# Fist of Fury vs Fist of Legend



## Nebuchadnezzar (Aug 19, 2007)

Ok ladies and gentleman.

The actual title of "Chinese Connection" is "Fist of Fury" starring Bruce Lee (I don't to this day understand the US title for this film) and "Fist of Legend" was the Jet Li version.

Which in your opinion is the better, version of the Chen Zeng story (even though they are both fictional accounts) and fight scenes that take place after after Huo Yuanjia's death?

Personally, I think Jet's character would have been more than likely be Huo's student than Bruce's character based on what history says about Huo Yuanjia.


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## Jin Gang (Aug 19, 2007)

I'd have to go with Fist of Legend.  I thought there was more actual Chinese martial arts in it...they actually showed a little bit of mizong fist, what Hua Yuan Jia was really known for.  I think Jet Li's wushu is more interesting to watch than Bruce Lee's style, though both are entertaining.  I like the qin na/grappling in Fist of Legend, too, in the schoolhouse fight and when Funakoshi (Yasuaki Kurata) comes to fight Chen Zhen (Jet Li).  
I also like that Fist of Legend doesn't depict all Japanese as bad guys, Chen Zhen has his girlfriend, and the Funakoshi character is an honorable master.  

Bruce Lee's movie is about Chinese pride, being dowtrodden and not giving in, fighting against foreign oppressors.  Jet Li's movie is more about character, honor, and what it means to be a martial artist (as is depicted by the disagreements between the Japanese senseis and the general)
It's just a better story overall.


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## Steel Tiger (Aug 19, 2007)

Jin Gang said:


> Bruce Lee's movie is about Chinese pride, being dowtrodden and not giving in, fighting against foreign oppressors. Jet Li's movie is more about character, honor, and what it means to be a martial artist (as is depicted by the disagreements between the Japanese senseis and the general)
> It's just a better story overall.


 
I would have to agree that Fist of Legend is the better film.  One interesting thing is that Fist of Legend has the very popular Chinese ending in which the death of Chen Zhen is faked.  It was popularly believed at the time that he went off to train people to resist the foreign influences in China.  In this regard I think that Bruce's film probably portrays what actually happened to Chen.  The Japanese killed him (but probably not in the manner depicted in Fist of Fury).


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## Nebuchadnezzar (Aug 19, 2007)

Jin Gang said:


> I'd have to go with Fist of Legend. I thought there was more actual Chinese martial arts in it...they actually showed a little bit of mizong fist, what Hua Yuan Jia was really known for. I think Jet Li's wushu is more interesting to watch than Bruce Lee's style, though both are entertaining. I like the qin na/grappling in Fist of Legend, too, in the schoolhouse fight and when Funakoshi (Yasuaki Kurata) comes to fight Chen Zhen (Jet Li).
> I also like that Fist of Legend doesn't depict all Japanese as bad guys, Chen Zhen has his girlfriend, and the Funakoshi character is an honorable master.
> 
> Bruce Lee's movie is about Chinese pride, being dowtrodden and not giving in, fighting against foreign oppressors. Jet Li's movie is more about character, honor, and what it means to be a martial artist (as is depicted by the disagreements between the Japanese senseis and the general)
> It's just a better story overall.


 
Bruce's version was corny.  He was totally unbelievable.  The character was more of a characateur.  He was egotistically, self absorbed and angry at the world.  Sounds like Bruce Lee. :mst:

Fist of Legend makes you think, this could actually have happened.  Jet is by far a better actor than Lee.  The only movie that Lee did that I can say I truly enjoyed was "Way of The Dragon'.  His acting even sucked in Enter The Dragon (awaiting the flames).  His best acting was actually in the television show Longstreet.

Jet's Chen was a thinker, he didn't fight or kill just because he could, nor did he fight in anger.  Lee's movie portrayed all Japanese as evil in the movie and inferior to him.  But it didn't stop there as it brought in other foreigners for him to vanquish proving his superiority.


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## Nebuchadnezzar (Aug 19, 2007)

Steel Tiger said:


> I would have to agree that Fist of Legend is the better film. One interesting thing is that Fist of Legend has the very popular Chinese ending in which the death of Chen Zhen is faked. It was popularly believed at the time that he went off to train people to resist the foreign influences in China. In this regard I think that Bruce's film probably portrays what actually happened to Chen. The Japanese killed him (but probably not in the manner depicted in Fist of Fury).


 

There was no Chen Zen (Jen - Cantonese).


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## Steel Tiger (Aug 19, 2007)

I have to agree that, for all his love of acting, Bruce wasn't very good at it (and he didn't have a chance to really develop these skills).


The story of the revenge taken for the death of Hua Yuan Jia is a part of modern Chinese folklore.  I agree that it is unlikely that Chen Zhen was the avenger, but the story must have some basis.  It seems to me that Chen is something like Robin Hood.  He may be an amalgam of numerous individuals fighting for Chinese identity during that period which has grown into something else.  One of these people may have been the basis of the story of a killing by the Japanese.

Of course, the alternative is that it is a complete fiction create as propoganda to paint the Japanese in a bad light.


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## AceHBK (Aug 19, 2007)

Jin Gang said:


> I'd have to go with Fist of Legend. I thought there was more actual Chinese martial arts in it...they actually showed a little bit of mizong fist, what Hua Yuan Jia was really known for. I think Jet Li's wushu is more interesting to watch than Bruce Lee's style, though both are entertaining. I like the qin na/grappling in Fist of Legend, too, in the schoolhouse fight and when Funakoshi (Yasuaki Kurata) comes to fight Chen Zhen (Jet Li).


 
It looks like Tony Jaa modelded his arm breakage scene in _The Protector_ after Jet Li's dislocation scene in _Fists of Legend_.  1 scene where they break/dislocate a large number of attackers.

Yasuaki Kurata...Played a Japenese guy who goes to Hong Kong with 4 other Japanese MA's who take on Gordon Liu in the movie _Shaolin vs. Ninja._  They all take on Gordon Lui (1 person each day) to see which is better...Japanese Karate or Chinese Kung Fu.  Each japanese guy had a different skill.  Well...Gordon Liu beat every one of them...lol

GREAT movie and it is of course a classic.  
Better than Bruce's movie and Let Li's movie.  

 Im partial to Gordon Liu movie's...to me he was the pioneer of Chinese martial art films and get nowhere near the credit he should.

Don't forget, Fists Of Legend wasn't received well in Asia.  Here in the states and other places people loved it but in Asia especially China it didn't do too well.


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## Nebuchadnezzar (Aug 19, 2007)

AceHBK said:


> ....Don't forget, Fists Of Legend wasn't received well in Asia. Here in the states and other places people loved it but in Asia especially China it didn't do too well.


 
If that's so, it was due to the "Bruce Lee worship" that exists (I am so not into that hype).  He was still living off the hype from being Kato.

Hey, I just thought of something.  Was Kato Chinese or Japanese?  Kato sounds Japanese to me.  If he was Japanese, it would explain why Lee's characters hated the Japanese so much.  I know some will say it was due to the period the movie takes place but, there were NO good Japanese in his film.  Not even the tourists.


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## Blindside (Aug 19, 2007)

Nebuchadnezzar said:


> If that's so, it was due to the "Bruce Lee worship" that exists (I am so not into that hype). He was still living off the hype from being Kato.
> 
> Hey, I just thought of something. Was Kato Chinese or Japanese? Kato sounds Japanese to me. If he was Japanese, it would explain why Lee's characters hated the Japanese so much. I know some will say it was due to the period the movie takes place but, there were NO good Japanese in his film. Not even the tourists.


 
I figure the reasons why the Japanese were portrayed as evil, bad, nasty people is because it would appeal to the Chinese target audience.  Seems pretty simple really.....


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## AceHBK (Aug 20, 2007)

Nebuchadnezzar said:


> If that's so, it was due to the "Bruce Lee worship" that exists (I am so not into that hype). He was still living off the hype from being Kato.
> 
> Hey, I just thought of something. Was Kato Chinese or Japanese? Kato sounds Japanese to me. If he was Japanese, it would explain why Lee's characters hated the Japanese so much. I know some will say it was due to the period the movie takes place but, there were NO good Japanese in his film. Not even the tourists.


 
That is the exactly the reason why.

This part im not sure about


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## Nebuchadnezzar (Aug 20, 2007)

AceHBK said:


> That is the exactly the reason why.
> 
> This part im not sure about


 
Just confirmed it, Kato was Japanese.  After the Pearl Harbor attack they just referred to him as "Oriental" and then eventually Filipino.


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## AceHBK (Aug 20, 2007)

Nebuchadnezzar said:


> Just confirmed it, Kato was Japanese. After the Pearl Harbor attack they just referred to him as "Oriental" and then eventually Filipino.


 
I can hear the collective groan of all Asians with that.  Japanese -> "Oriental" -> Fillipino


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