Director: Gordon Chan
Screenplay: Gordon Chan, Lam Kee-to and Kim Yip
Starring: Jet Li, Chin Siu-ho, Shinobu Nakayama, Billy Chau, Yasuaki Kurata and Paul Chun
Country: Hong Kong
Running Time: 103 mins
Year: 1994
For frequent readers of Blueprint: Review, Gordon Chan should be a familiar name. He directed the first two films in the Fight Back to School trilogy, which I covered last year, and his film Beast Cops got a mention of the first episode of the Blueprint: Review Podcast Mk3 from David. While I enjoyed his films in the Fight Back to School series, I’d been dying to check out one of his most acclaimed pictures, the Jet Li-led Fist of Legend, and when I heard that 88 Films were releasing the film on 4K UHD for the first time, I requested a copy so I could check the film out.
Fist of Legend is a remake of the classic Bruce Lee feature Fist of Fury, and while on paper, that might sound like a strange decision, trying to recapture the magic that Lee brought to the screen 22 years prior, somehow Li and Chan pulled it off with flying colours. Li plays Chen Zhen, a Chinese student in Japan who finds himself involved in a conflict between a Japanese paramilitary group and after hearing the news that his martial arts master was killed in combat, he returns to his old martial arts school in Shanghai to uncover the truth about his master’s demise.
The film operates in many different lanes. It’s a martial arts film, mixed with a bit of a whodunnit, a forbidden romance tale and all of the political undertones that come with the central Chinese-Japanese conflict that the film focuses on. It’s a heavy undertaking that I was initially unsure on if the film would be able to cram all of this into the brisk hour and 40 minute runtime, but Chan’s direction, paired with Li’s incredible central performance makes Fist of Legend a film that can stand side by side next to Lee’s Fist of Fury.
For the martial arts sequences, legendary director/choreographer Yuen Woo-ping was brought in for assistance, and for my money, this might be some of his best work ever. The fight sequences are so fast-paced that it’s initially jarring (in a good way!) to see fists flying in every direction, with Li’s martial arts work being incredibly impressive throughout, and as the film goes on, Chan, Li and Woo-ping create great concepts for the fight sequences. Whether it’s a fight where the two participants are blindfolded, Li pitted against twenty foes at once Chinese Boxer style, or the bloody, climatic sequence, each action sequence stands alone as an all-timer.
It’s a blast from start to finish and if you haven’t seen this one yet, 88’s latest release is the perfect introduction to the film. Trust me, if my raving about it isn’t apparent, I bloody loved the film!
Film: 
Fist of Legend releases on the 24th June via 88 Films on 4K UHD and Blu-ray. There’s a limited edition combo pack which includes some physical extras, and a standalone Blu-ray release if you’re not 4K ready yet. I viewed the UHD disc for the film and the Blu-ray disc for the extras. The transfer looks excellent on both discs. I briefly checked the Blu-ray to compare to the UHD and while it definitely didn’t pop in the same way as the 4K UHD transfer did with Dolby Vision, it still looked solid. The disc maintains high bitrates throughout and shouldn’t disappoint fans of the film. Two Cantonese mono tracks are included, with the second track having alternate music cues. I viewed the film with the first track and everything sounded solid on my end. Optional English subtitles are included. The following extras are included:
Limited Edition contents
Double Walled Silver-Board Slipcase with artwork by Sam Green
A3 Fold-out Poster
28 Page Booklet notes with new writing on the film by Tom Cunliffe
2 Disc Set
Brand new 4K Remaster from the Original Negatives presented in Ultra High Definition (2160p) in
1.85:1 Aspect Ratio
Presented in Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range (HDR10 Compatible)
Cantonese Mono
Cantonese Mono with alternative Music Cues
Optional English Subtitles
Audio commentary with Hong Kong film expert Frank Djeng
A look at Fist of Legend
Interview with actor Chin Siu-Ho
Interview with director Gordon Chan
Interview with actor Kurata Yasuaki
Karate Seminar with Kurata Yasuaki
Deleted Scenes
Theatrical Trailer
Reversible sleeve featuring new artwork by Sam Green & original poster
The audio commentary with Frank Djeng is the best feature on the disc, which should surprise nobody who’s familiar with 88 Films’ prior collaborations with Djeng and his excellent track record when it comes to audio commentaries. The man absolutely knows his stuff and has an enthusiastic energy throughout the entire track, touching on anecdotes about the film’s production, how much it made at the box office, history about the cast, crew and more. Do yourself a favour and check this track out as soon as you’ve watched the film! You won’t be disappointed.
A look at Fist of Legend is a nine minute archival featurette discussing the film’s legacy, with interviews from Elvis Mitchell and Brett Ratner (uh oh) who talk about why they love the film, Chan’s direction and more. It’s a neat featurette, although sitting through anything involving Brett Ratner might prove difficult for some.
The archival interview with Chin Siu-Ho (titled Brothers in Arms) runs for 23 minutes and was previously included on the old Cine Asia disc. Siu-Ho discusses how he learned martial arts at a young age, how he became involved in the production of Fist of Legend and more in this insightful interview. It’s easily worth a watch.
This archival interview with director Gordon Chan (titled The Man Behind the Legend) runs for 35 minutes and was previously included on the old Cine Asia disc. Chan talks about how the concept for remaking Fist of Fury initially started as a joke, but slowly became a serious idea and how he went ahead with remaking the film. It’s a very fun interview and provides an interesting look at why Chan decided to re-invision the classic tale for (at the time) a new audience. The best interview on the disc, without question.
The archival interview with Kurata Yasuaki (titled The Way of the Warrior) runs for 29 minutes and was previously included on the old Cine Asia disc. Yasuaki touches on his experience with martial arts at a young age, similar to Siu-Ho, and how this helped with his casting in Fist of Legend. It’s another solid interview.
The Karate Seminar with Kurata Yasuaki runs for 26 minutes and it’s exactly what it sounds like, featuring an in-depth look at a Karate lesson. Presented in Japanese with English subtitles.
Five deleted scenes are included in standard definition, with a warning included before they begin highlighting how they’re presented in the highest quality and audio possible, although some scenes are dubbed in Mandarin. It’s great to see these included, even if the quality isn’t perfect.
A theatrical trailer is included.
I wasn’t provided with the slipcase, poster or booklet, so I can’t comment on those, but I assume they’re up to the typical 88 Films standards and will please any collector.
88 Films’ release for Fist of Legend might be lacking in tons of brand new bonus features, but they’ve done an excellent job at porting over in-depth, archival extras and the new Frank Djeng audio commentary is worth the price of admission alone. The 4K transfer is solid and should be a nice upgrade from past Blu-ray releases. Worth picking up for fans of martial arts cinema and the work of Jet Li.
Disc/Packaging: 