Gap is soon challenged by various foreign fighters including Maletov, a Russian boxer and a Japanese Karate Champion, Sanaka (Lee Ka Ting). As Yun Gap dispatches of these formidable opponents, he is more respected by the people of China. But when Sanaka returns to Japan, he cannot live in the shadow of defeat, so he commits suicide. In retaliation, the Japanese issue Yun Gap a death challenge to be fought inside a local gymnasium in China. On the day of the fight, Yun Gap and his entourage await the arrival of Japan’s top fighter. Yun Gap is ecstatic when he sees his old martial arts mentor Chen Seng Ho attend the duel. But Chen Seng Ho shocks all in attendance by revealing that he there to kill Yun Gap. When the two finally square off, Yun Gap has a difficult time coming to grips that he is facing his mentor!
LEGEND OF FIGHTER is clearly Yuen Woo Ping’s best old school film. It outshines his other films from this period such as THE BUDDHIST FIST, DANCE OF THE DRUNKEN MANTIS, or DRUNKEN TAI CHI. The humor is kept to an absolute minimum, and the few humorous moments never intersect with the dramatic elements. In fact, the humor seems almost tacked on—as though it was added as an afterthought. Yuen Woo Ping keeps the tone light, and (for once) presents a historical Kung Fu film that does not have a revenge motive or high body count. Perhaps because the film is set during the Chinese foreign occupation in1901, LEGEND OF A FIGHTER does not reflect the savage tone of the Shaw Brothers epics. This movie is loaded with impressive fight choreography, but it is not a violent movie. The plot focuses on the progression of Yun Gap Fok as he scales the heights of the Kung Fu ladder of success. There is no murder and mayhem, and the fights just stop when one opponent is beaten. There is only one death in the entire movie, and it is a suicide. Yuen Woo Ping ensures that the human elements do not get lost in the dizzying blur of motion.
Leung Kar Yan gives a career performance as the legendary Chinese martial arts practitioner. The same can be said for Yasuaki Kurata. Those both these men are superb martial artists, their acting ability outshines their combat skills—and even the English dubbing can’t take away from this. In LEGEND OF A FIGHTER, each man is the Ying to the other’s Yang, and Yuen Woo Ping takes full advantage of this. In the first act, Yasuaki Kurata trains Yun Gap (Yuen Yat Chor) in some whimsical scenes that endear both men to the audience. It is only later; that when both men are on opposing sides that the tension between them becomes unbearable. Yuen Woo Ping avoids depicting Yasuaki Kurata as a villain, and as a result the climatic fight achieves a more realistic tone. Since their confrontation is not a typical good guy vs. bad guy showdown, this adds a healthy dose of authenticity to the whole affair. Philip Ko is also good as Grandmaster Fok and his character runs the gamut of paternal emotions. These underrated Hong Kong actors keep the drama first and the action second, as it should be.
SIGHT
LEGEND OF A FIGHTER was shot in 2.35.1. Hong Kong Legends apparently had some problems restoring the original print, so they ended up presenting the film in 1.77.1, with 16x9 enhancement. The result is a very cramped cinematic canvas (something that classic Kung Fu fans are familiar with), and while we are not happy with the cropping, the quality of the onscreen image is flawless. Except for a couple scratches and some film grain, LEGEND OF A FIGHTER appears smooth, colorful, and sharp. HKL spent a lot of time cleaning up the source elements and remastering the video, something we don’t see too often in this genre. The subdued color palette consists of light blues, soft crèmes, and various tans. Skin tones are very natural and black levels are perfect. Despite the slight cropping, the fight choreography is captured without any of the action going outside the frame. Even when the characters are delivering their lines, everyone is seen inside the image (avoiding the phantom conversation scenario). Aside from the aspect ratio problem, HKL’s transfer of LEGEND OF A FIGHTER showcases one of the best restoration jobs of an old-school Kung Fu film out there.
SOUND
Hong Kong Legends provides two discrete soundtracks in Dolby Digital 2.0. Purists will certainly be happy with the Mandarin dialog track. Others may prefer the English dub, which is remastered for superior sound quality. Though both tracks are designated as Dolby Digital 2.0, there is little surround activity. Mostly, it sounds like they took the mono soundtrack and jazzed it up a bit. Everything is forward heavy in the sound field. But the clarity of the sound is superb—no hiss, background noise, or distortion of any kind. Composer Chow Fu Liang produces an intense score with historical Chinese instrumentation. These themes are prominent in the sound field, and provide an extra dimension to the viewing experience. HKL did a great job restoring the original flawed audio elements.
FEATURES
From the Special Features menu, you can access the disc’s special features. For an overlooked old school film, there are some impressive extras. There are detailed talent bios for Leung Kar Yan and Yuen Woo Ping. The information scrolls down the screen and is actually narrated if you prefer to listen rather than read. There is a photo gallery that contains several color and black & white production stills. You can view the U.K. promotional trailer or the original Mandarin language trailer (which features scenes not seen in the film!). There is a recent video interview with Leung Kar Yan where he discusses his career and LEGEND OF A FIGHTER in particular. This is followed by a similar interview with director Yuen Woo Ping. Both interviews are conducted in Chinese with English subtitles. Then there is a trailer gallery for these other Hong Kong Legends titles:
CONCLUSION
LEGEND OF A FIGHTER is a rare Kung Fu movie with a brain and a heart. The story has some positive attributes, such as learning life’s lessons and is a good example of how of how far determination can take a person in life. The movie features some break-neck fight choreography to go along with the plot, which is grounded in reality more than your usual old-school efforts. The acting is way beyond what you’d expect from a movie from 1980. The only negative thing about LEGEND OF A FIGHTER is a few goofy characters and awkward moments, but even these can’t take away from the power of LEGEND OF A FIGHTER. The excellent DVD presentation by Hong Kong Legends is sure to spoil you, and only makes me hope that some day another company will aspire to the heights of HKL in presenting the true classics of Kung Fu cinema with such quality and quantity (of supplements). We strongly recommend this flick for those with Region 2 PAL compatible players.
-Tony Mustafa
http://www.dvdcult.com/
'Legend Of A Fighter' is apparently based on a true myth that was the inspiration for the Bruce Lee film, 'Fist of Fury'. The look of the film has more than a passing resemblance to the aforementioned movie and Woo Ping has borrowed a lot of the stronger elements from it. The "Sick Men Of Asia" reference is certainly a prominent factor in the adverse feelings between the two nations allowing the Chinese audience to build up a sense of patriotism towards Huo Yuan Chia (also known as Fok Yun Gap).
The action, which fills the majority of the screen time, is a mix between the simplistic and classic animal styles with a little wall crawling thrown in for good measure. You can see the influences of Woo Ping's past box office successes ('Snake In The Eagle's Shadow' and 'Drunken Master') with the use of small snippets of comedy to lighten the mood but they only really serve as breaks in between the fights here. Leung Kar Yan, although not a classically trained martial artist, does mimic Bruce Lee in his stance and facial expressions whilst using a similar generic style in combat. The only other actor that we really get to see is Yasuaki Kurata who plays the school teacher thrust into a feud between his country and a pupil who has struck a chord in his heart strings. You can see that he definitely benefits from having his movements undercranked but he is still an impressive sight, particularly in his final duel.
Although this is taken from the original story, it is hard not to compare it to 'Fist of Fury' as the two films are essentially so alike. The one thing that really separates them has to be the performances from the leading actors and, as likable as Leung Kar Yan is, he can never really hope to out-Bruce Bruce himself. Was this a cash-in movie that wanted to ride on the success of the Lee train that was disappearing fast? I would say so but this doesn't make it bad in any sense of the word. It has it's own distinctive style with little character development but a hell of a lot of superbly choreographed action and it holds up well as something of a forgotten classic in the kung fu genre.
PICTURE: Letterboxed at 1.78:1 (apparently cropped from 2.35:1) with an excellent picture quality. Hong Kong Legends have done a superb job of cleaning it up and there are few, if any, scratches present on the print.
SOUND: Mandarin and English DD 2.0 stereo. For the Mandarin version there are English subtitles provided that are removable.
TRAILERS: The original trailer and UK promo for this film as well as excellently made new trailers for 'Armour Of God', 'Drunken Master', 'Once Upon A Time In China', 'New Dragon Gate Inn', 'Fist Of Fury' and 'The Big Boss'.
TALENT FILES: Spoken and written talent files for Yuen Woo Ping and Leung Kar Yan.
EXTRAS: A photo gallery and interviews with Leung Kar Yan and Yuen Woo Ping. Overall, an excellently presented disc.
-Phil Mills
http://www.dragonsdenuk.com/
As you would expect from the Yuen Clan, the martial arts choreography is superb and all of the players give amazing physical performances. Philip Ko gives a very strong performance, re-elevating my respect for him after seeing so many of his downright dreadful Filipino productions. Yasuaki Kurata is amazing to watch, and Leung Ka-Yan's elegant balletic grace is fascinating. I only wish that Yuen Yat Chor had a bigger part, since he didn't get to show off his own considerable kung fu prowess enough.
-Alex Smits
http://www.alex-in-wonderland.com/
