Jet Li’s Fearless

The Last Big Jet
Jet Li Delivers a Grand Martial Arts Finale
By Cole Smithey

Hailed as Jet Li’s final martial arts epic, "Jet Li’s Fearless" is an action-packed story about Chinese historical figure Huo Yuanjia who became famous before disgracing himself and bringing tragedy upon his family, only to eventually redeem himself and his country in a national tournament. The movie opens with a 1910 competition promoted by the Foreign Chamber of Commerce in which Yuanjia (Li) must fight four opponents in succession, each representing a different faction of foreign influence in 19^th and 20^th century China. The breathtaking fight sequence segues to Yuanjia’s backstory as the asthmatic son of a wushu (the inclusive term for martial arts that means ‘avert fighting’) master who attempted to shield his frail son from the fighting skills that he taught his disciples. Director/producer Ronny Yu ("Bride of Chucky") and action choreographer Yuen Wo Peng ("Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2") pack the film with twice the action of a typical kung fu action movie while still rendering a poignant parable of human experience. Significantly, the movie breaks the revenge paradigm of the standard martial arts film genre to embrace the grace and restraint that underlines the philosophy of wushu.

"Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself makes you fearless." This quote, taken from Lao Tzu, the father of Taoism, is presented as the premise for the film’s title, and supports Yuanjia’s rise, fall, and eventual rebirth. After his father is defeated in a public match, the young Yuanjia loses a fight to a bully and vows that it will never happen again. Yuanjia remains true to this oath as he diligently trains in solitude for years before battling fighters from around his region, exhibiting an outsized ego to match his increasing fame.

With his best friend and trusted accountant beside him, Yuanjia invariably takes on disciples and dilettantes interested in taking advantage of the free food and drinks that he offers them. Yuanjia’s hubris backfires when another local wushu master beats up one of his students, and the revenge-seeking Yuanjia interrupts the master’s birthday celebration to challenge him to a contest that will serve as the action centerpiece of the movie. As party guests flee, Yuanjia and his opponent wield mighty Daoshu swords (single-edged broadswords) against one another in a breathtaking duel that is one of the most electrifying martial arts weapon sequences ever filmed. Before the combat is over, the swords have been chipped apart and the men resort to their most lethal barehanded techniques.

The aftermath of the fight sends Yuanjia into self-imposed exile that finds him assisted by a blind rural farm girl named Moon (Sun Li). She gradually helps the disconsolate man restore his sense of self. During this second act the unspoken meaning of wushu surfaces in the subtext of the narrative. We witness Yuanjia’s competitive nature in check.

For all its phenomenal action-packed combat scenes that feature rarely seen weapons such as the three-section staff and the Qiangshi spear, the movie meticulously fulfills its emotional and thematic context to its historical subject. Jet Li thoroughly inhabits his character’s spiritual transformation with a transparent and uninhibited performance that sticks with you long after the rush of the visual action has subsided. Director Ronny Yu eschews wires and quick cuts instead allowing the audience to savor the full scope of Li’s admirable skill set.

In clarifying his public statement about the movie marking the end of his career as a martial arts star, Jet Li has stated that this is the last film in which he will practice the strenuous traditional wushu style of such masters like Huo Yuanjia. At the age of 43, Jet says his body will no longer allow him the hyperbolic displays of athleticism demanded by the genre. He will, however, continue to perform roles that utilize his skills in films like the upcoming "Rogue" opposite Jason Statham, where Li plays an enigmatic assassin. "Jet Li’s Fearless" isn’t just a martial arts movie; it’s a truly great one.

Rated PG-13, 104 mins. (A-) (Five Stars)