Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (2010)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Albert K

  
  IP MAN THRE.... Wait. What the hell? Chinese superhero? He's got the same costume as the dude from "Green Hornet". "Legend of the Fist: Return of Chen Zhen" sucked. Straight up. Here are some positives: great production value, great sets and costumes, and… More
  IP MAN THRE.... Wait. What the hell? Chinese superhero? He's got the same costume as the dude from "Green Hornet". "Legend of the Fist: Return of Chen Zhen" sucked. Straight up. Here are some positives: great production value, great sets and costumes, and for a little bit, great cinematography and camera work. I like Donnie Yen; he was great in both Ip Man's but there was no way that his flashy fighting moves could overcome all the shortcomings of this movie. The plot was ridiculously uninteresting not because of the content itself -- it was simply slapped in. Just a bunch of dialogue that had absolutely no heart or character development behind it. Many are probably thinking, "This is a kung-fu movie. What do you expect?" Well then, I guess they didn't know what they were trying to make the movie then; its excessive but gritty violence and portrayal of the story calls for an effective drama, then we get super cheesy shots of a Chinese superhero standing ontop of a clock tower. Not to mention, the action was a bore (except for the opening war scene). What I found particularly annoying was how abrupt every scene was in conveying the emotions it wanted to instill upon the audience. What I mean by this is that most movies have a flow to build character development, relationships, a sense of accomplishment or loss. "Legend of the Fist" rushes through it and it completely breaks the flow (the thought of becoming a superhero is never elaborated on and he literally jumps into a suit, the relationship he builds with some girl is never truly built, and the ending scenes after the events of the climax is literally a 10 second scene that breezes by with no intent of being "open for interpretation" or giving a sense of ending). They'll do that with the ending scene but then show about 10 minutes of some Chinese girl singing a song on stage. Wow. Really? Loads and loads of problems with this movie. Do not watch it. On all levels it sucked.

• danny d

  
  excellent visuals, exciting fight scenes, and a decent story push this film into a place of strong likability. really a kung fu superhero film. the script got lazy at multiple points weakening the film quite a bit, but i really enjoyed it.

• Cynthia S

  
  Love that Donnie Yen!! This movie was quite entertaining. The action is good, with Donnie Yen's martial art style at its best. The historical and romantic portions of this film put it in a class above many other martial arts films. Artistically filmed, well acted, with thrilling… More
  Love that Donnie Yen!! This movie was quite entertaining. The action is good, with Donnie Yen's martial art style at its best. The historical and romantic portions of this film put it in a class above many other martial arts films. Artistically filmed, well acted, with thrilling combat scenes = the full package in movie entertainment! Kudos!

• Al S

  
  An awesome and utterly epic film. It goes beyond incredible in scope, action and performances. It's a rather fresh, very smart and original new film. A brilliant combination of superhero action, stunning martial arts, film noir and classic spy thriller style. It's pure super… More
  An awesome and utterly epic film. It goes beyond incredible in scope, action and performances. It's a rather fresh, very smart and original new film. A brilliant combination of superhero action, stunning martial arts, film noir and classic spy thriller style. It's pure super cool entertainment. A dazzling edge of your seat thrill-ride that's just flat-out unforgettable. A spectacular and mind-blowing action-packed adventure. The fight sequences are very stylish and breathtaking, you wont be able to take your eyes off the screen. It's that amazing. It delivers some pretty heart-pounding scenes, whether its with the action scenes or the character driven tension moments. This is truly a movie that delivers something the audience has never seen before. Director, Andrew Lau crafts a spellbinding, glamorous and exhilarating masterpiece of a film. Another martial-arts action classic. Donny Yen is outstanding, he once again gives a remarkable performance and combining it with his brilliant action hero presence.

• Justin Y

  
  Andrew Lau's <i>Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen</i> shines when it comes to the action, but for a movie as a whole, it needs some work.<p>This film puts a good amount of emphasis on the story, as any picture should at least try to do, and… More
  Andrew Lau's <i>Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen</i> shines when it comes to the action, but for a movie as a whole, it needs some work.<p>This film puts a good amount of emphasis on the story, as any picture should at least try to do, and there's an ample amount of story to go around. Still, the action segments are the most memorable of this 100+ minute production, because the storytelling is a little choppy and the characters aren't all that amusing.</p><p>The action on the other hand is dynamic, fast, and nicely choreographed. While there are some overly stylized sequences, most of the fights are intense and just straight up entertaining. The final 10 minutes are a definite highlight. The downside is that this film leaves the feeling of wanting more.</p><p>Donnie Yen unleashing the pain never gets old and he doesn't disappoint here. As for his acting, well it doesn't live up to his martial arts abilities. In regards to the supporting cast, Shu Qi, Anthony Wong, Ryu Kohata, and Shawn Yue do a decent enough job at delivering acceptable performances.</p><p><i>Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen</i> has its flaws; however, it still has enough to avoid huge disappointment.</p>

• Dean M

  
  Amazing and very thrilling fighting sequences with Donnie Yen I ever saw - so quickly. Chen Zhen's first big-screen incarnation was the Bruce Lee classic <i>Fist of Fury</i> and forty years since then, the part of the fictional martial arts hero most famous for… More
  Amazing and very thrilling fighting sequences with Donnie Yen I ever saw - so quickly. Chen Zhen's first big-screen incarnation was the Bruce Lee classic <i>Fist of Fury</i> and forty years since then, the part of the fictional martial arts hero most famous for resisting the Japanese occupation of Shanghai has been played by many actors including Jet Li and Yen himself. Last year marks the 70th years of Bruce Lee's birth, arguably the best martial artist the cinematic world has ever seen. While aspects of the Chen Zhen character were toned down probably because the character has to continue staying under the radar, gone are the high shrieks when he fights in the beginning, and got replaced by plenty of what I thought was MMA executed in brilliantly brutal fashion, starting with the prologue action sequence which had Chen Zhen being that one man soldier, followed by yet another nod in Bruce Lee's direction when dressed in a deliberate Kato costume. This is your standard over-written hero character defined by Yen's flamboyant and self-conscious acting. Yen has earned solid acting cred in recent years, but only because he's been able to find the right role: Ip Man. For what he falls short in the martial arts sequences, Andrew Lau tries to make up for in flashy visuals and lush cinematography. As with his other films, the director who started out as an acclaimed cinematographer takes up lensing duties here and his photography of 1920s Shanghai is grand and opulent.

• Donnie D

  
  Donnie Yen second attempt at playing Chen Zhen is much better because he's not imitating Bruce Lee, but it unfortunate the movie is poorly paced with action sequences that are too quick for full enjoyment. Donnie Yen no doubt is man of action proven by his Ip Man movies, but… More
  Donnie Yen second attempt at playing Chen Zhen is much better because he's not imitating Bruce Lee, but it unfortunate the movie is poorly paced with action sequences that are too quick for full enjoyment. Donnie Yen no doubt is man of action proven by his Ip Man movies, but when your taking on a legendary character like Che Zhen, who's a real martial artist, you have to have the right balance of action and drama. The action sequences are well made, but unfortunately short or too fast for our enjoyment. Which is a real shame, I mean the prologue in this movie (one of the best I've seen since Goldeneye) gets you excited into watching this and is a real let down when you watch the whole thing. The story simply put this way, seven years after the apparent death of Chen Zhen, who was shot after discovering who was responsible for his teacher's death in Japanese-occupied Shanghai. A mysterious stranger arrives from overseas and befriends a local mafia boss. That man is a disguised Chen Zhen, who intends to infiltrate the mob when they form an alliance with the Japanese. Now while it's sounds good on paper, execution of it was poor in mu opinion. It could have definitely been better in terms of it story, but there's enough good moments in the story to keep you entertain. I have to praise Donnie Yen for learning from his mistake for imitating Bruce Lee in his first portrayal of Chen Zhen. He does a better job in this one not imitating Bruce Lee and feels more like a Donnie Yen movie than a bruceploitation movie. Overall it's a okay movie with well done action sequences that are too fast and unevenly pace throughout the movie. If you want a good portrayal of Chen Zhen, I recommend Fist of Legend and The Chinese Connection.

• Fascade F

  
  Totally will immerse you in high flying fist to face action from beginning to end. This is one no holds barred revenge fueled action flick where a dare can escalate to an all out action fueled war. Already involved in a fight in the 1920's between Japan vs. Chinese for proof of… More
  Totally will immerse you in high flying fist to face action from beginning to end. This is one no holds barred revenge fueled action flick where a dare can escalate to an all out action fueled war. Already involved in a fight in the 1920's between Japan vs. Chinese for proof of which is the superior race. ONe man decides to take a stand to prevent it from escalating taking a unforseen risk on whether to lose the ones he cares about or not. A must see action flick for all martial artist enthusiasts...Totally awsome action with an incredible story line.

• Chris B

  
  While the story isn't the best or fleshed out by any means, the amazing choreographed fight scenes are jaw dropping! The film looks beautiful, albeit a little unrealistic for Shanghai but the environments are meant to really pop. Donnie Yen does an amazing job and there are… More
  While the story isn't the best or fleshed out by any means, the amazing choreographed fight scenes are jaw dropping! The film looks beautiful, albeit a little unrealistic for Shanghai but the environments are meant to really pop. Donnie Yen does an amazing job and there are times at the end where he really takes on the soul of Bruce Lee and Jet Li. If you like martial arts films and can stand a story that maybe sliced up a bit and all over the place but is an entertaining film, you can do much worse.

• Deb S

  
  The movie opens in spectacular Bruce Lee fashion, with Donnie Yen (as Chen Zhen) taking out a battalion of enemy soldiers on the second floor of a building, running at a 30-degree angle up a pole, and then using knives to scale up the wall in order to save his fellow Chinese laborers… More
  The movie opens in spectacular Bruce Lee fashion, with Donnie Yen (as Chen Zhen) taking out a battalion of enemy soldiers on the second floor of a building, running at a 30-degree angle up a pole, and then using knives to scale up the wall in order to save his fellow Chinese laborers who are trapped in the No Man`s Land hell of WWI. Showered with bullets while making his legendary flying kick Chen vanishes from public eye and is taken for dead though his body is never found! <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=14x07wg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i55.tinypic.com/14x07wg.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=vht7i9" target="_blank"><img src="http://i54.tinypic.com/vht7i9.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> Seven years later, a wealthy entrepreneur returns from abroad and makes a grand entrance on the Shanghai social scene by befriending the notorious mafia boss of the city (Anthony Wong) and sultry club hostess/singer Kiki (Shu Qi). This mysterious man is none other than Chen Zhen in disguise (albeit, with just a thin moustache) who dwells in a world of nefarious means in order to infiltrate the criminal empire. With the rapid expansion of Japanese influence in China, the military releases a death list, sending Shanghai into complete panic. As assassinations become rampant in the city, Chen disguises himself as the Masked Warrior ( togged out in tight black leather and domino mask) and takes it upon himself to protect those who have been targeted. There are the beautiful dames who are nothing but trouble, internal fighting among two generals who lead opposing factions of the Chinese army, corruption, deceit, and Japanese bad guys who will do whatever it takes to win. On top of all that, we have a revenge story layered in, with Chen Zhen ultimately seeking to take down the guy who killed his beloved teacher.

• Jonny C

  
  Martial arts god Donnie Yen kicks some serious Japanese ass in 1920's Shanghai. The plot followed the same old formula, but the action scenes were spectacular, and the acting was pretty solid.

• Brett W

  
  A glossy, anachronistic action flick that tries to disguise its shallowness with the tired premise of the Japanese occupation of China. Mostly it just feels as though director Wai-Keung Lau was trying to achieve the best of all worlds; a foreign "art house" period film, a… More
  A glossy, anachronistic action flick that tries to disguise its shallowness with the tired premise of the Japanese occupation of China. Mostly it just feels as though director Wai-Keung Lau was trying to achieve the best of all worlds; a foreign "art house" period film, a stylish commercial product and a martial arts extravaganza. That's not to say this always fails. In fact you could make quite a nice vignette from the eye candy and occasionally impressive choreographed sequences. It's just that the contrast between tedious dialogue and super-hero romp is often too much.

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