Director: Corey Yuen
Screenplay: Jeffrey Lau, Kin Chung Chan, Kevin Tsai
Starring: Jet Li, Josephine Siao Fong-Fong, Vincent Zhao Wenzhuo, Michelle Reis, Paul Chu Kong, Sibelle Hu, Chan Chung-Yung, Adam Cheng, Amy Kwok, Corey Yuen, Peter Chan Lung
Country: Hong Kong, China
Running Time: 106 min (Part 1), 97 min (Part 2)
Year: 1993
BBFC Certificate: 15
Jet Li was propelled into stardom in the 1990s after the commercial success of Once Upon a Time in China in 1991. It was swiftly followed up by a pair of sequels and Li also squeezed in another period martial arts movie, Swordsman II. The actor was worried he was getting typecast as the stoic hero though, so wanted to change gears a little before it was too late.
Reportedly, Li lived near director/actor/action choreographer Corey Yuen and the pair bumped into one another during this period. They started talking about film ideas and Li explained how he wanted to make something a little different. The project they came up with was The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk (a.k.a. The Legend or Fong Sai-Yuk).
Whilst this was yet another period martial arts film with Li playing a legendary Chinese figure (from Beijing Opera rather than history though), Fong Sai Yuk turned Li into a much more mischievous character in a more comical film than before.
The gamble paid off, with Fong Sai-Yuk becoming a hit in Hong Kong on its release in 1993 and finding worldwide distribution soon after. It was immediately followed up by a sequel, produced and released the same year.
Fast forward over 30 years and 88 Films are releasing both Fong Sai-Yuk and its sequel together on UHD & Blu-ray. The films are being presented in their original forms too (previous releases, in the UK at least, were cut). I got hold of a copy to share my thoughts.
I’m going to review both films together, as they were shot back-to-back with much of the same cast and crew. Plus, part 2 is basically a rehash of the first film.
The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk sees Li play the titular character, who is a young martial artist from Canton. The film follows Fong’s journey as he competes in a martial arts tournament to win the hand of a beautiful woman named Ting Ting (Michelle Reis), only to find himself entangled in a political conspiracy involving the Red Lotus Flower Society, a secret organisation seeking to overthrow the Qing Dynasty. As Fong delves deeper into this world of intrigue, he discovers his father’s (Paul Chu) involvement in the rebellion and must decide whether to protect his family or join the fight for justice. Along the way, he’s aided by his equally skilled mother (Josephine Siao).
The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk II continues the story of the legendary martial artist. Now a member of the Red Flower Society with his wife, Ting Ting, Fong faces new challenges and a complex web of deceit.
His loyalty to the society and his marriage is tested after the Society’s leader Chan Ka-lok (Adam Cheng) asks him to pursue a romantic relationship with Suen On-yee (Amy Kwok), the daughter of a powerful official, to help obtain some important information that the official keeps.
Meanwhile, a power struggle within the Red Flower Society threatens to tear it apart from within. Fong must navigate these personal and political conflicts while honing his martial arts skills to protect his loved ones and set things right.
I must admit, I hadn’t seen either of the Fong Sai Yuk films prior to preparing for this review. I own the first on DVD but never got around to watching it. It’s a shame I waited so long, as I enjoyed both films a great deal.
For one, it’s refreshing to see Jet Li have fun. In films around that time, he tended to play very serious, classically heroic roles like Wong Fei Hung but here he plays a rambunctious mummy’s boy who likes to show off.
Josephine Siao as Fong’s mother, Miu Chui Fa, could perhaps be called the real star here though. Not only does her character kick ass but she has most of the good jokes too. She steals the show whenever she appears, though some of her scenes in the sequel are slightly grating.
Comedy in Hong Kong films of that era can be hit and miss and certainly an acquired taste but I thought it was pretty successful here. I certainly chuckled along on numerous occasions. The sequel pushes the comedy a little too far into goofy territory perhaps but it still works a lot of the time and makes way for an incredibly dramatic shift in the finale.
The leap from comedy to drama is common in Hong Kong kung fu movies like these and it’s pulled off effectively in both the Fong Sai Yuk films. Most notably, in the first entry, there’s a lesbian subplot that you initially think is going to become uncomfortably dated but actually ends respectfully and poignantly.
It’s the action that most impresses though. Corey Yuen choreographed this himself, alongside Tak Yuen, who he worked with on and off throughout his career. The fight scenes are wonderfully inventive, often ignoring the laws of physics in favour of eye-popping feats of acrobatics. Anyone who isn’t a fan of wire-assisted action might want to give this one a miss, though there are still some fantastic demonstrations of Li’s skills.
The editing of the action is superb too. The first film was cut by Peter Cheung, a legendary veteran of the industry and his work shines here. The second film was edited by Angie Lam, who was a relative newcomer at the time but already had a couple of Once Upon a Time in China sequels to her name, as well as Iron Monkey, so she was still a safe pair of hands and holds her own.
The films are visually stylish too, with bold colours infusing the production design, great use made of lighting and the camera frequently on the move, to imbue the film with energy. The second film perhaps looks slightly less polished than the first, feeling rushed out in places (which it was), but it still has a number of gorgeous sequences.
Overall then, whilst the second film suffers a touch from the laws of diminishing returns, both titles remain a lot of fun. Loaded with well-choreographed action and humour that largely hits the mark, the Fong Sai Yuk films are hugely enjoyable entries to Jet Li’s illustrious career.
The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk: 
The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk II: 
The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk Collection is out now in separate UHD and Blu-Ray packages, released by 88 Films (pre-order it here). I watched the Blu-ray version and both films look fantastic. Details are sharp and the colours pop. Reds are perhaps a touch too bold in places but it’s a handsome transfer that will likely look gorgeous on UHD. Audio is strong too. There’s no English dub included but those look to be pretty poor from the clips shown in the interviews on the disc, so I’m not going to grumble.
LIMITED EDITION FEATURES:
– RIGID SLIPCASE WITH NEW ARTWORK BY “KUNG FU” BOB O’BRIEN
– 2 SINGLE DIGIPAKS WITH ARTWORK BY “KUNG FU” BOB O’BRIEN
– 40 PAGE BOOK WITH ARTICLES BY JAMES OLIVER, PAUL BRAMHALL AND DAVID EAST
– DOUBLE-SIDED FOLD-OUT POSTER
SPECIAL FEATURES:
THE LEGEND OF FONG SAI YUK
– 4K restoration of the original Hong Kong Version of The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk presented in 4K Ultra HD (2160p) Blu-ray in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
– Uncompressed Original Cantonese Mono
– Newly translated English Subtitles
– Audio Commentary by Chris Poggiali and Frankie Balboa
– Hit Hard and Fly High – An Interview with Director Corey Yuen Kwai
– The Pen is Mightier than the Sword – An Interview with writer Jeff Lau
– Theatrical Trailer
THE LEGEND OF FONG SAI YUK 2
– 4K restoration of the original Hong Kong Version of The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk 2 presented in 4K Ultra HD (2160p) Blu-ray in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
– Uncompressed Original Cantonese Mono
– Newly translated English Subtitles
– Audio Commentary by Peter Glagowski and Frankie Balboa
– Theatrical Trailer
* The Blu-ray release is the same but with the films and extras presented in HD
Chris Poggiali and Frankie Balboa provide a commentary for the first film. Balboa’s interjections can be a little OTT for this reserved Brit (at least to begin with – he settles down as it goes on) but he’s certainly got a passion for the film. Poggiali doles out more of the facts. There are a few pauses here and there and it’s not the most insightful track I’ve heard but it’s decent and worth listening to, nonetheless.
Peter Glagowski and Frankie Balboa provide a commentary for the second film. They tend to break down what’s happening rather than provide a lot of background detail so it’s not amazingly illuminating but the pair have a strong rapport and I enjoyed listening to their thoughts.
There’s also an interview with Corey Yuen. He talks briefly about his background before telling a number of entertaining anecdotes about the production. One describes how a mixed Hong Kong and Chinese crew led to some communication problems and even a brawl on set!
Jeff Lau is interviewed too. He talks about how he met Corey Yuen and how it was to work with him. He also discusses the development of the script and the casting. This isn’t as essential as the Yuen interview, sadly.
So, whilst 88 Films have put together some stronger sets of extras in the past, what is here is still worth your time and money. Plus, the transfer is impressive and the films are great fun, so I give the set a strong recommendation.
Disc/package:
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