Fearless
4 Stars
Directed by: Ronny Yu
Starring: Jet Li, Shido Nakamura
Rated: PG-13
If Fearless truly is Jet Li's last martial arts film, as is advertised, then Li has succeeded in going out on top.
It's hard to imagine that this movie could fall short of excellence, given the pedigree of its principles. Fight coordinator Yuen Wo Ping has worked on the Kill Bill and Matrix series, among many other successful films, and Bill Kong, who produced Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero, also produced Fearless. Then there's the aforementioned Li, who has starred in more than two dozen such flicks.
Fearless is loosely based on the true story of Huo Yuanjia (Li) who became a national hero in late 19th century China as he rose to the top of the local martial arts fighting world. After gaining national acclaim, Yuanjia went on to defeat challengers from the West and Japan, at a time when the Chinese really needed the boost to national morale.
The mostly Mandarin-language film takes place in three acts, much like last year's Unleashed. In the first act, Huo Yuanjia masters the physical dimension of his sport; in the next two, he must master his mind and spirit. If Fearless were only a compilation of fight scenes, it would still be worth going to see in the theater. But the story adds much more to the experience, and the exceptional visuals beautifully portray the China of the past.
