Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Jet Li's Fearless (2006)

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Posted by Matt Barth (Member # 3429) on 09-23-2006, 10:21 AM:

I have no doubt Jet Li feels his time in the martial arts genre is done with this film in order to make less action-packed stories about China but I don't see it lasting.

Fearless is very much like Li's Wong Fei Hong "Once Upon A Time In China" films in the folk history is good and the martial arts really act as a good instrument for the stories. I am not a fan of the mini-stories in the center especially considering it made this movie look like the Last Samurai.

Either way, a good morality tale and a nice conclusion to Li's action career.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 09-24-2006, 01:15 PM:

What's he going to do now, anyway? Run for governor of California?

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 09-24-2006, 01:48 PM:

Is the actual title of the movie Jet Li's Fearless or is it just Fearless?

We don't go around calling that space movie "George Lucas' Star Wars", do we?

Posted by Ron Keillor (Member # 1790) on 09-24-2006, 01:59 PM:

The 1993 Peter Weir "Fearless" probably has the title under copyright or trade mark protection, hence the expansion to "Jet Li's..."

Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 09-24-2006, 03:23 PM:

According to IMDB the actual title is Huo Yuan Jia. No idea what that means though...

Posted by Ross Oba (Member # 3433) on 09-24-2006, 03:29 PM:

Jet Li's Fearless (USA) (complete title)

The movie was pretty good. It's visually stunning.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 09-24-2006, 03:34 PM:

Well that is the STUPIDEST title of all time then.

Note to self: avoid this movie. If the filmmakers cannot even come up with a decent title, the movie must suck. [Razz]

Posted by Brian Michael Weidemann (Member # 2243) on 09-25-2006, 12:06 AM:

Is the character named Jet Li? Because then Jet Li Is Fearless! If not he, then who is? Nobody. And "Nobody's Fearless" wouldn't sell tickets. Simple.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 09-25-2006, 12:31 AM:

Reminds me of "Akiro Kurasawa's Dreams" a few years ago. I thought that was a dumb title. (I probably spelled the dude's name wrong so don't flame me.)

Even dumber is when the movie's tag line gets mistaken by the public, media, etc. for the title. Millions of people think "Die Hard 2" is called "Die Harder."

OK, I know this has nothing to do with the movie so I'll add my review based on the trailer only....it's a lot of boring but very good-looking action with a predictable story, so ** out of five from me.

Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 09-25-2006, 03:31 AM:

quote: Matt Barth
a nice conclusion to Li's action career.

His action career is still on. This is just the last time he is going to appear in one of these martial arts for the sake of martial arts epic films.

Ciao

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 09-26-2006, 05:34 PM:

Regal Salisbury Stadium 16, 12 noon show.

8 or so trailers before the film. Jumping and Jittering all the way through the damn film. I was concerned, but my eyes eventually adjusted.

I loved the film, very remaniscent of the "Once Upon a Time in China" Films.

On a side note: I purchased my ticket through a Regal Express machine. Something happened during the transaction and it went to a blue screen. I didn't want to walk away without the issue being resolved. So I mashed a few buttons on the side. I received my ticket, 2 receipts, and $40 dollars. Needless to say, later when I checked my bank account - $47 dollars was out of it.

All this technology really isn't worth a crap!

Posted by Matt Barth (Member # 3429) on 09-30-2006, 12:27 PM:

quote: Dave Williams
His action career is still on. This is just the last time he is going to appear in one of these martial arts for the sake of martial arts epic films.

You're not the first to say that but it doesn't make sense to me. All through his career he's made historical films in the folk sense (Robin Hood as opposed to George Washington) and so now what?

As for the title, at least it's not as bad as Tarantino "presenting" a film that was already made and released elsewhere and would have been picked up by Lion's Gate eventually. I did enjoy the double meaning to the title "Jet Li's Fearless".

Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 10-02-2006, 03:25 AM:

It is a very confusing situation regarding Jet Li's future in films. he no longer wants to do films that are there just for the sake of martial arts. He does not want to end up like other action heroes that became one note tunes that got tiring after awhile.

It is much like Jim Carrey wanting to space himself from doing films such as The Mask and Ace Ventura, and doing more films like The Majestic and Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine.

Jet has a great ability to act and a great personality, and he wants to be able to use those in films, and will actively seek out directors that can work with him and help him create stories that are not focusing on his martial arts abilities only.

He may still use them, but they will be an afterthought, not the reason for.

I hope that clears that up a bit.

Ciao

Posted by Edwin Sheldon (Member # 4001) on 10-03-2006, 05:16 AM:

Not enough fighting.

Posted by Pravin Ratnam (Member # 1417) on 10-06-2006, 03:34 PM:

Saw this at Georgetown 14 in DC. Theater was an OK theater though parking was a bitch at 7 bucks. I don't mind paying to park that much if the theater is great. Projection seemed OK.

I liked the way the movie started. but the second half was kind of lame. I hated the way they used the sped up sequences of some of the early fight scenes. I thought it was just the American directors who did that with Jet Li. I didnt realize they would do that for even a native chinese movie.

Legend of the Drunken Master explored similar territory much better. And nothing in this movie compared to the final fight scene in the Chan movie.