Fist of Legend – 88 Films (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1994
Director: Gordon Chan
Writers: Gordon Chan, Lam Kee-to, Kim Yip
Cast: Jet Li, Chin Siu-ho, Shinobu Nakayama, Billy Chau, Yasuaki Kurata, Paul Chun, Yuen Cheung-yan, Ada Choi

Release Date: June 24th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 102 Minutes 6 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono Cantonese Alternate
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region B (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: £29.99 (UK)

"In the most electrifying performance of his celebrated career, international superstar, Jet Li, plays Chen Zhen - the matchless number-one student of Chinas preeminent Kung Fu master, Fok Yun-gap. Upon returning home to Shanghai after a period of study abroad, he discovers that his homeland has been devastated by a brutal Japanese occupation, and that his once proud martial arts academy has fallen into disarray following the untimely demise of his beloved Master - allegedly in a challenge match with a member of the Japanese Black Dragon Clan. Disgusted by the official verdict on his teachers death, Chen embarks on a heroic and uncompromising one-man quest to uncover the true killer and restore dignity to his fallen people-a journey that will bring him into deadly confrontation with Japans most formidable fighters." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (4K UHD), 4/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand new 4K Remaster from the original negatives".

Fist of Legend comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 81.8 GB

Feature: 73.9 GB

The source looks great; it's a massive upgrade over this film's previous home media releases. Flesh tones look healthy, color saturation is perfect, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid. That said, despite grain being present, it looks managed and not organic.

Fist of Legend comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.2 GB

Feature: 30 GB

The Blu-ray uses the same source as the 4K UHD does for its transfer.

Audio: 5/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono Cantonese Alternate)

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese and a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese labeled alternate mix. Additionally, there is dialogue in English and Japanese. Both audio tracks sound excellent; dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Included are two removable English subtitles, one for each Cantonese language track.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include an audio commentary with Hong Kong film expert Frank Djeng.

Extras for the Blu-ray disc include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), five deleted scenes (5 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin with burnt-in English and Cantonese subtitles), a Karate Seminar with Kurata Yasuaki (26 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and Japanese with removable English subtitles for Japanese), an interview with actor Kurata Yasuaki titled Way of the Warrior (29 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with director Gordon Chan titled The Man Behind the Legend (35 minutes 37 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Chin Siu-Ho titled Brothers in Arms (23 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview titled A look at Fist of Legend with director Brett Ratner and film critic Elvis Mitchell (9 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Hong Kong film expert Frank Djeng.

Other extras include reversible cover art, A3 fold-out poster (limited to the first pressing), a double walled silver-board slipcase (limited to the first pressing), and a 28-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with an essay titled Fist of Legend a Celebration of Martial Arts Culture written by Tom Cunliffe, and archival images.

Summary:

Gordon Chan directed Fist of Legend. He is also known for directing Fight Back to School, Royal Tramp, Royal Tramp 2, and Thunderbolt.

A martial arts student returns to Shanghai when he hears about his teacher dying in a fight with a Japanese fighter.

Fist of Legend is a remake of Bruce Lee’s Fists of Fury, a film that spawned three unofficial sequels. Though there have been countless attempts to recapture the essence of Bruce Lee, all have failed. Besides trying to emulate Bruce Lee, attempting to remake any of his films is a formidable task; fortunately, Fist of Legend is a film that's molded around its stars strengths instead of being another caricature of Bruce Lee.

The biggest difference between Fist of Legend and Fists of Fury is that the former introduces a Japanese love interest for the protagonist, Chen Zhen. This adds a dynamic to Fists of Fury's already solid foundation. This relationship is pivotal; when those who were once close to them turn their backs on him, her support for Chen Zhen never waivers. Their relationship also highlights the hostile relationship between the Chinese and their Japanese occupiers. Chen Zhen's closest friends see her as an enemy solely because she is Japanese. Though the Japanese are Chen Zhen’s main foe, a conflict that arises between him and his murdered master's son leads to many tense moments.

Some films in Jet Li's (Tai Chi Master) early career rely heavily on his martial arts skills, leading us to focus more on his action abilities than his acting talents. That said, Fist of Legend is an early example of a film that gives him equal time to shine dramatically and psychically. Besides Jet Li’s solid portrayal of Chen Zhen, the rest of the cast are all excellent in their respective roles.

The fight sequences are exceptional; they highlight Chen Zhen's ability to deliver devastating martial arts blows. Though none of the fight scenes are lacking, there are two that standout; the first sees Chen Zhen square off against a Japanese fighter sent to Shanghai to eliminate him, and the other is the finale where Chen Zhen squares off against a Japanese general with equally powerful impact blows. These two moments are knock-down drag-out moments that will leave the viewer as exhausted as the fighters.

The narrative perfectly balances exposition and action. And when it comes to pacing, there are no issues, as the narrative does a superb job building momentum. Also, despite its familiarity with Fists of Fury, the narrative never comes off as predictable because of the new additions to the story. Ultimately, Fist of Legend is an exemplary example of how to remake a film that’s revered.

Fist of Legend gets a solid release from 88 Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer