(dir.: Gordon Chan)

This is Jet Li’s tribute to the late Bruce Lee. The story is taken liberally from Fist of Fury (The Chinese Connection in America), but this movie is by no means a cheap rip-off.

Chan Zhen (Jet Li) returns to China, when he learns that his sifu died in a match against a Japanese karate master. Chan slowly unravels the mystery of his sifu’s murder, and gets under the skin of his senior, played by Chin Siu-Ho. Chan also leaves his school to protect his Japanese girlfriend from the prejudices of the time.

Much like Chinese Connection, Fist of Legend expresses the racial prejudices and the hold that the Japanese had over China during the end and after the fall of the Ching Dynasty. Not much more than a glimpse into this time period, it, nevertheless, makes for a fantastic backdrop for an action movie.

Jet Li has labored to emulate his hero, Bruce Lee. His moves include a little bit of boxing and Chin-na, as well as a mock-Muay Thai styling to some of his movements. It is all in tribute to Bruce Lee, whose training surpassed the boundaries of traditional Chinese martial arts.

The fights between Jet Li and Chin Siu-Ho are not as epic as the one in Tai Chi, but are great to watch, nonetheless. The fight between Jet Li and Billy Chow (who plays General Fujita) are LEGENDARY! It is a tongue-to-cheek, balls-to-the wall fistfight that surpasses anything seen in fight choreography worldwide!

Fist of Legend is exactly what it implies. This is a legendary film, not just in Hong Kong, but one that has pushed the envelope for all action films worldwide.