When Jet Li Lianjie declared that Fearless (2006) would be his final wushu film, the martial arts superstar noted that it summed up everything he felt about the discipline, leaving him with nothing more to add.
Although Li returned to the genre a few years later, his initial sentiment feels entirely justified: blending thoughtful philosophy with exceptional combat sequences, Fearless remains one of the finest Hong Kong martial arts films ever made.
Directed by Ronny Yu Yan-tai, who emerged as part of the Hong Kong New Wave of the late 1970s and early 80s, the film is a loose riff on real-life kung fu legend Huo Yuanjia. An exponent of the Mizongyi style of combat, Huo rose to fame by challenging foreign fighters in early 20th century Shanghai.
Yu not only brings beautiful widescreen production values to the film, but he also welds the story to a humanitarian theme that is far more complex than the tales of revenge that drive most genre entries.
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