True Legend

[GeneChing]

Yuen Woping taking on Beggar So with Chiu Man-Cheuk, Guo Xiaodong, Zhou Xun, Jay Chou and maybe Michelle Yeoh? I'm in. I could lose Jay, but after Painted Skin (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47527), I'm getting into Zhou Xun.


Matrix choreographer takes the director's chair (http://www.china.org.cn/culture/2008-11/03/content_16705914.htm)
By Keen Zhang
China.org.cn staff reporter

Chinese martial arts choreographer and film director Yuen Wo Ping announced yesterday that he will direct a new Kung Fu epic entitled True Legend.

Yuen Wo Ping is one of most famous and influential figures in the world of Hong Kong action films, with a series of Kung Fu classics like Drunken Master to his name. But the last film he directed was 1996's Tai Chi Boxer, since when his efforts have been geared to his work as Kung Fu choreographer on a series of Hollywood Kung Fu copycat action flicks such as The Matrix and Kill Bill.

The new film, True Legend, will tell the story of Chinese-style martial arts master So Chan, a wealthy man of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) obsessed with Kung Fu, who fell from grace to become a beggar after he and his family became the victims of conspiracies. However, after reviewing his past and working hard to transform his life, and now honored as "King of Beggars", he rose again as a Kung Fu legend, patriot and folk hero.

Beggar So's story has been adapted several times into TV dramas and films, including 1992's renowned comedy film King of Beggars by Hong Kong directors Gordon Chan and David Lam and starring Stephen Chow and Cheung Man.

Yuen's new star-studded cast will include Kung Fu star Chiu Man-Cheuk, Guo Xiaodong, actress Zhou Xun, and singer Jay Chou. Yuen revealed yesterday at a press conference in Beijing that Michelle Yeoh will also join the cast.

Yuen said this new film will have little by way of comedy -- rather it will be a tragic but inspiring drama. The cast members all told China.org.cn that they have read the script and considered it to be a touching story. How touching will it be? It will move you to tears, they said.

Taiwan pop star Jay Chou will play the role of the all-powerful "Kung Fu God", Yuen revealed. Chou said he is also considering writing and recording the theme song for the film, just as he did with Jet Li's Fearless. Fending off mounting doubts around Chou's participation, Yuen described him as a "cool guy" -- just right for the role and with the potential to do a good job in the film.

Chou, himself a Kung Fu fan, has directed and taken the lead role in two of his own films: Kung Fu Dunk and Secret last year. He also starred in Chinese blockbuster Curse of the Golden Flower by Zhang Yimou. The pop musician's ultimate star power with the younger generation is a factor that film-makers are desperate to exploit.

But Yuen insists Chiu Man-Cheuk, a true Kung Fu champion who, like Jet Li, first won fame in national and provincial martial arts competitions, is the man to deliver the spirit of the film and the leading role of beggar So Chan. Chiu Man-Cheuk's most successful films include Once Upon a Time in China 4 and The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk.

[doug maverick]

yuen was going to do a super hero movie with ekin chueng, it sounded like a weak version of batman i think it was called the black mask or something along those lines, and they were looking for fighters around the world, guess that didn't pan out. i been hearing some things about this film for like a month or so, cast looks decent kung fu dunk turned me off to jay chou as an actor but i'll give him a second shot.

[doug maverick]

On November 2, Sunday afternoon, a press conference for 《苏乞儿》 True Legend, directed by Yuen Wo Ping, was held in Beijing. The cast for the film includes Zhao Wen Zhuo, Zhou Xun, Michelle Yeoh, Guo Xiao Dong, Andy On, Jay Chow, Will Liu, etc.



True Legend official site, containing production diary, character designs, concept arts, stills, videos, news, etc. was made known, and a short behind-the-scene footage was shown. Doubts were raised by the reporters concerning Jay Chow playing a martial arts doyen responsible for raising Beggar Su's skills since he lacks martial arts and acting ability.

Yuen Wo Ping, who has some difficulties expressing himself in Mandarin, introduces that True Legend has a good quality script, presenting everything in a well-rounded manner, including character developments, from a happy family to it being torn asunder, to the protagonist regaining his confidence, getting a grip on himself... When he showed the script to his wife, she gave him the encouragement to direct the film.

Yuen Wo Ping continues, "While there're some comic relief elements, this is basically a serious dramatic production. It also has very good action scenes and is different from other works on Beggar Su."

Yuen Woo Ping adds that being a director is very a tough job, having to take care of everything. Much more difficult than being a martial arts director. It took him 9 months to a year to go through the script, doing pre-production.

He feels that when doing something that is difficult, you must do it successfully, or your effort would be wasted. Most importantly, you have to do it wholeheartedly.

And he'd come up with something new for each of his films, and accordingly, there'd be quite a bit of surprises in store in True Legend, including "something innovative in the martial arts sequences."

On being asked about the budget and release date of True Legend, Yuen Wo Ping says, "I have no idea about the budget, you have to ask the boss. When I direct movies, what I want, the boss must provide, must meet my requests, or I wouldn't do it. Whatever I need, I just have to tell them. The release date? No idea. We'll know after wrapping up."

Zhao Wen Zhuo, who plays the protagonist Su Can, says that its the script that attracted him most to True Legend, "It's not often that I see martial arts films with scripts that are so moving. I was so touched when I first read the script, I was moved to tears. The character is very moving, and of course, with maestro Yuen Wo Ping directing, how could you turn down this project?

"I've done a lot of preparations for this film. After accepting the role, I began my training. Eighth Master suggested a training schedule, training what he wanted me to do in the film. And most importantly, I had to shed 9kg for the film, for Beggar Su can't be too plump. So I kept up with my training routine and went on a diet. I feel lighter and more agile after losing weight.

"I have long heard that Yuen Woo Ping is especially demanding, and I got a taste of it during training, like how you should swing the weapon, where he'd dodge, and you must do a series of action in one single breath, and have to be more careful as such.

"I have great expectations for the film, since Eighth Master is the world renowned martial arts director. He hasn't directed any films in many years, so I especially look forward to its release, especially this type of kungfu film."

On hearing Yuen Wo Ping was casting her, Zhou Xun wondered if she would get to fight , only to learn that she'd merely be playing a drama role, but "Having left a good impression on Eighth Master in True Legend, I'd get the chance to have fight scenes in future collaborations."



Playing Zhao Wen Zhuo's wife, Zhou Xun is very moved by the script too, "This character stirs me immensely, what touches me most is after a major turnabout of events, she suddenly becomes very strong, her husband relies on her encouragements, her love, to grow up.

As UNDP China National Goodwill Ambassador, Zhou Xun, who went green after watching An Inconvenient Truth, has been actively spreading word on environmental sustainability and raising environmental awareness in the view of the urgency of climate change, advising everyone on the set to use recyclable products, like bringing their own crockery rather than disposable ones, etc.



On a separate occasion, Zhou Xun says, "Statistically, raising livestock for meat is responsible for one quarter of the world's greenhouse gases. Many green organisations are encouraging people to cut down on meat. I'm basically a vegetarian now, hardly taking any meat now, I believe that everyone should try to go on vegetarian diet at least once a week."

According to Guo Xiao Dong, he plays an ardently patriotic person, a hot-blooded youth who's inspired by Beggar Su to stand up against foreign invaders. Annd, under Beggar Su's guidance, he rises up in ranks from a foot soldier. Guo Xiao Dong says that he's very glad to be able to work with Yuen Wo Ping and hopes to achieve breakthrough in the film.



True Legend, produced by Edko Films, Shanghai Film Group, and Beijing New Times Film Culture and Development, is eyeing a summer 2009 release. Sina

website: True Legend (http://www.yuenwooping-truelegend.com/)

[GeneChing]

It'll be interesting to see if Bai Ye can keep that blog going.


Edko lines up stellar cast for Yuen Wo-ping's True Legend (http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyArticle.aspx?intStoryID=41733&Category=)
Sen-lun Yu in Beijing
03 Nov 2008 19:15

Renowned action choreographer Yuen Wo-ping (The Forbidden Kingdom, Kill Bill) is directing a martial arts biopic, True Legend, starring Chiu Man-cheuk, Taiwanese pop singer Jay Chou, Michelle Yeoh and Chinese actors Zhou Xun and Guo Xiaodong.

Edko (Beijing) Management and Consulting Ltd, the Beijing-based subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Edko Films, has announced that it is co-producing the film with Shanghai Film Group and Beijing New Times Film Culture and Development.

Yuen directed the 1978 martial arts action title Drunken Fist, which propelled Jackie Chan from being a virtual unknown to an action star. However, Yuen has not directed a film for the past 12 years, during which time he has been known as an action director, with credits including the Matrix film series and the two Kill Bill films.

Set in the Qing Dynasty, True Legend tells the story of So Chan, a wealthy man obsessed with kung-fu, who fell from grace to become a beggar after he and his family became the victims of conspiracies. He later transformed himself into a martial arts master, patriot and folk hero, honoured as the "King of Beggars".

The same story has been previously adapted into several films and TV dramas including Yuen's 1993 film So Hat-yi and Gordon Chan's 1992 King Of Beggars, starring Stephen Chow.

Chiu (Once Upon A Time In China 4, The Legend Of Fong Sai-Yuk) will portray the master So Chan, while Jay Chou will play a master who inspired So during his time of frustration. Zhou Xun will play So's wife and Chinese actor Guo Xiaodong will play So's opponent. Michelle Yeoh's character is yet to be announced, according to Yuen at a press conference in Beijing.

The film started shooting last month in Huang Shan of Anhui Province and Beijing. The release date is set for mid-2009.

In addition to True Legend, Edko Films is also producing Tian Zhuangzhuang's Warrior And The Wolf for 2009 release. Maggie Q and Japanese actor Jo Odagiri co-star in the historical action drama. Edko is co-producing the film with Japan's Ogura Jimusyo Co, China's Perfect World Culture and Singapore-based MediaCorp Raintree Pictures.

[doug maverick]

i'm thinking mostly because its yuen woo ping who has created a brand name so to speak here in the states, this movie just might get a theater realease hopefully not buy WC. while they have done wonders with dragon dynasty. they have a bad track record on theater releases when it comes to MA films. hell china won't even let them film there next movie shanghai in shanghai because of what happened with the chen kage film. i hope someone like rogue or lionsgate or warner gets it. they'll make a better release.

[GeneChing]

I just heard of someone else being connected with this film, one of our recent cover masters no less. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to disclose it yet so I'm taking the road of prudence and letting y'all guess (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/index.php). All should be revealed soon enough. Word is he leaves for China to film next month.

[Zenshiite]

I don't suppose there's any back issues of that Wang Zi Ping issue are there?

[GeneChing]

I'm afraid we sold out of our 1998 July issue (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=83) a long time ago. :( Besides, Wang Ziping is dead, so he's not the cover master that's going to be in True Legend. Unless you meant the other person on that cover, Wang's granddaughter, Grace Wu-Monnat, who is still very much alive. It's not her either. ;)

Click below for pics.

Jay Chou Supports Kung Fu Master (http://english.cri.cn/3086/2008/11/11/1261s422938.htm)
2008-11-11 11:04:07 CRIENGLISH.com

Pop singer-turned actor Jay Chou is seen in Yuen Woo-Ping's upcoming action film "True Legend." Chou plays a minor role supporting Chiu Man-Cheuk, whose character Su Qi-Er is a legendary martial-arts master. The film, which began shooting last week, also stars actress Zhou Xun. It is a remake of Yuen Woo-Ping's own 1993 film "Su Qi-Er," known in the West as "Fist of the Red Dragon."

[Zenshiite]

I'm afraid we sold out of our 1998 July issue (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=83) a long time ago. :( Besides, Wang Ziping is dead, so he's not the cover master that's going to be in True Legend. Unless you meant the other person on that cover, Wang's granddaughter, Grace Wu-Monnat, who is still very much alive. It's not her either. ;)

Click below for pics.


Glad there's the online article. Thanks Gene!

I'm interested in Wang Ziping because of his Muslim background. I'm trying to find as much information as I can on Muslim kung fu in China. Heck, information on Islam in China in general. Google and Yahoo haven't served me well.

I don't have a guess for who the True Legend is.

[GeneChing]

...but check out these other cover stories; they both have Muslim elements:

The Muslim Master of the Old Empire: An interview with Grandmaster Ma Xianda (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=244) by Gigi Oh, with Gene Ching

Where Wushu Went Wrong: Wushu's Leading Champion, Zhao Changjun, Extols Traditional (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=679) by Gene Ching and Gigi Oh

You should also search Tantui and Chaquan. There's a lot on our Shaolin forum (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=6) here.

[Zenshiite]

Thanks Gene. Sorry to derail the thread a bit.

[doug maverick]

gonna try and keep this thread alive and breathing if only because its about begger su who has always intrigued me. True legend update (http://www.wu-jing.org/happenings/archives/593-True-Legend-Zhao-Wen-Zhuo-Wrangles-with-Inner-Demon.html#extended)

[doug maverick]

been going to the wrong site for updates on this, seems that michelle yeoh's site has a day by day update plus tons of photo's:

http://michelleyeoh.info/Movie/truelegend.html

[doug maverick]

so i guess its up to me to keep true legend alive. looks like cung le has joined the cast. man he is all over the place.


Cung Le Joins True Legend as a Brigand Chief

-- True Legend --

Guo Xiao dong, Zhao Wen Zhuo, Cung Le, Jacky HeungTrue Legend is currently being filmed in an indoor set created on a soundstage in Huairou, Beijing. Seen on the set are director Yuen Wo Ping, cast members Zhao Wen Zhuo, Cung Le, Guo Xiao Dong, Jacky Heung, etc. The set features a brigand stockade built on a mountain.

Cung Le, the MMA, K1, Sanshou champion, has been specially flown in from USA to play the brigand chief who looks remarkably like Bull Demon King lifted straight off Journey to the West.



Cung Le is especially glad to be able to work with Eighth Master Yuen Wo Ping. Be it the role, the make-up or action, Cung Le'll do his level best and give his full cooperation. Being his first period film, he'll be like a student, humbly learning things on the set. He's also trying to learn to speak Chinese. With blessing from the production, he'll get to keep his costume as a memento.

Zhao Wen Zhuo finds it very different when working with Eighth Master. In the film, under the director's request, he has to execute an assortment of martial arts, including the Eighteen Arms. It's also very physically demanding as Yuen Woo Ping stresses very much on authentic fighting and True Legend contains much more action scenes than anything he has done before.


Zhao Wen Zhuo says it's very challenging to work with Eighth Master. A few days ago, they employed a mini-helicopter for shooting within an indoor set. He had to keep a lookout for the helicopter hovering above his head while fighting.

On the current scene at the stockade, Zhao Wen Zhuo says that this set gives an actor immense anticipation, for there are plenty of room and areas for martial arts choreography. He looks forward to his heart-stopping match against Cung Le as Beggar Su storms the stockade in a rescue operation whereby Yuen Wo Ping has also come up with many difficult moves, making use of the bridge, cave, fake hills, etc to showcase different martial arts. Netease, Sina

[Lucas]

True Legend contains much more action scenes than anything he has done before.

im already loving it :D

[ghostexorcist]

I am a big fan of Stephen Chow's version of So's life in his "King of Beggars (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_of_Beggars)". Donnie Yen's portrayal of So in "Hero Among Heroes" wasn't too bad either. So I look forward to this flick with open arms.

[GeneChing]

Cung was who I was talking about back in post #6 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showpost.php?p=894822&postcount=6). If you go to Cung's MySpace site (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=67778531), he's posted some pics, but he's restricted access only to his MySpace friends (all 16507 of them). There's also some pics of Cung in costume on Michelle's blog - see 12/11 (http://michelleyeoh.info/Movie/truelegend.html).

I'm particularly amused by this pic. (http://michelleyeoh.info/Movie/Su/News/1208/121108_sina7.jpg)

[doug maverick]

yeah i sent cung a congradulatory message via myspace when i heard the news. he responded by saying working with ywp was great, and that they trusted him enough, to where he didnt have to do alot of prep work, they just showed him the moves and then shot the scenes. i think ywp, got inspired after the whole forbidden kingdom phenomenon because this film seems like its mixing fantasy with the whole serious drama thing. so im curious as to how this film is going to come out.

[doug maverick]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGf0w_QYyDM

[GeneChing]

This looks so Yuen Woo Ping.

True Legend trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDrkh8iya5A)

[GeneChing]

I love 3D!

Action man (http://www.china.org.cn/arts/2010-01/14/content_19234762.htm)

If you met Yuen Woo-ping on the street you would probably not give him a second look. He looks like an ordinary 65-year-old man, short, slim and slightly hunched.

But he created the action scenes for The Matrix, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Kill Bill and some of the most popular Hong Kong kungfu films such as Drunken Master and Iron Monkey.

That makes him extraordinary.

Yuen has been designing action scenes and directing kungfu films for 40 years, and created the kungfu comedy genre that made Jackie Chan an overnight star, as well as the martial artists' biopic idea, such as Jet Li's Huang Feihong series.

Now, he is planning to introduce 3-D kungfu.

True Legend (苏乞儿), directed by Yuen, is the world's first 3-D kungfu film.

Yuen Woo-ping and actress Zhou Xun at a news conference ahead of the release of True Legend, on Feb 9.

"3-D has been really popular in Hollywood, so why not try it? Chinese films should not lag too far behind," he says. "The technology makes the action three-dimensional, which offers viewers more visual enjoyment. The power and beauty of kungfu will be crystal clear."

The film, to premiere on Feb 9, features authentic kungfu, accentuated by 3-D and computer-generated effects.

The two lead actors, Zhao Wenzhuo and pop icon Jay Chou, had no doubles. Zhao won various national kungfu contests before entering the film industry in the early 1990s; while Chou demonstrates his drunken fist style and various weapons, even though he had no previous kungfu training.

"I still believe in real kungfu," Yuen says. "It is the foundation. Technology only perfects it when it comes to the limitations of human bodies. I do not like those kungfu films in which people fly here and there."

This belief was challenged to the limit in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, in which Ang Lee wanted the film to be like a Chinese water-and-ink painting - light, fantastic and unearthly. That meant a lot of wires, which Yuen was not good at, or fond of.

Yuen says the scene where Chow Yun-fat and Zhang Ziyi fight in the bamboo forest was one of the most troublesome of his career.

"Ang Lee told me to fight on the bamboo. That one sentence killed me," he laughs.

For the scene the crew shot for five or six hours a day. Chow and Zhang spent one hour a day on the bamboo, while the rest of the time was spent testing the wires.

At one point Yuen could not help saying to Lee: "What do you want, fight or feel?"

"Can we fight out a feel?" was the answer.

The scene, of course, turned out to be one of the most impressive parts of the film.

While he has sometimes had a different vision from the directors he has worked with, Yuen says he has always followed their direction. But he also gave many suggestions to Lee, who, in his book, credits Yuen as one of the film's scriptwriters.

The success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Matrix series made Yuen a sought after figure in Hollywood and he worked on Kill Bill and Danny the Dog, too.

But he prefers the working style in China.

"The system here is more flexible," he says. "Every department will lend a hand when needed, while in Hollywood you cannot intervene in others' work. They may complain to the labor union about that."

Yuen is also used to being spontaneous and some of his most praised scenes were created in this way. In Hollywood that is impossible, he says, as actors have to practice their action sequences months before filming starts and no changes are allowed on set.

"Also, in Hollywood they shoot only five or six takes a day and never work overtime. In making The Matrix, I once worked 1 minute over schedule and they asked me to stop," he recalls.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Matrix made kungfu movies popular in Hollywood, but most of the Chinese stunt teams have returned to China.

Part of the reason for this, Yuen says, is the Hollywood stunt teams learned a lot from the Chinese. Also, since kungfu films are still most popular in China, the opportunities are here.

"Kungfu films are not at a low point. We still have a lot of work in the mainland and Hong Kong," he says. "And what Hollywood learned from us is not the cream of the cake. So I don't worry about losing work. I would like to cooperate with Hollywood again if the script is good.

[Hebrew Hammer]

OMG Michelle Yeoh in 3D?!!!! Delicious!!! Plus the fight scenes look great...I'd pay to see it just to laugh at the guy with tatoos flexing his shirt off.

[GeneChing]

There's a news vid if you follow the link.

Kung fu movie "True Legend" premieres in Beijing (http://english.cctv.com/program/cultureexpress/20100201/101296_1.shtml)
2010-02-01 09:06 BJT

The highly-anticipated martial arts film "True Legend" has premiered in Beijing. The film is directed by Yuen Woo-ping, and employs 3-D techniques. It's aiming to take a big slice of China's movie market during the China's new year season.

Major cast members Jay Chou, Zhou Xun and Vincent Zhou joined Director Yuen, at the premiere.

"True Legend" is regarded by critics as one of the most stunning flicks Yuen has ever directed. Many of its scenes were shot in breathtakingly dangerous places, like the Hukou Waterfall at the Yellow River in North China's Shanxi Province.

Jay Chou plays two separate roles in the film. When asked about how he switches the roles with such ease and grace, Chou had this to say.

Jay Chou said, "The two roles I played in the film are very different characters. And they have diverse Kungfu styles. I think this is a great challenge for me. I really enjoyed myself during the shooting and I think I fulfilled the roles."

Zhou Xun said, "There was a scene shot on a mountain slope, where I was required to climb up the mountain hauling a wooden cart. I felt filming the scene is like a mission impossible, for the cart is too heavy and I could hardly make any steps upward along the slope."

Although director Yuen Woo-ping is known for his Kung Fu choreography in movies, the film also has a softer side. There are emotional relationships between family members, lovers and siblings.

"True Legend" is set for release across the country on February 9th.

[GeneChing]

in Asia

Friday February 12, 2010
True to form (http://www.star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2010/2/12/movies/5646148&sec=movies)
By MICHAEL CHEANG
cschuin@thestar.com.my

Action director Yuen Wo Ping’s take on the legendary Beggar So comes with new elements in True Legend.

THE legend of a crazy, drunken beggar who is a martial arts expert proficient in a certain alcohol-induced fighting style has been made into movies before.

So what makes True Legend – the latest take on the legendary So Chan (better known as So Hak Yi or Beggar So), one of the most renowned martial arts exponents in China’s history – different from all its predecessors?

Firstly, it marks action choreography maestro Yuen Woo Ping’s return to the director’s chair for his first movie since 1996’s Tai Chi 2.

Secondly, with the “retirement” of Jet Li and the slacking standards of Jackie Chan, True Legend features the timely return of another martial arts star after a long hiatus from the silver screen – Vincent Zhao Wenzhuo.

Best known as the guy who took over Jet Li’s role as Wong Fei Hong in Once Upon A Time In China 4 and 5, he has also crossed fists with Li in Fong Sai Yuk, as well as starred in other films such as Green Snake and The Blade.

True Legend is Zhao’s first starring role in a movie since 2000’s Fist Power. After filming Fist Power, the actor from China realised that his career progression would be limited if he relied solely on his martial arts prowess.

He decided to give up big-budget film productions to concentrate on honing his acting skills through television productions instead.

“When I was in Hong Kong, directors told me to improve my acting skills, so I decided to do more TV shows to polish up on my acting,” he said during an interview after the premiere of the movie in Beijing recently.

Zhao made his last TV show four years ago, and since then he has been training hard and focusing on making his big screen comeback.

He was originally slated to play the villain in Chan’s Rush Hour 3, but when that fell through, he decided to stay in Los Angeles to train and learn English. It was there that he met Yuen, who then offered him the Beggar So role.

“I was chosen by Yuen himself. The script had been lying around for a couple of years, but they could not find a suitable actor to play the role,” he said.

The titular “true legend” of the movie is the famous “beggar fighter” So Chan, one of the most renowned martial arts exponents in China’s history.

He’s best known for his appearance as a filthy and downtrodden beggar as well as his powerful “drunken fist” martial arts stance.

In Yuen’s version of the legend, So Chan is a former general who wants to be left alone with his beloved wife Ying (Zhou Xun) and young son; and to practise martial arts in peace.

Tragedy befalls his family when his vengeful godbrother Yuan Lie (Andy On) murders So Chan’s father and takes his son away.

Living in exile in the mountains, So Chan takes on the appearance of a mad beggar, and continues honing his fighting skills with an imaginary “Lord of Wushu” (Jay Chou) while waiting for the day when he will settle the score with Yuan Lie.
Yuen Woo Ping directing Vincent Zhao in a fight scene while filming True Legend.

The movie also stars Guo Xiao Dong, Datuk Michelle Yeoh, and the late David Carradine in one of his final performances before his death last year.

Drunken Stance fist

This is the first time Zhao has worked with Yuen as a director. “He is a very strict director who is very particular about what he wants.

“Sometimes, when we were doing an action scene and thought that the take was perfect, he would stop us and tell us to do it again.

“Many of the scenes and fights had to be shot a lot of times, and some were harder than others,” recalled Zhao.

According to Zhao, all those years of working on TV series have served him well. He is making his comeback to film armed with a lot more confidence and a more serious approach to his acting.

“I think my performance in this movie is much better than it used to be in my earlier films. Even though my fighting is relatively good, I would like to be known for my acting. I want to be known as a real actor, and not just a martial arts actor.”

Fans of Hong Kong cinema should be fami*liar with the drunken fist martial arts that So Chan practises in the movie.

Jackie Chan was amongst the first to popularise the stance through his Drunken Fist movies; and the stance has popped up in countless films ranging from Shaw Brothers’ classic movies to Stephen Chow’s slapstick flicks.

However, Zhao stressed that True Legend features a version of the drunken fist that viewers have never seen before on film, because Yuen wanted to move away from all the usual stereotypes associated with the stance.

“At the time when I was learning martial arts, I encountered many versions of drunken fists. There is the southern one, the northern one, even one where you fight while lying or sitting on the floor!” said Zhao.

“For this movie, Yuen specifically told me not to strike the usual poses associated with the drunken fist. He wanted me to incorporate the ‘drunkenness’ into the movements, so it would look more natural and real.

“Our version of the drunken fist is a lot more different from Chan’s – ours is more realistic, and is almost as if we created a whole new style.”

Because the drunken fist is hardly a conventional martial art, Zhao went through two months of vigorous training before filming.

“The drunken fist features a certain loss of balance while fighting. Many times, it is even fought while lying down on the floor!” he said.

“It also emphasises more on the upper part of the body, so I had to train that part of my body, and also lose weight so my movements would be more agile. I lost about 9kg in a month through exercise and a strict diet.”

Zhao’s main concern on the film set was getting injured, because Yuen was so adamant that the fighting looked real. The actors and stuntmen were instructed to deliver their blows for real.

“This movie has been one of the hardest to film, compared to the Wong Fei Hong movies. It’s not just the amount of fighting we did, but the intensity and the fact that it was all real action,” said Zhao.

“We have lots of great actors, and a good director, so we were never worried about the box office. Besides, with Yuen around, you can be sure our action scenes will be great.

“Despite directing the action in so many other movies, I’m sure he would have kept some of his best and unique ideas for his own comeback movie!”
Another epitaph (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54141) for Carradine. Wonder if it will top Break (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54655)?

[GeneChing]

No mention of the 3D. I probably wouldn't have been as amused by Avatar (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56205)without the 3D.

Saturday February 13, 2010
Not-so-true narrative (http://www.star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2010/2/13/movies/5660837&sec=movies)
Review by S.B.TOH

Yuen Woo Ping’s True Legend is supposed to be the true story of a martial arts legend, so why does it seem overly familiar and even clichéd?

News of Yuen Woo Ping’s return to the director’s chair in True Legend had martial arts movie fans in a tizzy, and why not?

Long before Yuen found fame and acclaim for choreographing the fight sequences in The Matrix movies and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, he was carving a little niche for himself as a maker of pretty decent martial arts movies.

Which self-respecting fan hasn’t watched Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow (1978) or Iron Monkey (1993)? The former heralded the arrival of a little-known actor named Jackie Chan, while the latter saw Donnie Yen in one of his best roles ever.

Surely True Legend cannot be anything but superlative? Surely, this year, we are all in for a treat not unlike last year’s Chinese New Year movie Ip Man; that is to say, an offering with a sprinkling of humour, a sense of fun, a dash of melodrama and, lots and lots of awesome kickass action?

Alas, True Legend isn’t the instant classic one might have expected. It’s not terrible but it’s not terribly good either.
Precarious: Su Can (Zhao Wenzhuo) has to face his evil godbrother in order to save his family.

Blame it on leading man Zhao Wenzhuo, an emotionally detached centre within the vortex of churning emotions that is his character’s story; blame it on Andy On, whose villainous turn has a one-dimensional cartoonish feel to it; blame it on the screenplay, which for some reason places the most emotionally-charged and climatic fight scene somewhere in the middle.

It makes everything else that comes afterwards more than just a little anti-climatic. Prematurely sated – well, somewhat anyway – we’re liable to roll over and snore, unless something really good is served next, which unfortunately, never happens.

True Legend is the “true story” of Su Can, founder of the drunken fist style of kungfu so beloved of Chinese moviedom and a quasi-mythical figure in the mould of Wong Fei Hong and Hua Yuanjia (the subject of Fearless and Fist of Fury). The legendary figure has had many fictional incarnations – as Donnie Yen in Beggar So, as Chow Sing Chi in a comedy called King of Beggars, even as Chow Yuen Fatt in a 1980s’ TV serial.

Here, in his latest resurrection, Su Can’s story unfolds as if it were… a copy of Jet Li vehicle Fearless.

Whether by coincidence or by contrivance, True Legend’s roller-coaster account of Su Can’s eventful life, from personal tragedy to national triumph, is surprisingly similar to that 2006 movie. As with Fearless, the plot revolves around a family feud gone spectacularly wrong. There is similarly the hero’s retreat into the wilderness to find himself and perfect his art. And then there is his showdown in the finale with predatory foreigners to restore Chinese pride.

A case of great mind thinking alike or fools seldom differing? The answer lies somewhere in between.

The story begins promisingly enough with General Su Can leading a mission to rescue a Qing prince from the clutches of a band of bandits. Although he wins the post of governor for his exploits, Su Can decides to retreat from public life to concentrate on perfecting his martial arts, leaving his adopted brother Yuan Lie (Andy On) to shine in the limelight.

It proves to be a big mistake.

Five years hence, Yuan Lie returns home as governor. But it’s revenge rather than celebration he has in mind. Many moons ago, his real father, a rogue kungfu exponent, was killed by Su Can’s father, who went on to adopt Yuan Lie and his sister Xiao Ying (Zhao Xun). Having marinated in hatred and assorted bad thoughts all those years, Yuan Lie finally gets his chance at exacting terrible revenge….

The tone of the movie is capricious, unpredictable, with the shifts in mood being a little awkward. One moment, you think you are watching a somber and realistic movie; next thing you know, things have turned dark and fantastical (baddie with armour plates sewn into his body, anybody?) Then, before you know it, things are getting whimsical and a tad psychedelic, with Jay Chou appearing as a figment of our hero’s imagination.

The Taiwanese pop star turns up, dreamlike, every so often to instruct Su Can on new fighting techniques, including – I kid you not – a breakdance-like spinning move.

The rest of the movie is a hodgepodge of movies past, with luminaries like Michelle Yeoh and Lau Kar Fai making cameo appearances for no particular reason, not to mention the use of troupes from Yuen’s work in other movies: Yuan Lie’s black-clad henchmen look like they’ve sauntered in from the set of The Banquet; his male-female pair of assassins is a facsimile of a similar pair from Iron Monkey.

Even the tigers prowling the gladiatorial arena in the closing sequences look like something out of Gladiator, and absolutely surplus to requirement. The biggest disappointment, though, is the fight sequences, which show precious little of the balletic grace and kinetic energy that is Yuen’s trademark.

There is, no doubt, a good story in here somewhere, but it’s buried in too many clichés and formulaic elements to come good.

[GeneChing]

I'm wondering if I'll ever be able to see this in 3D.

True legend of a martial arts hero (http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=43578)

BASED on the story of a real-life hero, True Legend tells the tale of Su Can’s extraordinary journey in defying all odds to create a unique school of martial arts for the world to follow.

It chronicles his early days as a brave warrior of the Qing Dynasty. Later, he *becomes a legendary martial arts hero and is credited with creating the Drunken Fist style.

Su Can’s character (often referred to as Beggar Su) is popular among *Chinese folk heroes and many top *artistes *including Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen and even Stephen Chow in a comedic *version, have portrayed this character on the screen, big or small, through the years.

This time, real-life action star Vincent Zhao (Fong Sai Yuk, Once Upon a Time in China IV and V) takes on the legendary role of Su Can, his first film role in eight years.

Set in the Qing *Dynasty, Su is a rich man who loses everything in a turn of events and is forced onto the streets.

In all appearances, he seems to be a beggar whose only purpose is to get drunk every day and wander around the town aimlessly. But when his son is threatened in a situation, he regains his senses and the strength that has lain dormant inside him all this time.

He dreams of the day when he would refine his skills and achieve peace of mind, *ultimately creating what is known as the Drunken Fist style of martial arts. He becomes a legendary hero to the common people who bestow on him the title of King of the Beggars.

True Legend is directed by Yuen Woo-ping, who made a name for *himself choreographing the brilliant action *sequences in Kill Bill Vols 1 and 2, The Matrix series as well as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Yuen’s years of training in martial arts since young have stood him in good stead as he went on to become an actor, producer and director, not to mention an award-winning action choreographer.

With him at the helm of True Legend, you can expect nothing but the best where action is concerned.

Award-winning mainland China *actress Zhou Xun (Perhaps Love, The Banquet, Painted Skin) plays Su’s wife together with a stellar cast that includes Datuk Michelle Yeoh and four-time Golden Globe nominee David Carradine.

Also in the film is Jay Chou, Taiwan’s leading pop singer, who has made the crossover into film with such successes as Initial D, Curse of the Golden Flower, Kung Fu Dunk and Secret.

Although Chou’s role is relatively small, as – believe it or not – Su’s martial arts master, his costume and image is something to behold. Yuen describes his *character as that of a ‘kung fu god’.

Another face to watch out for is screen fighting legend Gordon Liu (Drunken Monkey, Kill Bill Vols 1 and 2, Star Runner) who *tackles a character that looks somewhat like a character in another film, complete with white flowing brows.

Last but not least is Andy Onn who makes for an impressively chilling *villain. This fast-rising *martial arts talent in Asia won the best new artiste award for his performance in Star Runner (2003) and is set to mesmerise again in True Legend.

With excellent action *sequences and boasting a cast of literally who’s who of the entertainment *industry, this is one movie that is bursting with star power. – *Sharon Wong

[GeneChing]

I'm surprised the whole 3D aspect isn't discussed that much. Perhaps the 3D release is very limited.

Truly legendary hero (http://www.mmail.com.my/content/27409-truly-legendary-hero)
Amir Hafizi
Thursday, February 11th, 2010 12:45:00

One thing's for sure, you can always depend on Yuen Woo Ping to dish out a traditional kung fu movie like True Legend.

Yuen was behind such classics like Drunken Master, Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, Tai Chi Master, Iron Monkey and Wing Chun — all of which are timeless, traditional kung fu movies.

True Legend does not disappoint in that respect, staying true to the genre. This is the first film Yuen is directing after a long hiatus.

The last films he directed prior to True Legend were Iron Monkey 2 and Tai Ji Quan, in 1996!

Furthermore, Yuen's father (who passed away in 1979) was the legendary Simon Yuen — one of the most recognisable Asian faces in the world for his portrayal as Beggar So.

You know, the red-nosed drunkard who taught Wong Fei Hung the Drunken Fist Style? This is interesting because True Legend is about Beggar So — how he came to be a beggar and how he developed such astounding martial art styles such as the Drunken Fist.

Beggar So started as Su Can (played by Vincent Zhao), a general in the imperial army. He was doing very well, and even managed to save the Prince in an adrenaline-pumping opening to the movie.

In order not to offend his adopted brother Yuan Lie (Andy On) — who was in the same army, Su Can left for home to live with his wife Xiao Ying (Zhou Xun) who is also his foster father's ward.

Five years later, Yuan Lie returned as a governor and did some really nasty things to Su Can, which sets him off on a path of self-destruction that involves drinking, bouts of self-pity, crying and training with mystical, semi-real entities.

Xiao Ying is the devoted wife who saves Su Can's life, nurses him back to health and motivates him to be stronger than he could ever imagine.

Meanwhile, Yuan Lie keeps hold of Su Can's young son, believing the boy to be his only family left. This is a setup for one major dramatic kung fu showdown, which is what True Legend is.

Filled to the brim with big-name stars such as Jay Chou, Datuk Michelle Yeoh, Zhou Xun and Vincent Zhao, director Yuen manages to focus on the story.

The kung fu is good, utilising just enough wire work to make it beautiful, without going overboard and turning silly although some bits could have been done better.

Drunken Fist, for example, should just be Drunken Fist — not an amalgam of Drunken Fist, Capoeira and Muay Thai.

Break-dancing in Drunken Fist is a bit... off. It was much better seeing the Five Venom Fist, just like in old Tony Wong comics or Jin Yong's wuxia novels. It is a Chinese New Year movie, and a martial arts one at that, so going traditional all the way would have been nice.

The drama is overly dramatic, just like how they used to make them in the '70s. All the crying and emotions are presented in a way that you wouldn't miss it. It's just really out there, in your face.

As if the characters are screaming, "We are crying We are crying! We are sad! We are sad!"

However, the performance of Zhou Xun stood out in this film. She brought emotional intensity in an understated manner. It is easy to see why a lot of people regard her as the top actress in China.

Her homely, cute looks also helps a lot. Also, look out for scene-stealers in Jay Chou, as the God of Wushu and Datuk Michelle Yeoh as Sister Yu.

Though Chou's acting has been criticised before, his cheeky portrayal as a figment of Su Can's imagination, or possibly a true martial arts deity, works, and is a definite crowd pleaser.

This is basically an entertaining movie, except for one thing. It should have been 20 minutes shorter.

See, the whole thrust of the movie was about Su Can's personal battle against a rogue member of his family. However, towards the end, it became more about a nationalistic plot of teaching some foreigners respect.

Though this twist does open doors for a David Carradine cameo — one of his last performances — it was a bit jarring.

Either focus on that from the beginning, like the phenomenal Ip Man, or ditch it altogether. Introducing that angle so far into the movie might make some moviegoers check their handphones for the time.

All in all, True Legend is a fine kung fu movie. Yuen shows why he is one of, if not the best kung fu directors in the business, with this traditional, back to basics offering.

It is also perhaps a homage to his father Simon Yuen, which makes it heart-warming for a Chinese New Year film. True Legend opens today.

[GeneChing]

14 Blades (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53892) not far behind. Little Big Soldier (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52569) not in the top 5.

Top five film during Spring Festival (http://english.cctv.com/program/cultureexpress/20100308/103145.shtml)
2010-03-08 14:42 BJT

From romance and comedy to Kungfu and animation, a dozen films hit Hong Kong's big screen during the Spring Festival. On today's "Countdown", we'll take a closer look at the five most popular.

No.5 "Happy Goat and the Big Big Wolf"

The home-made animation "Happy Goat and the Big Big Wolf" broke the 43.5 million yuan record at the mainland's box office. The film's success on the mainland is attributed to the great popularity of the TV series of the same name. Without such a strong grounding, the comedy between the two natural enemies would have sold fare fewer tickets than it did on the mainland, though the Cantonese version lends voices from Hong Kong actors Michael Tse and Wang Cho Lam and actress Stephy Tang.

No.4 "14 Blades"

On the mainland, the Kungfu film "14 Blades" was a strong rival for the American blockbuster "Avatar". However, in Hong Kong it lost market share to another action film "The True legend Suqier". Moviegoers' different tastes and backgrounds on the mainland and in Hong Kong lead to different scores for the two.

No.3 "The True Legend Suqier"

"The True Legend of Suqier" has fought back well against "14 Blades" in Hong Kong, and in Taiwan, native pop King of Asia Jay Chou's role has given a guarantee of more success at the local box office. Famed action director Yuen Woo Ping leads a star-studded cast to enhance new glamour to the film "True Legend Su Qier", a classical story in China. However, it needs more effort to achieve victory.

No.2 "All's Well, End's Well"

The new version of the 1993 classic "All's Well, End's Well" triggers a chain of hilarity in cinemas. The film was full of confidence before it hit cinemas and did a good job, topping the box office on the first day, but gradually lost the battle to the comedy "72 Tenants of Prosperity" in Hong Kong.

No.1 "72 Tenants of Prosperity"

"72 Tenants of Prosperity" is a remake of the 1973 movie "The House of 72 Tenants", a classic in Hong Kong's film history. As a premise to the high anticipation of die-hard fans of the original, this story is a new creation. It also sees strong collaboration between Hong Kong's Shaw Brothers Studios and TVB. The film has a strong star-studded cast which also added to its odds-on success and finally topped Hong Kong's box office on the Chinese lunar new year holiday.

[GeneChing]

I have this dim memory of a 3D kung fu film that came out back in the days of the red/blue 3D glasses, back when 3D boomed in the horror genre. Was there one back then or am I just hallucinating again?

3D sights set on kung fu classics (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/asia/news/e3id51767e5e16b0979489931cbed237187)
Panelists see remakes as grist for home ent. market
By Gavin J. Blair

March 23, 2010, 08:04 PM ET
HONG KONG -- The tantalizing prospect of 3D re-edits of classic Hong Kong kung fu movies was dangled before the participants at the Asia Visual Effects and Digital Film Making Summit 2010: "Emerging Digital Movie Making in Asia" seminar in Theatre 1 of the Convention Center on Tuesday morning.

The cinema's facilities were put to good use as speakers showed footage from some of the latest local 3D productions that had the audience applauding after every clip.

With 3D inevitably one of the buzzwords of the moment, the Association of Motion Picture Post Production Professionals (AMP4) are presenting a series of events on the topic across the four days of Filmart under the banner Hong Kong 3D Film New Action.

3D pioneer Victor Wong, who has worked as a Visual Effects Supervisor with Sony Pictures, and on Disney's "Nightmare Before Christmas 3D," explained how films could be converted from 2D, showing how the various layers were separated and then put back together to give the 3D effect. He used the example of "True Legend" -- the Hong Kong-China co-pro directed by Yuen Woo Ping, dubbed the first 3D kung fu film -- that received mixed reactions to its 3D version when it hit theaters.

"We can turn the classic Cantonese films, such as Bruce Lee's movies, into 3D, aimed at the home entertainment market," Wong said.

He went on to explain that he believed 3D should not be used as, "just effects for effects sake, but used to tell a story."

Next up Leo Lo, CEO of Asia Legend, told the story of how his company came to do the postproduction 3D work -- done in Hong Kong and China -- on last year's Iranian film "Kingdom of Solomon," which was shot in Tehran.

Lo said the Iranian producers had searched worldwide for a partner, and found that despite the language difficulties, there was a lot of common ground between the Persian and Chinese cultures. He said he expected a lot more postproduction 3D work from filmmakers around the world to be making its way to Hong Kong and China.

[doug maverick]

this movie almost worked for me. i mean i like the initial storyline about su or so however you pronounce it. being a general and refusing a promotion for his adopted brothers benefit, and the twist of su's father having killed the adopted bros father and him wanting revenge actually the fist 90 minutes of this film is **** near perfect, i mean i could nit pick with some issues like the overuse of wires and how the action should have been more grounded, i mean this film was part comic book part folk hero part wuxia it didnt know what it wanted to be. what ruined it was the last 30 minutes i wont spoil it but honestly it was totally useless. totally i would say watch this movie till about an hour and 25 minutes in and then shut it off. trust me you aint missing nothing.also jay chou sucks donkey nuts as the god of wushu

[Jimbo]

I have this dim memory of a 3D kung fu film that came out back in the days of the red/blue 3D glasses, back when 3D boomed in the horror genre. Was there one back then or am I just hallucinating again?

Indeed there was. I'm not certain about the title, but it might have been "Dynasty" or "Kung Fu Dynasty(?)". ( I could be wrong about the title). Probably from 1977 or thereabouts. Of course, this was years before the U.S. TV soap opera "Dynasty" came along. There were most likely several alternate English titles. It starred Tan Tao-Liang, who was renamed "Bobby Ming" for the movie. The white-haired villain was played by Pai Ying. The story looked to be set in at least in the Ming Dynasty, and probably much earlier. Fairly poor fights, and there was a lot of obvious weapons posing, facing the camera for the 3D effect.

[GeneChing]

True Legend is Yuen Woo Ping's homage to the golden age kung fu genre mated with Hollywood's trend towards comic book blockbusters. It's a creation legend film like the first installment of the Batman (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49465)/Superman (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42078)/Spiderman (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46169)/Iron Man (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49445)franchises, but this time, it's Zhou Wenzhou as Beggar Su. I've always liked Zhou. I felt he got a raw deal trying to fill Jet Li's shoes for OUATIC (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5118). He was great in Blade. As for Woo Ping, he remains the master of comic book choreography. Matrix (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38342), Crouching Tiger (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42151), Kill Bill (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51096), Fearless (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41304), Forbidden Kingdom (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42599), Kung Fu Hustle (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28036) - these are superhero fight scenes, with all the outrageous physics and delicious gratuitous high flying wire work. It's hilarious stuff - wonderfully entertaining if you can suspend belief for a spell. And Woo Ping delivers here. There's some fresh ideas in his comic book choreography, along with some nice single shot sequences over a dozen complex exchanges, as well as an absurd SPOILER pro wrasslin' finale END SPOILER. If you like hard hitting realism in your kung fu films, this is not the film for you. But if you like superhero movies, this is pretty entertaining. This is what Storm Warriors (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50441)should have been.

Chollywood CGI is still lagging. A lot of the CGI backgrounds are dream sequences, so that is forgivable. And the videogame quality of the CGI environments is redeemed with some gorgeous panoramic scenery.

Like Doug, I was put off by the flow of the film. It's a classic "hero is defeated>hero hides to train>hero takes revenge" tale, but there's a false ending. After the revenge is served, then there's more, and I was like "there's more?" That could have been cut out for a much tighter film, but I was amused at where it went, even if it undid the film's story arc.

The kid was really annoying, especially in the end. The love story with Zhou Yun was a bit trying, although Zhou was cute and there was something romantic and kinky about her sweating into the vats. The cameos from Cung, Michelle and David were spot on. I wasn't quite as bothered by Jay Chou as he had on this hysterical costume that reminded me of classic Shaw Brothers flicks. It's a gorgeous film overall and when the fight scenes hit, it's signature Woo Ping magic.

I would have enjoyed this film 100 times more if I saw it in 3D. It's perfect for 3D, even post production 3D. I doubt it'll get released theatrically in the U.S. however, as Americans aren't used to seeing the white villain caricatures. That would be as popular here as Red Dawn 2010 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57164) will be in China.

[doug maverick]

i was thinking of the wrestling part gene, and actually that could have come in the middle of the film, after the wife leaves, that could have been his first stop on the way to saving his wife and how he perfects the drunken fist, then take us to the end. wouldve actually made it a tiny bit more intense. but really that entire last 20 minutes just didnt even need be. i wonder what they were thinking on that.

[Water-quan]

True Legend.... I enjoyed it all the way through, but when it suddenly became 'modern era' with the arrival of a steam boat, myheart sank. It seems that the Chinese film industry now can't make a martial arts flick without it being a vehicle for anti-Westernism. The ending it a completely unnecessary, bolted on, film ruining, racist, ridiculous, anti-Western, now essential, fight of a small Chinese guy against massive, cheating, child eating Western fighters. It was racist, it was stupid, and it was propoganda. Does the sentiment, or indeed cash, for this come from Beijing I wonder.


One hopes that having the ending of a fight against a steroid munching, child beating Western pig is now such a cliche that we'll be spared it - either that, or the God of Western Boxing will visit himself upon the hero, and teach him a reallesson.

[RAYNYSC]

I'm not sure if any of you have had the chance to see it, all I can say is if you haven't you should.... Vincent Zhao plays the legendary kung fu master "Begger So." That being said this movie may have been the last if not one of the last movie's that David Carradine played a roll in....

[doug maverick]

http://kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52398&page=3

[GeneChing]

Just curious. Woo Ping just got a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Fantastic Fest, but the bulk of this interview is about TL.

* September 25, 2010, 7:00 PM ET
Hong Kong Legend Yuen Woo Ping’s ‘Fantastic’ Past, Future (http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/09/25/hong-kong-legend-yuen-woo-pings-fantastic-past-future/)
By Jen Yamato

After four decades choreographing and directing some of the best-known martial arts films in contemporary Hong Kong cinema, Yuen Woo Ping is making the first American film festival appearance of his career.

The legendary Hong Kong filmmaker, director of such genre classics as “Drunken Master” (1978) and “Iron Monkey” (1993) and action choreographer on international hits “The Matrix” (1999), “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000), “Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & 2″ (2003), and “Kung Fu Hustle” (2004), arrived this week in Austin, Texas to accept the Lifetime Achievement Award at the sixth annual Fantastic Fest.

In honor of Yuen’s award this year, two films screen Saturday during the genre-centric film festival, book-ending the influential director’s career: Yuen’s 1978 directorial debut “Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow,” starring a young Jackie Chan and Yuen’s own father Yuen Siu-tien, and his latest film, “True Legend,” featuring Vincent Zhao as the famed Drunken Fist master Beggar So/Su Can.

“True Legend,” recently acquired by newbie distributor Indomina Releasing, features previous Yuen collaborators Michelle Yeoh, Gordon Liu, and the late David Carradine and mixes Yuen’s signature action flair with CG environments and elements of street dance. Speakeasy spoke with Yuen about his film, inspirations, and what he learned from working closely with Quentin Tarantino and the Wachowski brothers.

What did you see in the epic story of Beggar So/Su Can that inspired you to make this film?

Bill Kong, the producer, approached me with the script and I thought the story structure was pretty good. I thought I could put some fight choreography in this movie to make it flow more. That’s why I chose this movie; it just depends on the script.

Your father, Yuen Siu-tien, was well known for portraying the character Beggar So in your 1978 film “Drunken Master;” Vincent Zhao plays a version of the same character in “True Legend.” To what extent did you mean to make “True Legend” in homage to your father’s legacy?

There is a connection; my father played Beggar So before and was actually very successful playing it. There was some idea that I wanted to continue his character myself, to keep him going.

In “True Legend” you make use of computer generated environments and effects. How much has your filmmaking style changed over the years, especially as technology advanced to allow use of digital elements?

I put a lot of new ideas into “True Legend.” But in this movie, computer graphics are still only support for the actual martial arts fight sequences, because you can never replace the true movement of actual actors fighting. Here specifically I put street dance elements into the choreography to make it more visually appealing; I always try to put new things into my movies, to give new things to the audience to enjoy.

Considering the many films you’ve either directed or choreographed, each with its own blend of different styles of martial arts, do you find yourself seeking new forms for each film?

All of my films have to be different and have different fighting styles and choreography. Otherwise the audiences wouldn’t watch them — they’d rather watch one movie if they all had the same style. So in “True Legend,” the reason I put the street dance, for example, into the choreography was that I thought there were some similarities between the street dance and Drunken Fist, that there was a possibility that I could combine the two together. Every film has to have some different style, some new element.

Your cast includes popular veteran actors who you’ve worked with before and are well known not only in martial arts cinema but internationally in film. How did Michelle Yeoh, Gordon Liu, and David Carradine come to join your cast?

I chose Michelle Yeoh and Gordon Liu because they already have an audience; they have reputations in martial arts film. The characters they play actually are pretty well suited to them; Michelle is a medicine expert and pretty good in martial arts, and Michelle is really good in martial arts so I asked her to play the role because it fit her. I knew David from “Kill Bill,” and in this movie we needed a Russian manager of the fighting club, so I thought David could manage this role. I was good friends with David and that’s why I asked him to play this character.

Having worked with him years ago, what is your best memory of working with David Carradine?

One interesting thing happened when I worked with David in a training session for “Kill Bill.” David thought he knew about martial arts, so he paid a little less attention to what I said. He’d say, “I know it, I know it!” while everyone else was putting a lot of effort into rehearsal. [Laughs] He thought he knew it so he’d just play around with the weapons. But he was a very decent person and we established a very good friendship during training and filming. I maintained relationships with all of those actors. So once I figured out that this role might be good for David, I just asked him to come over and play it.

Your films and your legacy have inspired a number of Western fans and filmmakers, some of whom you’ve collaborated with. What was your reaction to discovering that you’d influenced a new generation of filmmakers halfway around the world — some of whom, like Quentin Tarantino and the Wachowskis, you eventually collaborated with?

It’s a great thing, and it’s actually a mutual influence because I brought my movies to America and I’m also inspired by Western movies. It goes both ways. What I was most influenced by in working with the Wachowskis was their use of computer graphic technology. What they did in “The Matrix” matched my choreography perfectly to make the film work. From Tarantino, one thing I learned was how to make violence vicious. [Laughs] But I rarely use that.

I heard RZA presented Woo Ping with the award.

[GeneChing]

http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/img2/yuenwooping-rzaphoto-FFfest10tsr.jpg

http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/img2/rzaswordwooping-presentphotovert.jpg


Fantastic Fest's Unforgettable Events: Yuen Woo Ping's Tribute (http://www.firstshowing.net/2010/09/26/fantastic-fests-unforgettable-nights-yuen-woo-ping-tribute/)
September 26, 2010
by Alex Billington
Yuen Woo Ping & RZA - Fantastic Fest 2010

How many film festivals can you go to where the RZA himself presents a Lifetime Achievement award in the form of a sword to filmmaker & martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo Ping before screening his new film True Legend. Oh and after watching that and a fascinating Q&A, they showed a print of the first film Woo Ping directed, Snake in Eagle's Shadow. And if you're still not tired then, you can go and sing karaoke at an all-night party held at the Alamo Drafthouse's sister lounge, The Highball. Yep, that is Fantastic Fest for you, and there's nothing like it in the world. And I keep coming back every year because it's that awesome.

I had to take a quick trip back to Los Angeles, so my first day at Fantastic Fest consisted of watching Patrick Hughes' Red Hill, a kind of modern Aussie western, Yuen Woo Ping's True Legend and Snake in Eagle's Shadow, and a second screening of Jim Mickle's Stake Land (which I first saw in Toronto and loved). But it was that "Woo Ping Experience" (that I'll call it) that reminded me why I love this fest so **** much. It's not just that they brought him out here, but it's the love they have for him (he got two standing ovations) and also that Tim League decided to show one of his classics, too. Like I said, where else does that happen?

First, before I go any further, I must say that I totally enjoyed True Legend. Especially comparing it Snake in Eagle's Shadow, which was made in 1978, it definitely seems like Woo Ping was trying to push the limits of martial arts yet again with this new film, both in terms of the fight choreography and the visuals. Maybe it's because I'm admittedly not the most experienced in martial arts films, but I've never seen anything like it, and Chiu Man Cheuk truly kicks some serious ass in numerous fight sequences (they're incredible, all martial arts fans need to see this!). It has a little taste of everything, all kinds of different fights (and a huge "battle" sequence at the end), and although the script is a bit rough around the edges, I enjoyed every second of it.

True Legend has three big acts set across different time periods and it follows Chiu Man Cheuk as Su Can who, while a kung fu / wushu expert, decides to leave the military during the Qing dynasty to start a family. But of course his evil "blood brother" eventually turns against him and comes back for him. The story is a bit convoluted and jumps around rather suddenly, but I loved the style, the characters, particularly the villain who is a lot darker than I would've ever expected, and I especially loved the fights. Plus, there's a sequence or two where the "student has become the teacher" and it seems as if Woo Ping was inspired a bit by The Matrix (which he did the fight choreography for anyway) with some bullet time-like moments, but they were still great to see.

Although I love seeing all kinds of new, obscure, and highly anticipated films at the different festivals, my favorite moments are the truly once-in-a-lifetime experiences I'll never forget, that only each particular festival can offer. And at Fantastic Fest, the presentation with Yuen Woo Ping last night was one of those unforgettable experiences that I do believe only Tim League and Fantastic Fest could have (and did) deliver. Toronto Film Festival's Midnight Madness head Colin Geddes was even at the event to support Woo Ping and deliver his Lifetime Achievement sword (see a photo here). There was just something truly wonderful about seeing Woo Ping in person and RZA bowing to him and everything about the event.

Fantastic Fest isn't your typical film festival. They can bring in big talent just as easily as some of the other more well-known mainstream fests, but it's still as far from a mainstream fest as it can possibly be. It's a place where film geeks, movie nerds, genre fans and everyone in-between can come and watch great films, meet great people, and just have a **** good time. This is now my third year attending and only my first full day at the fest, but I'm already having a blast. Yuen Woo Ping's True Legend was a great martial arts escape and an amazing experience. I can't wait to see what else Tim League has in store for us over the next few days, as I'm sure there's a few more surprises and many more unforgettable evenings. Stay tuned for more coverage from Fantastic Fest from both Jeremy and myself.
Very cool, RZA, as always.

[Jeanaro]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBvltGVs9I8

Be sure to check it out and let me know what you think of this

[GeneChing]

Check out Merantau (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53100).

I'm merging this with TL.

[GeneChing]

No mention of 3D or the scope of the release. That's interesting timing as it's just ahead of KFP2 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56148).

True Legend Poster and Clip Released (http://www.reelzchannel.com/movie-news/9571/true-legend-poster-and-clip-released/)
Posted 03.15.11 by reelz

http://cache.reelzchannel.com/assets/content/blogimages/TrueLegend_poster-200.jpg
If it's been awhile since you've had your fix of epic martial arts movies, Indomina is set to release True Legend on May 13, 2011. Directed by Yuen Woo Ping, who was also the martial arts choreographer for The Matrix trilogy, Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2, and Jet Li's Fearless, True Legend stars Vincent Zhao, Jay Chou (Green Hornet), and Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). A previously unreleased poster has been dropped in our lap and a clip of some of the action.

Here's a synopsis:

In TRUE LEGEND, director and acclaimed martial art choreographer Yuen Woo Ping brings the epic tale of Su Can, Master of the Drunken Fist. A well-respected martial arts teacher and a good husband and father, Su Can’s journey begins when his vengeful brother, Yuan, returns from war. Seeking revenge from a dark family history, Yuan, armed with the Five Venom Fist, destroys Su Can’s family and ultimately his dignity. Reduced to a beggar, Su Can finds apprenticeship from Lord Wushu and adapts to a new form of martial arts, the Drunken Fist. At peace with himself, he regains his strength to reclaim his life and returns home to claim retribution and his family honor. Good versus evil, two skilled rivals battle to become the ultimate warrior.

This poster is lame. It looks like a cheap MMA promotion.

[doug maverick]

poster is ultra lame. and maybe thats what they were angling for gene, to make it look like a mma movie, which makes it even more lame. hopefully if they are smart they took the last 20 minutes of the film and placed it somewhere after he begins searching for his wife, cause those last 20 minutes really did this film in.

[GeneChing]

Classic Poster for Yuen Woo-Ping's Martial Arts Flick 'True Legend' (http://www.firstshowing.net/2011/classic-poster-for-yuen-woo-pings-martial-arts-flick-true-legend/)
March 23, 2011
Source: AICN
by Alex Billington

Any martial arts / kung fu fans out there? You've got to check this out! AICN has debuted a classic poster for True Legend, the newest martial arts epic from Yuen Woo-Ping, kung fu choreographer on The Matrix films, Kill Bill 1 and 2, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Fearless, and director of numerous martial arts classics including Snake in Eagle's Shadow, Twin Warriors and Iron Monkey. I saw the movie at Fantastic Fest last year and loved it (here's my write-up about it), it's an awesome kung fu flick that has some amazing fight scenes, as Woo-Ping really is the master. The poster really makes me want to see it again. Check it out!

http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/img2/truelegend-classicposteraicn-full1.jpg
Yuen Woo-Ping's True Legend Poster

Su Qi-Er (Man Cheuk Chiu) is a wealthy man living during the Qing Dynasty who loses his fortune and reputation as a result of a conspiracy against him. After being forced out onto the streets, Su dedicates his life to martial arts and reemerges as a patriotic hero known as the "King of Beggars." That's quite a plot.

True Legend is directed by Chinese filmmaker and legendary martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping, who has directed numerous movies including Iron Monkey, Fist of the Red Dragon, and The Red Wolf. The script was written by To Chi-Long, of Blood Brothers, Jet Li's Fearless and Murderer previously. Indomina Releasing is bringing True Legend to limited theaters in the US starting May 13th. Who's going to see it?
Another limited release. I went to a screener for Sucker Punch (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57945) last night at the S.F. Metreon and was amused to see a standee for The Butcher, the Chef and the Swordsman (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=58753). I forgot that was still out on limited release.

[Brule]

Watched this last night. I liked it overall, classic woo ping action, which was enjoyable. I enjoyed the story up until the last 20 min or so. I thought it was over but then there was more and i was like WTF??? The son was annoying as hell. I really liked the villain and his kung fu, pretty cool. I got to admit it though, i totally forgot that Cung Le was in this until i saw the credits at the end, then i had to go online to fond out who he played and even then i had to do a double take cause of the make up and costume.

Good stuff overall. 6.5/10

[doug maverick]

thats the general feeling amongst everyone. god till the last 20.

[GeneChing]

Official TRUE LEGEND US Trailer 2011 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw_V2LR9foA)

This will have a limited U.S. theatrical release next weekend by Indomina (http://releasing.indomina.com/true-legend/). For martial arts film fans, it goes up against Priest (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=59493) which also opens next Friday. That's Friday the 13th, btw.

[doug maverick]

HA i called it..knew it was gonna get a theatrical release..i might see this, and just leave before the last twenty minutes.

[Li Kao]

I guess I have the same opinions as most of you all -- it was entertaining but probably not one I would want to see again. I really, really was hoping to be blown away -- it's been a while since a really good period wuxia piece and I want movies like that to still get made. I didn't see the movie in 3-D but I don't think it would have improved it much (personally I think 3-D is still gimmicky and I have never really cared for it in traditional movies).

I really liked the villain and the 5 Venom fist twist was pretty neat. Vincent Zhou did a decent job as well. The story reminded me a lot of Tai Chi Master and your typical kung fu flick. (Side note: I don't necessarily fault the story for following the typical blueprint, but on the other hand, I think that is why Five Deadly Venoms is my favorite kung fu flick - it played out like a mystery and kept you guessing and wondering a bit. It is pretty rare for a kung fu movie to have that level of intrigue in the story. Than again, it was Chang Cheh. But I digress...). I didn't really care for how they would skip forward years at a time - not that it was hard to follow, but it seems there could have been better transitions. The whole kung fu training in his mind was a different twist - you could almost say Su was a schizophrenic ;) I will say that the Michelle Yeoh & Gordon Liu cameos were not that satisfying, even though I'm *huge* fans of them both. I guess I was hoping they would get to show off a little kung-fu but it seemed like both of their characters were almost incidental and pointless.

The kid was *very* annoying -- the whining and crying got to be a bit much, wish they could have made him a bit stronger willed. I kept thinking of that scene in Airplane where everyone is lining up to slap the girl who wouldn't calm down.

I agree that the movie would have been better off ending before the final 30 minutes. The CGI looked silly and the typical evil Westerner corruption theme complete with mindless, steroid-freak wrestlers was played out again. I suppose it's a classic villain for Chinese kung fu movies -- kind of like Indy battling the Nazis. I guess I prefer the good old days when it was the evil Manchus that were the villains. :p The scene was like watching a WWF match, and Su looked like he was pulling off some breakdancing moves at times.

Hopefully Woo Ping fares a little better his next time around, and I hope the movie makes a little bit of dough here in the U.S. to recoup somewhat, as from what I have read it was a pretty big flop in China monetarily, grossing barely 1/4 of the budget.

[GeneChing]

About a dozen articles on the newsfeeds today. Not bad for a limited release.

A Martial Artist in Action (http://movies.nytimes.com/2011/05/13/movies/true-legend-review.html)
By MIKE HALE
Published: May 12, 2011

In “True Legend,” his return to feature-film directing after a 15-year hiatus, Yuen Woo Ping soemtimes flashes the skills that made him the world’s favorite action choreographer for hire. (His résumé includes the “Matrix” and “Kill Bill” films, as well as “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”)

After a stirring opening battle, however, the fights in “True Legend” become pretty routine. And beyond some lovely mountain scenery and a tiny cameo by a radiant Michelle Yeoh, there isn’t much else to look at. Like so many of the bloated, moralistic epics being pumped out by the Chinese film industry, it maneuvers cardboard characters through a story built almost entirely from aphorisms, scheming and pledges of revenge.

“True Legend,” written by Christine To, actually packs in two such stories. Vincent Zhao plays Su Can, a general and legendary martial artist in the 1860s who has a violent falling-out with his half-brother. After a long and boring mountaintop exile spiced up by some mystical training with the God of Wushu (Jay Chou), he returns for the big showdown.

That would seem to be that, except that the movie isn’t over. Suddenly we’re cast ahead into Su’s future in a more or less realistic border city, where he must uphold Chinese honor against a troupe of sadistic Russian wrestlers who “kill Chinese for amusement.” This long, strange epilogue is made even stranger by the presence of David Carradine, who died in 2009 in a Bangkok hotel room, in one of his last roles, as the primary white caricature.

It’s giving nothing away to report that Su, despite being a grief-stricken drunk, emerges as the last man standing with his new “drunken fist” style of martial arts. An alcoholic leitmotif runs through “True Legend,” but it only makes you nostalgic for the lightness and humor of “Drunken Master,” the breakthrough 1978 film for both Mr. Yuen and Jackie Chan.

“True Legend” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian) for violence. Crunching bones, coughing blood.

TRUE LEGEND

Opens on Friday in New York; Los Angeles; Austin, Tex.; San Francisco; and Honolulu.

Directed by Yuen Woo Ping; written by Christine To; director of photography, Zhao Ziaoding; edited by Wenders Li; music by Shigeru Umebayashi; production design by Huo Tingxiao; costumes by Yee Chung Man; produced by Bill Kong, Cary Cheng, Wang Tianyun and Xu Jianhai; released by Indomina Releasing. Running time: 1 hour 56 minutes.

WITH: Vincent Zhao (Su Can), Zhou Xun (Ying), Andy On (Yuan Lie), Guo Xiaodong (Ma Qingfeng), Jay Chou (God of Wushu/Drunken God), Michelle Yeoh (Dr. Yu), David Carradine (Anthony), Gordon Liu (Old Sage) and Cung Le (Militia Leader).

[enoajnin]

It got a nice review over on the science fiction site, I09


Yuen Woo-Ping’s True Legend: Pure Old-School Awesomeness

Charlie Jane Anders — Remember what Chinese martial-arts movies used to be like, before Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Hero? The no-holds-barred action, the over-the-top storytelling? The Daoist laughter? Yuen Woo-Ping sure seems to. His new movie True Legend is pure old-school awesomeness.

Yuen, of course, is the guy who did the stunts for The Matrix and countless other classics. And True Legend, in select theaters today and more theaters next week, does have some of the most mind-blowing wirework and beautifully choreographed violence I've seen in ages. Plus it's just hair-raisingly insane, and it wears its giant heart on its sleeve.

[JamesC]

Just watched this.

My biggest complaint is the the fact that there were at LEAST 15 slow-mo scenes of people being punched or kicked and then spraying fake blood out of their mouth. It was comical.

[doug maverick]

Just watched this.

My biggest complaint is the the fact that there were at LEAST 15 slow-mo scenes of people being punched or kicked and then spraying fake blood out of their mouth. It was comical.

i dont understand your complaint. would you rather them spray real blood?

[JamesC]

My complaint is that there was no reason to show them doing that so many times with slow-motion close-ups of their mouths. It was cheesy and overdone, that's all i'm saying.

Is it okay with you if I share my opinion?:rolleyes:

[doug maverick]

My complaint is that there was no reason to show them doing that so many times with slow-motion close-ups of their mouths. It was cheesy and overdone, that's all i'm saying.

Is it okay with you if I share my opinion?:rolleyes:

im not arguing with you i just didnt understand your complaint. but now that you fleshed it out for me a bit, i get it and agree.

[JamesC]

im not arguing with you i just didnt understand your complaint. but now that you fleshed it out for me a bit, i get it and agree.

Sorry Doug.

I wasn't having a particularly good morning. I apologize if I offended you. I realize what I said may have been rude.

[Jimbo]

I finally saw it at the theater today, and though it was a bit better than I was expecting from reading some reviews, it wasn't as good as it could have been. The first thing that kind of annoyed me was the jumpy camerawork during the opening battle scene. It actually looked more like cinematography for an American movie. It was so jumpy/unclear that I didn't realize until after the movie was over that Cung Le was the bandit(?) leader Su (Vincent Zhao) fought at the beginning. For being his first movie, I think Cung Le did very well. I'd like to see him showcased better and more clearly in a future movie.

I get the feeling that Yuen Woo-Ping has run out of ideas in the action department. There was a sameness to all the fight action that was in contrast to Yuen's classic old-school stuff. A lot of that has to do with so many of the leading actors in his recent films being wushu athletes. Very athletic, to be sure, but most wushu athletes film-fight at the same tempo throughout. And there was a bit too much Superman stuff, with people sent flying through walls, pillars, etc., and just getting up like nothing happened.

I also thought that Gordon Liu and Michelle Yeoh were wasted. They were just brought in for their name value. Anybody could have played their roles. I was surprised at Jay Chou; this is the first time I've seen him in a movie, and he moved very well.

I agree with Li Kao that the kid was annoying...very much so. I know the scenes with his high-pitched whining were supposed to be emotional, but I just kept thinking at him: "Shut up!"

Andy On was good as the Five Venoms Fist main villain.

These types of films (True Legend, Ip Man 2) that feature 'evil' Western fighters beating up Chinese fighters and ultimately losing to the Chinese hero are ostensibly to bolster Chinese pride. But in reality, they make the Chinese appear weak. Because it always takes an exceptional Chinese fighter to beat the Westerners, and in the recent movies, he nearly dies beating the Westerner(s). You would think with all the superhuman powers and hard-core battle and killing experience he has, that Su wouldn't have too much trouble against two Western pro wrestlers and a Western TKD guy. BTW, how is a Westerner doing TKD kicks in the 1800s? I doubt they intended him to be a Savate guy.

David Carradine brought a sense of irony to the film. It was funny seeing him say, "Get that Chinaman!" Because that's what the cowboys were saying about him when he was Kwai Chang Caine. I'm not sure if the irony was intended or not, but I doubt it was lost on Carradine.

The CGI animation gave the movie a cheap look. I know it's popular and saves time, but it wasn't well-done, and there was entirely too much of it.

[SimonM]

It got a nice review over on the science fiction site, I09

I bought a copy on the strength of the IO9 review. Haven't had a chance to watch it yet.

[SimonM]

Ok, it was good but could have easily been half an hour shorter. The epilogue was entirely divorced from the rest of the story.

[doug maverick]

Ok, it was good but could have easily been half an hour shorter. The epilogue was entirely divorced from the rest of the story.

read every review posted. we all agree the last half hour was useless.

[SimonM]

Well I'm glad we all agree then.:cool:

[blackjesus]

Andy On stood out in the movie.

Some great fights but the story is very stupid, IMHO.

Also, even I am a Chinese dude who was born and raised in Hong Kong, I think the nationalism is a bit embarrasing and getting old.

[GeneChing]

Enter to win a True Legend on DVD! (http://www.kungfumagazine.net/index.html) Contest ends 6:00 p.m. PST on 10/06/2011. Good luck everyone!

[GeneChing]

See our True Legend DVD winners thread (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1136965#post1136965).