Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen

                                                          
Director: Andrew Lau
Year: 2010
Rating: 6.0
For the uninitiated in the world of Hong Kong action films, Chen Zhen is a legendary fictional character from the pen of Ni Kuang and first portrayed by Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury. That film has taken its place in the hearts of both film fans and the Chinese for the terrific action scenes but also because of the pro-Chinese, anti-Japanese themes. The famous moment when Bruce breaks the sign forbidding dogs and Chinese and then his taking on the Japanese in the dojo in a ferocious fight are moments of pride. The end of that film is a still frame of Chen Zhen in a mid-air kick facing a fuselage of bullets. That left just enough room for the story to continue with other actors. The most famous perhaps is Jet Li's 1994 Fist of Legend, a brilliant film which ends with Chen Zhen alive and leaving Shanghai. It is basically a remake of Fist of Fury but with a lot more plot devices. There have also been a number of TV shows based on the character, most interesting to this review - that of the 1995 Fist of Fury starring Donnie Yen. And here Donnie is fifteen years later once again portraying Chen Zhen - this time in a sequel of sorts- but to which film or TV show I can't say - just to the character in general.



If one thought that Fist of Fury was nationalistic, this one overwhelms it in its anti-Japanese fervor and patriotic bravado. Literally every Japanese is a psychotic killer or betrayer while Chen Zhen is a Chinese superhero - even donning a mask and cap as Bruce Lee wore in the Green Hornet TV series. The few Gwielos don't get off much better, portrayed as racist scumbags. The script (Gordon Chan) and director (Andrew Lau) are both Hong Kongers, but the Mainland were producers and one might suspect that they pushed for a more gung-ho narrative. Of course, the Japanese military in this period did commit many acts of brutality. Let's just take it that Chen Zhen survived in Fist of Fury and Fist of Legend and has left Shanghai. Interestingly and ambitiously, the script places him in Europe during WW I with a 150,000 other Chinese who were sent to help the allies - not as soldiers but as laborers. The Chinese Republic had declared war on Germany in 1917 and sent these men hoping that after the war they would be rewarded in re-claiming territory from Japan. Of course, they were screwed. 



In a terrific action scene, Chen Zhen takes out a German platoon and kills them all with only a knife and martial arts. One of his friends is killed and when he goes back to Shanghai he takes on the man's name - to honor him but also because Chen Zhen is presumed dead by the Japanese. He wears a fake pencil-thin gigolo moustache as a disguise. In a scene at a nightclub Shu Qi as Kiki is singing when the Japanese tell her to sing a Japanese song and she starts with the British leaving the dance floor - but suddenly Chen Zhen plays a different song on the piano that angers the Japanese and cheers the Brits. The name of the club is Casablanca. I may be the only man on earth who bought Shu Qi's CD way back - have not listened to it in years and only once - but I doubt that was her singing. Chen Zhen is a man of many talents. The club is owned by Mr. Liu (Anthony Wong) who wants to stay neutral between the Japanese and the Chinese underground.  Hard to do when your friends are being murdered by the Japanese all around you.



Chen Zhen is the underground's leader. He finds time though to romance Kiki and Donnie and Shu Qi have about as much chemistry together as a pit bull and a terrier. Donnie can do action, but romance is out of his skill set. He looks so uncomfortable in their scenes together and they bog the film down - though there is a payoff at the end. He dons has mask and cap and begins killing the Japanese in satisfying ways. Some fine action all the way through. This would have been better with less plot, but the period sets look great. As does Shu Qi. In the end, as tradition dictates, he has to make a call on the Japanese dojo and do a Bruce Lee on them. I am not Chinese and these days have no fondness for China, but it is hard not to be caught up in the patriotic wave to some degree. Mainland actor Huang Bo plays the policeman, Shawn Yu is the son of a general and there are a number of Japanese actors in the film. Kohatu Ryu is the biggest swine - he has been in a number of other Hong Kong films. This would have benefited from a better editor and cutting out chunks of the film, but still enjoyable for the action.