Remakes are probably one of the hardest things to do in cinema. A precedent is already set, and in
Fist of Fury’s case, it was first done by a legend, Bruce Lee, then successfully retold by Jet Li. So Donnie Yen’s 1995 attempt makes a third stab at telling the story.
Since it is such an already well known story, I wont go into much detail about it. Suffice to say, if you are reading this and haven’t seen either the Bruce Lee or Jet Li versions of this story (Fist if Fury, aka. in the US Chinese Connection and Fist of Legend, respectively), then please see them first. But, for those that don’t know or need a refresher, the basic story is- 1930’s Shanghai. Martial arts student Jun Chen returns home to find turmoil. The Japanese are in control and their martial schools have begun to usurp the Chinese schools. Jun Chens’s master tries to rally the Chinese schools together, and in his efforts to prove Chinese styles superiority (the Japanese call them the “Sick Men of Asia”), he is poisoned and killed by the Japanese. As they further plot to dominate the Chinese martial world and destroy the spirit of his people, divided by his love for a Japanese girl, Yumi, and his hatred for the atrocities committed against his culture, Jun Chen soon wages an almost one man war against the Japanese.
Now, with two legendary films of the same story already existing, how do you make it different, justify telling the same story again? Previously, I thought Jet Li was crazy for remaking a Bruce Lee film, but of course, he triumphed in making one of the greatest modern martial arts films, Fist of Legend. So, it is a mammoth uphill battle to try for a third time. In this versions case, they took the idea and decided to do it as a 30 hour tv series, the first half dealing with the backstory we never saw, and the last part being a retelling of the film version we kung fu fans know so well. However, that is the crux of one of the problems I have with this edition. This edition is a 2 hour cut, condensing the last half of the series, the story we already know, so we don’t get that unique glimpse into the characters backstory. Releasing a condensed version is smart, because, in America at least, not many people are going to want to pay for and sit through 30 hours of low budget tv. But for the cult audience of Asian afficianados, its may be annoying that with this version you only get a small hint of the changes and know you are missing out on the whole story. I was just hoping for a little more backstory, and would probably like and extra 30 mins added at the beginning so I could see some of it.
Quite frankly, the problems hinge on the fact that the series was made in a fourth of the time and probably 1/25th of the budget that American tv viewers are accustomed to. It is that culture shock problem, if I wasnt raised in the US with US tv standards in production and acting, I may love this series. The cast is all solid, and (at least in this version) the editing is kept at a brisk pace, keeping the story moving. But, it is all so cheap. Despite some good sets, locations, and occasional scenes of atmospheric shots, it is hindered by the limited scope of the production. No doubt stretched to its fullest extent, the lack of true time and budget for the action, actors, and filming makes this production nothing more than of novelty interest to really die hard kung fu/martial afficianados.
The thing about being a Donnie Yen fan, no matter how much you love him (like I do), the sour fact is that he never really took off as a huge star or solo talent. In the industry and with fans, he has respect, has charisma, and certainly has talent on par with any of the top names in martial films, from Jet Li, to Yuen Biao, to Jackie. But, I think getting his start in the age when martial films were dying, when the true martial stars began to fade and fighting just became an element in any kind of action film, as opposed to a genre in and of itself, he never saw the chance to be a huge star. His resume is a nice blend of genres, from one of the last old school films- Drunken Tai Chi, to cop action- In the Line of Duty 4, Tiger Cage, to fantasy swordplay- Dragon Inn, Comet Butterfly and Sword to new wave, wire fu period fighting- Wing Chun, Once Upon a Time In China 2, Iron Monkey, but in these films, his best work, he was usually a co-star or shared billing with other stars. And, his directorial efforts like Legend of the Wolf and Ballistic Kiss are really nothing more than entertaining b-pictures. Likewise, this Fists of Fury tv series really does fall short as a Donnie Yen showcase. Although he did the fight choreography, the limited budget never allows him to do much, sometimes having to choreograph and shoot an elaborate fight scene in one night, with non martial actors and limited stuntmen. The fights are so sped up and awkwardly shot, it is often very laughable, and not the best example of this talents. While he does try to pay more of tribute to Lee than Jet Li did, aping Lee’s stances, vocalizations, and some dialogue, it is admirable but still not enough to save the show from its overall clumsiness- no doubt all the more clumsy due to this version being an edited one.
The DVD- Tai Seng DVD. Not a terrific adaptation, but the DVD is actually a surprising treat due to a great commentary track.
The Picture- Basically fullscreen, tape (BETA, thank you D Yen commentary). The transfer does fine with the materials provided, but what is provided just doesn’t look that great. I think it is safe to say, mid 90’s HK television is on par/worse than an early 1970’s Doctor Who episode. We have infomercails that look better. Hell, I’ve got home videos that look better. But, as far as I could tell, the transfer is glitch and artifact free, gaining it major points. Just be forewarned, it looks as good as it can but HK tv is pretty darn cheap.
Sound- Dolby Digital 5.1 Cantonese or English dub tracks with optional yellow English subtitles. Very good audio tracks. While pretty straightforward and a little hollow, what they lack in dynamics they make up for in simple clarity. The sound fx is pretty generic and one assumes most of the dialouge was dubbed. Its fine but, once again, it is a low budget tv production, so don’t expect outstanding score or fx.
Extras- Chapter selections— Tai Seng Trailers for Bullets of Love, Assassin, The Duel, Cop on a Mission, Fist Power, Deadful Melody, Dragon Inn, and Fists of Fury— Donnie Yen Filmography— Making Of behind the scenes featurette. This 21 ˝ min promo for the series features various soundbites from the production crew, and Yen in the gym, but mainly it has several scenes from the film and montages that let us see some of what we have missed in this condensed version, including early plotting and fight scenes. As a matter of fact, the fight scenes in this featurette look better than the scenes in the movie, so it is a welcome addition.— Commentary tracks. Track one) Donnie Yen and Dr. Craig Reed. Donnie Yen commentary is immense fun. He is extremely affable and very easily slides into talking about the project and is upfront about its limitations. He discusses the pressure and time constraint he was under, having to choreograph a fights on the spot, with so-so stuntmen, and finish it in a matter of hours (which leads to a great anecdote about the infamous padded down Bey Logan fight we see in the film). He even mentions how it was an oversight on his part, not realizing the undercranking/speeding up of BETA would be different form film undercranking and would make the fights look too fast. And, no one is spared as Donnie amusingly points out the melodrama, bad acting in scenes of co-stars as well as himself. At the end of the track, he jokes that maybe the commentary will be the DVDs main selling point, but, no joke, with his laid back yet informative, fun comments, he is right. Track 2) features Dr. Craig Reed again (who is this guy?), Tai Seng product manager Frank Djeng, and martial artist film star Robin Shou. While Donnie’s track is mainly anecdotes about the production and thoughts on Bruce Lee, this track delves into the stars and the history behind the story. It too, is lighthearted and fun, but unfortunately is hampered by technical difficulties, the track is full of hiss, and the low volume commentary struggles against the film soundtrack. It is a good thing there are two tracks, because, although still listenable, the second commentary is so annoyingly distorted it was a struggle to sit through.
Conclusion- Well, this version of Fists of Fury while ambitious in its scope, is hampered by limited HK tv budget and general melodrama. A curiosity for HK and Donnie Yen fans, luckily the DVD, although a condensed version of the series, does offer good extras, particularly the featurette and the Donnie Yen commentary that make it worthwhile for those die-hard completists out there. Otherwise, I would say it is best to approach with caution and maybe give it a rental first.
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