Review of True Legend (2010) by Caesar M — 03 Mar 2012

Yuen Woo Ping, quite possibly the greatest choreographer who ever live bringing us so many memorable action sequences. True Legend retains the fantastic choreography Yuen Woo Ping is know for, unfortunately the story is not at the same level.

True Legend is about a wealthy man, Su Qi-Er, living during the Qing Dynasty who loses his fortune and reputation as a result of his brother vengeance. After being forced out onto the streets, Su dedicates his life to martial arts and embarks on a path that would make him a legend. Now the story is not well put together as it's divided into two parts, one being longer than the other. Now I will add that I did feel the first story being did end abruptly and it left a unsatisfying feeling. The story as a whole has it moments, though it's pretty clear that story-telling took a back seat to the action. It's average story-telling having some great moments, but ultimately the writing really doesn't give you anything memorable when telling a story.

Now since this movie was directed by Yuen Woo Ping, the choreography is at the highest standard he know for. Even if the story doesn't keep your attention, the well choreograph action sequences that Yuen Woo Ping filmed will, he makes every battle more engaging despite the story to make it more satisfying. One thing you should note, the CGI in this movie made it look cartoonish at points and you won't really care much for the characters when they're not fighting. Yuen Woo Ping is great when directing action, unfortunately the story aspects is not as impressive.

True Legend is good Martial Art movie with great action that suffers from the story to make it more engaging. If you just want good Martial Art action watch this, but if you're looking for an engaging story to with it look elsewhere.