Fist of Legend (1994)
Fist of Legend (Chinese: 精武英雄; Jyutping: Zing1 Mou2 Jing1 Hung4) is a 1994 Hong Kong martial arts film directed and co-written by Gordon Chan, featuring action choreography by Yuen Woo-ping, and produced by Jet Li, who also stars in the lead role of Chen Zhen. It is a remake of the 1972 Bruce Lee film Fist of Fury. Set in the Shanghai International Settlement in 1937, the film follows Chen as he investigates his old master Huo Yuanjia’s death at the hands of the Imperial Japanese occupation forces. The film co-stars Chin Siu-ho, Yasuaki Kurata, Shinobu Nakayama, Billy Chow and Paul Chun. It was released by Golden Harvest on 22 December 1994.
Plot:
In 1937, Chen Zhen is a Chinese martial artist from Shanghai, who attends Kyoto University. Thugs from the ultranationalist Black Dragon Clan burst in and attempt to force him out because he is Chinese. Mitsuko, one of Chen’s classmates who is in a romantic relationship with him, along with Chen’s professor and classmates, defend his presence. The thugs turn violent but Chen easily defeats them using a variety of controlled Chin Na techniques. The Japanese thugs’ sensei, Fumio Funakoshi, who is also Mitsuko’s uncle, arrives to take control of the situation and apologizes for his students’ behavior. Funakoshi is impressed by Chen’s skill and converses with him, and Chen learns that his master, Huo Yuanjia, has died after
losing in a match against a Japanese karateka named Akutagawa. Chen is distraught after hearing the bad news and he leaves Kyoto for Shanghai immediately.
Chen returns to Jingwu School and learns that his master’s son, Ting’en, has become the new master. The next day, Chen goes to the Japanese dojo to challenge Akutagawa, who honorably accepts. Chen defeats Akutagawa easily and concludes that Akutagawa was not capable of defeating Huo, after which he suspects foul play in his master’s death. Chen has Huo’s corpse exhumed for an autopsy against the wishes of Ting’en and his fellow Jingwu members.
RELATED:
Ninja | Full Movie | Action Martial Arts | Scott Adkins
