Catch this movie on DVD because I am not in Singapore during the period it was shown in local theatre.
I am not any KungFu movie's fan. But I am thrilled to see Jet Lee, the biggest name in Chinese kungfu's movie had chosen to portray the late Master Hou Yuan Jia, in his last action movie.
When I was very, very young, "Hou Yuan Jia" was Liang Jia Ren. As a little kid watching the movie, I am very impressed with the heroism of all the casts (including the villain). Though I do not really understand what was going on then, the images of Liang Jia Ren catching a fallen signboard and darting at the villains that his name is "HOU! YUAN! JIA!" still lingers. Yes! Those are too typical in KungFu's cinemas, but still it continue to works, even till now.
So what you could have expected for this 2006 version? Nothing. Not much innovation was injected into the film: A young and snobbish hero wanted to become the top of the KungFu's arena that he made many enemies along the way. Along came one enemy, who murdered his whole family and devastated the hero. He lost purpose of life, retreated into a village where coincidentally a gentle village girl would take care of him, motivates him with simple words and our hero makes a stronger come back to shake the martial art World with his skills and most importantly his wisdom.
Though the purpose of any bio-pic is to showcase how a legend had lived, unjustly for Master Hou Yuan Jia, it is the commercialised fighting sequences of Yuen Wo Ping that impressed. When you thought you had seen too many high-platform sparring and in-the-ring fights, Yuen continue to surprise bloodthirsty fans. In addition to those, I am particularly impressed with the showdown in an inn where Hou Yuan Jia and his nemesis effortlessly cross blows between narrow fleet of stairways.
Coming back to the plotline, whatever happens in Hou's life between his childhood and youth? Director Ronny Yu had snipped what could have been the most interesting and crucial part of Hou's life. The end result makes audience felt like traveling on a clueless time machine – one moment you saw the young Hou struggling to convince his father that he is fit for martial art training in spite of his fragile health, the next moment Hou is all grown up, with a daughter and a dead wife, and is almost the best fighter in his city - Head scratching presentation from the mind behind the thrilling Bride of Chucky, and Freddy Vs Jason.
Nevertheless. I believe many only care to watch Jet's kicks and punches. If you are in that camp, no matter how uncreative is the plot and the final editing, this is still one of Jet Lee commendable works. The finale of Jet Lee showing graceful "Tai-Ji" moves in the padi field would definitely become another memorable scene in KungFu cinema's history book.
All the best in your future endeavor, Master Lee!
Movie Rating: 4/5
Jet Lee's moves: 4/5
P.S: Now the descendents of Master Hou is pressing charges against this movie, for wrongfully portrayal of the life of Hou Yuan Jia. They are unhappy that the scriptwriter wrote Hou’s whole family was murdered, where in fact no members of the family were actually being murdered. Moreover, the Japanese fighter, who has been portrayed in the movie a honourable fighter, is in real life a despicable man, who befriends Hou and tricked him to consume poison, making the hero died a slow and painful death.
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