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Fearless (2006) DVD Review
Fearless (2006) DVD Credits:
Fearless (2006) Directed by:
Ronny Yu
Fearless (2006) Written by:
Not available at this time
Fearless (2006) Cast:
Jet Li, Shidou Nakamura, Dong Yong, Betty Sun, Michelle Yeoh, Nathan Jones, Collin Chou, Bao Qijing, Masato Harada, Somluck Kamsing, Jean-Claude Leuyer, Brandon Rhea
Fearless (2006) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
Fearless (2006) DVD Release Date:
19th December 2006
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Fearless (2006) Synopsis:

This is a story of the man who founded the Jingwu School and represented Chinese martial arts to a generation: Huo Yuanjia.

Fearless (2006) DVD Review:

Perhaps it seemed like a brilliant marketing scheme to have the fact that this was to be Jet Li’s final martial arts film worked into the advertisements and trailers, but in hindsight it might have done more damage than good. When you announce that something is going to be the very last of its kind there are much higher expectations. That’s why many final episodes of a series tend to be better than the show had actually been in years (except Seinfeld, which was worse). We expect the last to be the best, and critics were harsher in the reviews of Fearless because of it. Little details that would be easy to ignore seem to be more noticeable and irritating if this is to be the last Jet Li martial arts film we will see. The highlights of the film are the fight scenes which are brilliantly choreographed, and often unafraid to break the laws of gravity.

Although the action is often unbelievably gorgeous to watch, with just a little intense violence to make it truly intense, but the plot in between the action is thin and often stiff. Whether the film is a victim of bad writing or bad subtitling, some of the dialogue is horribly written and almost unbearably cliché to watch. The scenes with action will keep you in suspense wondering what will happen next, but nearly every other element in the film is tiresomely predictable.

What is interesting about the film is the main character, Huo Yuanjia (LI), a man who is so obsessed with winning and being the best that he becomes a bit of a monster for a portion of the film. At a certain point he is so unlikable it tests the audience’s ability to relate to him. In a particular scene he challenges a rival in a restaurant where he is celebrating his birthday with his family. The intensely brutal battle is darkened by the fact that Huo is destroying his friend’s restaurant and an entire family’s birthday celebration. Oddly Huo did not learn these habits from his father, who was a noble man who was not worried about winning as much as honor. Of course, after a horrible loss, Huo is forced to learn his lesson and become a noble man. Even if it kills him he decides to bring honor to his people in a final match.

There are two versions of the film available on the DVD, including an unrated version. The option for either version comes up when the film is started. The DVD has a featurette which has Jet Li explaining his feelings on the final epic film as well as explain some of the process in making the film. There is also a theatrical trailer and deleted scene.

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Fearless (2006) DVD review written by: Ryan Izay

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