Review of Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (2010) by Anthony K — 10 Nov 2013

I will admit that the subtleties of Bruce Lee era Kung Fu are somewhat lost on me. I wouldn't consider myself a student of martial arts cinema either. That said, this reimagining of the classic Checn Zhen character feels a tad short on imagination.

"Legend of the Fist" tells the story of a character first portrayed by Lee in "Fist of Fury" and was supposedly created as an homage to the Kung Fu master himself. While I won't pretend I've seen "Fist of Fury" yet, it's hard to imagine that this overly verbose, expensive-looking mess of a film comes close to Lee's golden age. Set in lavish 1920s Shanghai, the story follows Zhen (Donnie Lee) - believed dead as a WWI casualty - as he rises from nightclub manager to costumed vigilante fighting the spread of Japanese imperialism. While the film serves as a decent history lesson for those who don't know the specifics of the Second Sino-Japanese War, it also allows itself to get bogged down in slanted politics that demonize the Japanese to a monstrously pulpy extent. Colonel Chikaraishi Takeshi (Kohata Ryu) is so maniacally evil in his conquest to take over China, he is one mustache twirl away from Snidley Whiplash.

The backdrop of 1920s China is also lavishly created, but is filmed with such little finesse that every set feels like the facade it is. After a while, the locations become repetitive and without much of Chen Zhen's promissory Japanese asskicking to liven it up, the film sags. In an action movie, this is one of the worst possible sins.

Whether or not you like this movie will depend entirely on your love of Donnie Lee, who while not in finest form, does his best to parrot Bruce Lee's iconic charm and stoicism. It is a good diversion for a rainy afternoon, but at two hours of 20's Chinese politics, repetition and little flair, Netflix has better to offer.