45 reviews
This movie is a work of art in many ways.
The Martial Arts displayed are really one of the best I have seen in a long time, yes it relies on flying and jumping everywhere, yet the fight scenes feels visceral enough not to feel to much like a dance.
The actors are really awesome, and they managed to make one of the BEST antagonist of all times.
Now let's get to the part that almost ruins it : The Pacing.
The flow of the movie suffers greatly from a bad editing, and it is too bad because it had the potential to be a true masterpiece.
This movie should have started backwards, beginning at the end, and having Su telling his story.
Instead of that, the pacing can be hard to follow, and at the end I was left with a strange feeling of incompletion.
Otherwise, the movie is still one of the best martial art movies of the past years, and if you are a Martial Arts fan do not miss it !
The Martial Arts displayed are really one of the best I have seen in a long time, yes it relies on flying and jumping everywhere, yet the fight scenes feels visceral enough not to feel to much like a dance.
The actors are really awesome, and they managed to make one of the BEST antagonist of all times.
Now let's get to the part that almost ruins it : The Pacing.
The flow of the movie suffers greatly from a bad editing, and it is too bad because it had the potential to be a true masterpiece.
This movie should have started backwards, beginning at the end, and having Su telling his story.
Instead of that, the pacing can be hard to follow, and at the end I was left with a strange feeling of incompletion.
Otherwise, the movie is still one of the best martial art movies of the past years, and if you are a Martial Arts fan do not miss it !
- DICK STEEL
- Feb 11, 2010
- Permalink
Americans have grown accustomed to a certain kind of Chinese martial arts film. Ever since Crouching Tiger, the Chinese MA film has gotten more attention beyond whatever Hollywood effort is churned out to force a Jet Li or Jackie Chan sub-par effort on American audiences. Crouching Tiger was followed by films like House of Flying Daggers and Hero, while those with bigger interests in the subject certainly sought out more films that most Americans might not know.
True Legend seems to pick up on this. Yuen Wo Ping, who is no stranger to Hollywood martial arts films, having dabbled his hand in a number of Hollywood efforts, seems to have taken some of what he's done for American audiences and applied it to this film. He has, after all, been attached to several big U.S. productions, most notably Kill Bill and The Matrix series of films. These and other notable Chinese MA films, which saw American audiences, between True Legend and his last directorial effort, Tai Chi Boxer (1996). So, it may not be surprising that he's incorporated some more Western friendly elements. That may be far reaching, but True Legend is certainly no traditional Martial Arts film.
For Chinese MA fans, this is a mixed bag. It starts out with several powerful action sequences, the most notable being the opening rescue scene. Sadly, this is Ping putting his best foot forward and the film never truly rises above it in terms of impressive action. That doesn't mean the film doesn't contain some other outstanding scenes that, at least, left me with a few 'oh snap' moments. And the combination of fantasy elements that you might see in older films, like the 5 Venom Fist style MA, and more modern concepts, like mixing break dancing with drunken fist boxing, give the film it's own identity.
Sadly, this creates a bit of an identity crises. We're given a historical context for the film, and the story presents itself similarly to Fearless, another MA biopic, but the film isn't grounded in reality and some strange turns are taken, those most notable being main character Su's encounter with The Wushu God. It's a bizarre, CGI heavy intermission between the more grounded first and final acts. But the entire tone of the film seems to be a mix of the two: the more traditional Chinese MA film and the modern, special effects and wire laden Chinese MA film, the kind that Western audiences might be more accustomed to. And reading about the production of the film, you can certainly see that Ping did want to go beyond the traditional film to create something more modern.
Despite this seemingly jumbled style, the film is full of Ping's mastery. Fantastic camera work, editing, and special effects add to the impressive set pieces and choreographed action sequences. Again, there are a ton of 'oh snap' moments, and in a MA film, that is a wonderful thing to have. The opening scene is an incredible display of talent, action, special effects, and choreography that will most likely go down as one of the great modern MA action scenes. There are plenty of other fantastic action sequences, and thankfully Ping knows how to shoot a proper action scene as opposed to so many other directors who think all the action has to be confusing and up close, and all the editors who think that it requires cuts by the second. This film reaffirms that, even after all these years, Ping can still produce something that is entertaining and exciting, that he is still a master of the MA sequence.
Whether you enjoy this film or not will depend entirely on how much you can enjoy the fairly odd mix of styles along with the inclusion of a fifth act to end the film. It does take a bit of a right turn with the final act, but it's none the less very entertaining, and includes a cameo (most likely our last glimpse) of David Carradine, who you might know worked with Ping on Kill Bill. However, I would recommend this film to any MA fan. It's unique blend of quirky style, fantastic action, and masterful filming technique all make up one entertaining Chinese MA.
True Legend seems to pick up on this. Yuen Wo Ping, who is no stranger to Hollywood martial arts films, having dabbled his hand in a number of Hollywood efforts, seems to have taken some of what he's done for American audiences and applied it to this film. He has, after all, been attached to several big U.S. productions, most notably Kill Bill and The Matrix series of films. These and other notable Chinese MA films, which saw American audiences, between True Legend and his last directorial effort, Tai Chi Boxer (1996). So, it may not be surprising that he's incorporated some more Western friendly elements. That may be far reaching, but True Legend is certainly no traditional Martial Arts film.
For Chinese MA fans, this is a mixed bag. It starts out with several powerful action sequences, the most notable being the opening rescue scene. Sadly, this is Ping putting his best foot forward and the film never truly rises above it in terms of impressive action. That doesn't mean the film doesn't contain some other outstanding scenes that, at least, left me with a few 'oh snap' moments. And the combination of fantasy elements that you might see in older films, like the 5 Venom Fist style MA, and more modern concepts, like mixing break dancing with drunken fist boxing, give the film it's own identity.
Sadly, this creates a bit of an identity crises. We're given a historical context for the film, and the story presents itself similarly to Fearless, another MA biopic, but the film isn't grounded in reality and some strange turns are taken, those most notable being main character Su's encounter with The Wushu God. It's a bizarre, CGI heavy intermission between the more grounded first and final acts. But the entire tone of the film seems to be a mix of the two: the more traditional Chinese MA film and the modern, special effects and wire laden Chinese MA film, the kind that Western audiences might be more accustomed to. And reading about the production of the film, you can certainly see that Ping did want to go beyond the traditional film to create something more modern.
Despite this seemingly jumbled style, the film is full of Ping's mastery. Fantastic camera work, editing, and special effects add to the impressive set pieces and choreographed action sequences. Again, there are a ton of 'oh snap' moments, and in a MA film, that is a wonderful thing to have. The opening scene is an incredible display of talent, action, special effects, and choreography that will most likely go down as one of the great modern MA action scenes. There are plenty of other fantastic action sequences, and thankfully Ping knows how to shoot a proper action scene as opposed to so many other directors who think all the action has to be confusing and up close, and all the editors who think that it requires cuts by the second. This film reaffirms that, even after all these years, Ping can still produce something that is entertaining and exciting, that he is still a master of the MA sequence.
Whether you enjoy this film or not will depend entirely on how much you can enjoy the fairly odd mix of styles along with the inclusion of a fifth act to end the film. It does take a bit of a right turn with the final act, but it's none the less very entertaining, and includes a cameo (most likely our last glimpse) of David Carradine, who you might know worked with Ping on Kill Bill. However, I would recommend this film to any MA fan. It's unique blend of quirky style, fantastic action, and masterful filming technique all make up one entertaining Chinese MA.
- cadillac20
- Oct 29, 2011
- Permalink
TRUE LEGEND marks the first Chinese made film to take advantage of 3D technology as well as returning Yuen Woo-Ping to the director's chair for the first time in fourteen years. Unfortunately it seems that the legendary action choreographer has failed to utilise the new technology with any sense of skill and has also lost his way somewhat in the plot department.
The film follows Vincent Zhao as Beggar Su, a fabled folk hero in China and creator of the legendary Drunken Fist style. After his father is killed by his brother-in-law, Su goes into hiding where he is trained by an unconventional Wushu master. It's a bog standard kung fu murder/revenge plot that's been done a million times before but now with the novelty of teeth grindingly bad 3D. The new technology – only used in selected scenes - is jarring and in no way immersive, adding a strong argument to the negative effect 3D can have on a film.
However, as messy as the 3D is, it is not as detracting as the final third of the film. After concluding the revenge plot, it suddenly shifts into a completely new narrative regarding western imperialism's encroachment on Chinese culture. It's an untidy mixture of Jet Li's Fearless with Jackie Chan's Drunken Master with an all too brief cameo by the late David Carradine.
Ultimately TRUE LEGEND is a disorganised film that poorly uses every martial arts cliché in the book. A couple of decent action sequences aside, there is little to recommend, even to the most avid kung fu fan. 3 out of 5
Cambridge Film Festival Daily
The film follows Vincent Zhao as Beggar Su, a fabled folk hero in China and creator of the legendary Drunken Fist style. After his father is killed by his brother-in-law, Su goes into hiding where he is trained by an unconventional Wushu master. It's a bog standard kung fu murder/revenge plot that's been done a million times before but now with the novelty of teeth grindingly bad 3D. The new technology – only used in selected scenes - is jarring and in no way immersive, adding a strong argument to the negative effect 3D can have on a film.
However, as messy as the 3D is, it is not as detracting as the final third of the film. After concluding the revenge plot, it suddenly shifts into a completely new narrative regarding western imperialism's encroachment on Chinese culture. It's an untidy mixture of Jet Li's Fearless with Jackie Chan's Drunken Master with an all too brief cameo by the late David Carradine.
Ultimately TRUE LEGEND is a disorganised film that poorly uses every martial arts cliché in the book. A couple of decent action sequences aside, there is little to recommend, even to the most avid kung fu fan. 3 out of 5
Cambridge Film Festival Daily
- cambridgefilmfest
- Sep 27, 2010
- Permalink
Tagline: Yuen Woo Ping tries hard and manages to entertain in an uneven manner...
It's been too long since The Blade's Vincent Zhao last cinematic venture. The lad for all his worth was groomed to be Jet Li's successor. For whatever reason, he disappeared off the radar and wandered into the wilderness of mainland television. Zhao lacks the on-screen charisma or likable good looks of Jet Li, but there is no doubting of his martial arts ability and his physical presence is comparable to Donnie Yen. Many would probably have forgotten that Zhao's career got off to a storming start by simply existing under the shadows of Jet Li in roles like Wong Fei Hung and the villain in Fong Sai Yuk, before embarking on the cult classic lead role in The Blade. Impressive resume one might assume. So instead of rambling on about past laurels, Zhao makes a stunning return and one might just assume, his career is on the rebound.
The movie goes like this: Beggar So (Vincent Zhao) is army general, but gives up the position for family life. Beggar So gives all his status to his adopted brother (Andy On) and lived a life of an ordinary person. Until one day, Andy On returns home and killed Zhao's father (Leung Ka-Yan) in avenging On's own nemesis. The result is Beggar So escaping alive with his wife waiting for an opportunity to strike back.
Director Yuen Woo Ping is obviously in top form and there are a number of action sequences that are original enough for a mention. The fight in the snake well between On and Zhao is both innovative and fun. Hong Kong no longer has a huge luxury of upcoming kung fu star. While Vincent Zhao isn't exactly in his twenties, but he is still young enough to relaunch a career and with a bit of luck, he may even be able to match the reinvention successes of a similar counterpart in Donnie Yen. Sure, Zhao can't act and when he tries, more than often he is overacting in the famous Yen's style. It remains to be seen if Zhao is given a better material, he will be able to embrace it as his own.
As usual, Zhou Xun is a wonderful actress of both quality and presence. While not exactly a conventional beaut, Xun is one heck of an actress that makes the unnatural natural. She have been constantly stealing the show in numerous epics starring as side characters, but in all honestly her acting ability is second to none in the current HK cinema. In fact, when considered on a whole, Xun is given a paper thin role with nothing to work with, yet somehow she manages to impress, engage and express.
Moving on to Andy On, he is certainly a case of missing in action. For the past decade, since his terrible debut in Black Mask 2, Andy On has showed himself to be a decent supporting actor. In fact, he was the best thing in 2003's Star Runner, decent showdown against Jackie Chan in New Police Story. However since then, he has been almost unnoticeable in all circumstances. Perhaps, True Legend is what you call, a re-launch of young Andy's career. While he does have some screen presence to a certain degree, his acting is too one dimensional and his villainous turn is neither memorable nor effective. The kid got martial arts potential; let's just hope he is not suitability wasted away.
All in all, True Legend is a welcome additional to modern day HK martial arts cinema. While the 3rd act may seem like a remake of Fearless and the film suffers from some obvious coherence and uneven issues. Namely the frequently fast forward style of editing, making days goes by as fast as years. Director Yuen Woo Ping does compensate this by some blood crunching action display and even if it is a carbon copy of Fearless in the third act, there is no doubt that Yuen is simply taking a leaf out of his previous efforts. One may wonder if the film simply ended in the 2nd act, it may well be more coherent, but for me, it would have left me half-baked. So honestly, True Legend really isn't that bad and in fact, it is quite a decent film with some good parts in between. A welcome return for Shaw Brothers and to a larger extent Mr. Vincent Zhao...(Neo 2010)
I rate it 7/10
It's been too long since The Blade's Vincent Zhao last cinematic venture. The lad for all his worth was groomed to be Jet Li's successor. For whatever reason, he disappeared off the radar and wandered into the wilderness of mainland television. Zhao lacks the on-screen charisma or likable good looks of Jet Li, but there is no doubting of his martial arts ability and his physical presence is comparable to Donnie Yen. Many would probably have forgotten that Zhao's career got off to a storming start by simply existing under the shadows of Jet Li in roles like Wong Fei Hung and the villain in Fong Sai Yuk, before embarking on the cult classic lead role in The Blade. Impressive resume one might assume. So instead of rambling on about past laurels, Zhao makes a stunning return and one might just assume, his career is on the rebound.
The movie goes like this: Beggar So (Vincent Zhao) is army general, but gives up the position for family life. Beggar So gives all his status to his adopted brother (Andy On) and lived a life of an ordinary person. Until one day, Andy On returns home and killed Zhao's father (Leung Ka-Yan) in avenging On's own nemesis. The result is Beggar So escaping alive with his wife waiting for an opportunity to strike back.
Director Yuen Woo Ping is obviously in top form and there are a number of action sequences that are original enough for a mention. The fight in the snake well between On and Zhao is both innovative and fun. Hong Kong no longer has a huge luxury of upcoming kung fu star. While Vincent Zhao isn't exactly in his twenties, but he is still young enough to relaunch a career and with a bit of luck, he may even be able to match the reinvention successes of a similar counterpart in Donnie Yen. Sure, Zhao can't act and when he tries, more than often he is overacting in the famous Yen's style. It remains to be seen if Zhao is given a better material, he will be able to embrace it as his own.
As usual, Zhou Xun is a wonderful actress of both quality and presence. While not exactly a conventional beaut, Xun is one heck of an actress that makes the unnatural natural. She have been constantly stealing the show in numerous epics starring as side characters, but in all honestly her acting ability is second to none in the current HK cinema. In fact, when considered on a whole, Xun is given a paper thin role with nothing to work with, yet somehow she manages to impress, engage and express.
Moving on to Andy On, he is certainly a case of missing in action. For the past decade, since his terrible debut in Black Mask 2, Andy On has showed himself to be a decent supporting actor. In fact, he was the best thing in 2003's Star Runner, decent showdown against Jackie Chan in New Police Story. However since then, he has been almost unnoticeable in all circumstances. Perhaps, True Legend is what you call, a re-launch of young Andy's career. While he does have some screen presence to a certain degree, his acting is too one dimensional and his villainous turn is neither memorable nor effective. The kid got martial arts potential; let's just hope he is not suitability wasted away.
All in all, True Legend is a welcome additional to modern day HK martial arts cinema. While the 3rd act may seem like a remake of Fearless and the film suffers from some obvious coherence and uneven issues. Namely the frequently fast forward style of editing, making days goes by as fast as years. Director Yuen Woo Ping does compensate this by some blood crunching action display and even if it is a carbon copy of Fearless in the third act, there is no doubt that Yuen is simply taking a leaf out of his previous efforts. One may wonder if the film simply ended in the 2nd act, it may well be more coherent, but for me, it would have left me half-baked. So honestly, True Legend really isn't that bad and in fact, it is quite a decent film with some good parts in between. A welcome return for Shaw Brothers and to a larger extent Mr. Vincent Zhao...(Neo 2010)
I rate it 7/10
- www.thehkneo.com
- webmaster-3017
- Jul 17, 2010
- Permalink
- nokturnal-rapport
- May 8, 2010
- Permalink
I am basing my 9 stars for two reasons. First, the choreography is top notch. Second the cinematography is top notch. Simply put, this a very beautiful movie to watch. As for the story and plot...it's an action movie with a fairly simple story. It was designed to entertain with action and composition so the story is not the main vehicle which it uses to engage the viewer. If you are looking for extremely beautiful images, super insane kinetic choreography and fight scenes, you have come to the right place. The fights are on par with and perhaps even surpass Crouching Tiger, or Hero. Woo Ping just keeps improving on his choreography. I don't know how he does it, but he does it in every new movie. This is a definite purchase on bluray for my collection.
"True Legend" ("Su Qu-Er") was actually a nice surprise. I had been putting watching it off for some time now, but that turned out to be a mistake on my side.
The story in "True Legend" is about Su Can (played by Wenzhuo Zhao) who serves as a general, but leaves his army life behind to open up a martial arts school. His adopted brother Yuan Lie (played by Andy On), envious and always standing in the shadow of Su Can, end up killing their father and taking Su Can's son captive. Su Can and his wife Yuan Ying (played by Xun Zhou) end up at a secluded mountain, where they live with Dr. Yu (played by Michelle Yeoh) while Su Can is struggling to regain his fighting abilities and battle for his mind. Tensions are high and the stakes even higher, as the two brothers end up face to face.
Actually the story was rather interesting, although the movie had a tendency of lingering on certain parts a bit too much, where it ended up being somewhat of a drag to watch; especially on the mountain training scenes and the tavern epiphany scene.
What really impressed me about this movie was the sword fighting scenes and the martial arts scenes. They were amazing to look at. Very well choreographed and executed. Given this being a Mandarin martial arts movie, expect a lot of wire action in the movie. Personally, I don't mind that, but of course that is a matter of preference.
And as with most other epic Chinese movies in the same genre, there is a lot of really breathtakingly beautiful scenery to be seen in this movie. Lots of nice details everywhere.
"True Legend" is a great epic movie that hold elements from movies such as "Hero", "Ong Bak" and the like. It works very well when combined, and there is a lot of action from start to end.
If you enjoy Asian movies, especially the epic ones with lots of sword fights and martial arts, then it is very likely that you will enjoy "True Legend" as much as I did.
The story in "True Legend" is about Su Can (played by Wenzhuo Zhao) who serves as a general, but leaves his army life behind to open up a martial arts school. His adopted brother Yuan Lie (played by Andy On), envious and always standing in the shadow of Su Can, end up killing their father and taking Su Can's son captive. Su Can and his wife Yuan Ying (played by Xun Zhou) end up at a secluded mountain, where they live with Dr. Yu (played by Michelle Yeoh) while Su Can is struggling to regain his fighting abilities and battle for his mind. Tensions are high and the stakes even higher, as the two brothers end up face to face.
Actually the story was rather interesting, although the movie had a tendency of lingering on certain parts a bit too much, where it ended up being somewhat of a drag to watch; especially on the mountain training scenes and the tavern epiphany scene.
What really impressed me about this movie was the sword fighting scenes and the martial arts scenes. They were amazing to look at. Very well choreographed and executed. Given this being a Mandarin martial arts movie, expect a lot of wire action in the movie. Personally, I don't mind that, but of course that is a matter of preference.
And as with most other epic Chinese movies in the same genre, there is a lot of really breathtakingly beautiful scenery to be seen in this movie. Lots of nice details everywhere.
"True Legend" is a great epic movie that hold elements from movies such as "Hero", "Ong Bak" and the like. It works very well when combined, and there is a lot of action from start to end.
If you enjoy Asian movies, especially the epic ones with lots of sword fights and martial arts, then it is very likely that you will enjoy "True Legend" as much as I did.
- paul_haakonsen
- Nov 16, 2012
- Permalink
Wenzhuo Zhao has just reduced a rebel province, but he turns down the chance to be the new governor, so he can marry Xun Zhou and open a martial arts school. Some time later, his foster brother, Andy On decides to beat Zhao to a pulp and take his nephew so he can keep him safe. The happy couple wind up on a mountain with Doctor Michelle Yeoh, and while he heals, has training episodes with Jay Chou, the God of Wushu. Eventually, there's a big fight with On, and Miss Zhou winds up dead.
It's supposed to be about the founder of the 'Drunken Fist' form of martial arts. If that sounds familiar to western audiences, that's because DRUNKEN MASTER was a breakout hit for Jacky Chan. The director of this film, Woo-Ping Yuen, had a small role in that film, and decided to make an utterly serious drama about it, with evil foreigners beating the tar out of Chinese, and jazz bands playing "Sweet Georgia Brown" sixty years before it was written. Chou appears to be having some fun in his dual roles -- the second is "Drunken God". Otherwise it's seemingly endless fantasy fighting and unhappiness.
There also something that annoys me about the Chinese fantasy films I've seen over the past couple of years: you can see the fact it is computer generated. Reality has a roughness that lends it verisimilitude, and the fantasy sequences wind up looking like cutscenes from a computer game.
It's supposed to be about the founder of the 'Drunken Fist' form of martial arts. If that sounds familiar to western audiences, that's because DRUNKEN MASTER was a breakout hit for Jacky Chan. The director of this film, Woo-Ping Yuen, had a small role in that film, and decided to make an utterly serious drama about it, with evil foreigners beating the tar out of Chinese, and jazz bands playing "Sweet Georgia Brown" sixty years before it was written. Chou appears to be having some fun in his dual roles -- the second is "Drunken God". Otherwise it's seemingly endless fantasy fighting and unhappiness.
There also something that annoys me about the Chinese fantasy films I've seen over the past couple of years: you can see the fact it is computer generated. Reality has a roughness that lends it verisimilitude, and the fantasy sequences wind up looking like cutscenes from a computer game.
- chicagopoetry
- May 7, 2010
- Permalink
Beggar Su is a folkloric kung fu hero, and "True Legend" is Su's story told in epic form, from esteemed general to madman to drunkard to hero. Vincent Zhao is the titular hero, who after rescuing a kidnapped prince, returns home to his wife Ying (Zhou Xun) and young son, rather than becoming a governor as the prince offers in reward for his service. Instead, he hands the governorship over to his foster brother Yuan (Andy On), thinking to share his good fortune with the man he thinks of as a brother and who is in fact Ying's actual brother. He doesn't realize that Yuan is full of hatred and vengeful feelings for Su's family, because Su's father had killed Yuan's real father many years earlier, to prevent that rampaging man from killing more innocent people. Five years later, Yuan has control of an army, and he is seeking vengeance....
That is only the opening section of this film, directed by Yuen Woo-Ping, who is best known in the West for choreographing the fight scenes in "The Matrix" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." "True Legend" is full of fight scenes, some of the quite funny, some of them quite beautiful; and it is also full of cameos of kung fu superstars such as Gordon Liu, Michelle Yeoh and, in his last role, David Carradine. I find that a little kung fu fighting goes a long way, but if you're going to see a kung fu film, you couldn't find better than this.
That is only the opening section of this film, directed by Yuen Woo-Ping, who is best known in the West for choreographing the fight scenes in "The Matrix" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." "True Legend" is full of fight scenes, some of the quite funny, some of them quite beautiful; and it is also full of cameos of kung fu superstars such as Gordon Liu, Michelle Yeoh and, in his last role, David Carradine. I find that a little kung fu fighting goes a long way, but if you're going to see a kung fu film, you couldn't find better than this.
This Chinese general guy has it all. He has a wife (albeit a rather ugly one) and a child that he loves, he is a great wushu fighter and a general respected by all. Even the emperor likes him and offers him a governorship. But he wants peace and quiet with the family, so he retires.
And so the troubles begin. Everybody comes to beat him up and they usually manage to do it quite badly. People that he loves are hurt or die. He loses himself to alcohol and madness. However, he overcomes all and wins the day, even against honorless European wrestlers that like to kill Chinese fighters for fun. (doesn't this ever get old in Asia?)
The fighting scenes were really good, so as a kung-fu movie I have to rate it high. Everything else kind of sucked, though. The actors played badly, especially the obnoxious little kid that never dies! The music is filled with Chinese violins trying to inspire some emotion, but only managing exasperation. And all the characters are damn ugly and utterly annoying. You may not believe me, considering Michelle Yeoh is in the cast, but she has the shortest of roles.
Bottom line: a stupid roughneck goes through life brawling, getting drunk, hurting the woman that loves him and the child she begot, wallows in self pity, then brawls again. Not to fun, if you think about it, except the fighting scenes were well done.
And so the troubles begin. Everybody comes to beat him up and they usually manage to do it quite badly. People that he loves are hurt or die. He loses himself to alcohol and madness. However, he overcomes all and wins the day, even against honorless European wrestlers that like to kill Chinese fighters for fun. (doesn't this ever get old in Asia?)
The fighting scenes were really good, so as a kung-fu movie I have to rate it high. Everything else kind of sucked, though. The actors played badly, especially the obnoxious little kid that never dies! The music is filled with Chinese violins trying to inspire some emotion, but only managing exasperation. And all the characters are damn ugly and utterly annoying. You may not believe me, considering Michelle Yeoh is in the cast, but she has the shortest of roles.
Bottom line: a stupid roughneck goes through life brawling, getting drunk, hurting the woman that loves him and the child she begot, wallows in self pity, then brawls again. Not to fun, if you think about it, except the fighting scenes were well done.
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It seems as if there are three stages to the star's development. The movie moves it along just fine.
I'm not a person who analyzes a movie to death. I'm just a regular guy that likes Martial Arts films. This one has plenty of action from the get-go. If you're searching for a good martial arts action flick and are hesitating on this one, don't hesitate. You will not be disappointed. Order a pizza, make some popcorn and enjoy the high flying kicks, punches and acrobatic action that this movie brings. There were a couple reviews that rated this low. All I can say is that's a result of states allowing cannabis to its citizens, because this movie is all that and a bag of chips.
Seriously, get it. You'll enjoy it.
I'm not a person who analyzes a movie to death. I'm just a regular guy that likes Martial Arts films. This one has plenty of action from the get-go. If you're searching for a good martial arts action flick and are hesitating on this one, don't hesitate. You will not be disappointed. Order a pizza, make some popcorn and enjoy the high flying kicks, punches and acrobatic action that this movie brings. There were a couple reviews that rated this low. All I can say is that's a result of states allowing cannabis to its citizens, because this movie is all that and a bag of chips.
Seriously, get it. You'll enjoy it.
- Markhgordon
- Nov 7, 2011
- Permalink
This is one of those Kung-Fu movie where the plot isn't all that effective, but the fighting sequences makes up for it. From what I heard this is a Chinese folklore tale style of story and the direction and many different sequences make it seem like it. The fighting sequences makes the characters seem superhuman which is typical for these types of genre in china, but doesn't go all that overboard with it in most scenes although still not believable at all. It does feature typical special fighting moves in this such as the Five Venom Fists. I found it kinda funny however how you can tell who the good guys are and who the villains are right off the bat because of the way they look. It just seemed a bit too generic for example with the dark spiky clothes and pale skin. Despite the plot not being all that great and the pacing a bit off, the fight sequences are top notch in this and very entertaining to watch. The fight choreography is very well crafted in this and will make a lot of the audiences have there eyes glued to the screen. Yes, there is use of CGI in this but it isn't used way too much to the point it gets irritating to watch in this type of movies. On a negative note, this movie goes in a direction where it tries a bit too hard to look epic. Especially when it comes to the plot, it doesn't have to be slightly convoluted cause when it comes down to it, it's a simple story. But it tries to make it seem more than what it is, maybe because the plot is a bit too narrow, which isn't a good thing. Because it throws the good pacing off of the whole progression of the film. Also like some of the reviewers are saying the bit of incest is kinda awkward in this because the characters just seem to be fine with it. Anyways overall this is a good martial arts flick where there is hardly a dull moment and any fan of this type of genre should check it out. Like I said the plot isn't anything outstanding, but I am giving this movie a 6.5 because the entertainment value of it all is pretty darn high.
6.5/10
6.5/10
- KineticSeoul
- May 17, 2011
- Permalink
Chinese movies of this type are very appealing. This one fits in with the likes of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (this worlds best movie), "House Of Flying Daggers" and "Hero". It doesn't quite achieve the same level of greatness, but is surely in the same spirit.
So the story is touching, and in a way that these movies do better than any other. It's not quite developed enough though. In fact, it feels like the fight-scenes had priority over the story. Had the priority (between story and fight-scenes) been shifted the other way around, I think this movie might have been top-league.
When you've seen blood splatter out the mouth of some poor kungfu-blasted victim for the umpteenth time it gets to be a bit of a cliché. The fight-scenes weren't badly done, there was just way too much of it.
The movie feels a bit rushed, like there perhaps wasn't enough time to finish it properly. A bit like "hurry up, we haven't got all day, just wrap it up as it is and hope nobody will notice the slack", and "don't worry if it's half-finished, we'll just throw in another fight-scene and call it a day". That detracted quite a bit. I wouldn't go so far as to say it had the Hollywood mass-production feel to it, but neither did it achieve the true-art feeling that the 3 master-pieces I mention at the top has.
Still, it is a moving film that did indeed manage to pull on the heart-strings. But it just could have been better.
So the story is touching, and in a way that these movies do better than any other. It's not quite developed enough though. In fact, it feels like the fight-scenes had priority over the story. Had the priority (between story and fight-scenes) been shifted the other way around, I think this movie might have been top-league.
When you've seen blood splatter out the mouth of some poor kungfu-blasted victim for the umpteenth time it gets to be a bit of a cliché. The fight-scenes weren't badly done, there was just way too much of it.
The movie feels a bit rushed, like there perhaps wasn't enough time to finish it properly. A bit like "hurry up, we haven't got all day, just wrap it up as it is and hope nobody will notice the slack", and "don't worry if it's half-finished, we'll just throw in another fight-scene and call it a day". That detracted quite a bit. I wouldn't go so far as to say it had the Hollywood mass-production feel to it, but neither did it achieve the true-art feeling that the 3 master-pieces I mention at the top has.
Still, it is a moving film that did indeed manage to pull on the heart-strings. But it just could have been better.
I found this to be one of the most entertaining films I've seen in a long time. I loved the whole concept of the film, it was booming with creativity and not to mention the fight sequences were bloody brilliant.
The story line is actually very consuming once you become endeared by the characters, whom I might add are supremely crafted. I mean how can you not think the 'God of Wushu' is not cool.
As a fan of the genre, I really rate this film up there with the best of them. It certainly deserves more attention, which I hope it gets.
10/10.
The story line is actually very consuming once you become endeared by the characters, whom I might add are supremely crafted. I mean how can you not think the 'God of Wushu' is not cool.
As a fan of the genre, I really rate this film up there with the best of them. It certainly deserves more attention, which I hope it gets.
10/10.
- travis-damant
- May 23, 2010
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- david-crean-167-510993
- Oct 29, 2012
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For the most part, the action is reasonably entertaining. There are still frequent moments where physics is ignored to the detriment of believability, but it's actually better than the action in most kung fu movies.
The worst part is that there isn't any emotion behind the fights because the movie dives into the action too quickly without giving the audience a chance to relate to any of the characters. The dialogue was so brief, rushed, and emotionless that it felt as if the director's only goal was to show off the cool fights he came up with, so he lazily tied them together with a hasty story that only serves to get us back to the action as quickly as possible.
The worst part is that there isn't any emotion behind the fights because the movie dives into the action too quickly without giving the audience a chance to relate to any of the characters. The dialogue was so brief, rushed, and emotionless that it felt as if the director's only goal was to show off the cool fights he came up with, so he lazily tied them together with a hasty story that only serves to get us back to the action as quickly as possible.
- JakeBrinkman
- Nov 4, 2019
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I was so excited for this film to make its way to the states. Yuen Woo-ping is a master of the ideal fight movie and it's awesome to have him directing again after 15 years! His directing/fight coordinating in this film are absolutely epic! This movie has everything you want in a Wushu film. There's copious amounts of fighting with distinctly different styles including MMA, knife combat and awesome aerial stunts, and the ever popular drunken boxing, an evil master, family betrayal and of course the classic David Carradine in one of his final roles. While some may have issues with the "3 acts" or the CGI, I think that they all add to the master work of art that is True Legend.
Seriously, why not just make a sequel?
So there I was, thinking that I'm watching the best kung fu film in recent years (Ip Man aside), when, instead of the film ending, a new story arc is tacked on, reducing our hero to a bum and worst father of the century! Okay, I get it, he's Beggar Su and somebody felt the need to move on to the Drunken Fist style, but why ruin a perfectly good Shaw Brothers-type fare?
Verdict: if you want action, this is where it's at... but you'll most likely also be wondering why a 4th act was rushed through when a sequel would have been both economically viable and justified.
So there I was, thinking that I'm watching the best kung fu film in recent years (Ip Man aside), when, instead of the film ending, a new story arc is tacked on, reducing our hero to a bum and worst father of the century! Okay, I get it, he's Beggar Su and somebody felt the need to move on to the Drunken Fist style, but why ruin a perfectly good Shaw Brothers-type fare?
Verdict: if you want action, this is where it's at... but you'll most likely also be wondering why a 4th act was rushed through when a sequel would have been both economically viable and justified.
- grandmastersik
- Dec 26, 2010
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This movie is for those 15 and older. Younger teens may not be able to follow all that is going on. True legend has lots of action. I always am disappointed in a non-English film. I am glad of the subtitles though. The movie is very picturesque and like many Chinese subject films, has great color. It is pleasurable to watch. Always the constant battle between good and evil. Always the conflict of good having the necessary desire to quench evil at great personal cost. Timeless themes. Some of the knife throwing seems a little hokey, but I suppose that everything has to be greater than life. This film would make a good guys night out movie. Teenage gals might enjoy it as well for a non-romantic sleepover movie. I give it four thumbs up.
- jfarms1956
- Apr 7, 2013
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