Fearless US DVD

[Guest limubai2000]

Leaving the cut scene in the film would have ruined the final fight scene, the emotional impact would have been gone. Yu and his team made a good decision by leaving this scene out.

KyFi is right, it would have made the punch in the final fight anti-climatic.

I do like the scene but it had no place in the film, in a director's cut with the extra 40 minutes of footage and the narration, it might play better but I doubt it.

[Guest The Running Man]

I don't know, for me the whole damn film was anti-climatic.

It was just basically action scene after action scene of a movie moving along like it was thinking it was as deep as Hero when it was no deeper than In the Line of Duty 4. And it was because they hacked the movie up and frankly I didn't give a damn about anything when the movie was over.

Keeping the scene in would have given the current hacked up version one of the very few genuine moments that the film lacked. Having that moment would have also planted the seed of what were to come later on and actually make it mean something because it would have brought things full circle.

[Guest morgoth]

You do make a great point but for me it was a GREAT movie and the way his father ends his last fight and Huo ends his last fight was as good of an ending as it could have been, for me.

[Guest limubai2000]

It was just basically action scene after action scene of a movie moving along like it was thinking it was as deep as Hero

I loved Hero but I still found Fearless to be a deeper film. BUT being that I practice Chinese martial arts, I am biased because the film does a good job at explaining the core ideals behind Chinese martial arts. I can see how most, if not all non-martial arts people could not "get" the story or the point of the film.

Not to mention there are a few Chan (Zen) Buddhist ideals woven into the story as well.

[Guest The Running Man]

I can see how most, if not all non-martial arts people could not "get" the story or the point of the film.

That has nothing to do with it because there is nothing for no one that is not a martial artist to "get or not get". In fact, even if it were true, which is not the case with Fearless, that there was something that one could not if one not were a martial artist then that would mean the movie still fails because that would mean only a select few can "get it" and what would be the point.

Quite simply, they cut out that meat of the story. You can tell because the movie just goes a long without any real development towards everything but acts as if you do care even though it's not the case. When you realize that about 40 minutes were chopped off it makes sense.

And saying that Fearless is a deeper film than Hero is like saying that the original King Kong movie is much longer in length than Peter Jackson's remake.

[KyFi]

"I loved Hero but I still found Fearless to be a deeper film. BUT being that I practice Chinese martial arts, I am biased because the film does a good job at explaining the core ideals behind Chinese martial arts. I can see how most, if not all non-martial arts people could not "get" the story or the point of the film.

Not to mention there are a few Chan (Zen) Buddhist ideals woven into the story as well."

I also loved Hero, but I pretty much agree with Limubai---Fearless resonated with me on a deeper level than Hero did. That sickly, tragic smile on Jet's face as he walks past his clinging student who is begging forgiveness for starting the whole chain of tragic events---that scene really stuck with me. And I like the way that even early in the movie, Jet's mother was explaining things like humility and restraint to him, and he nodded a lot and politely said yes, but it took that monumental tragedy to actually make him COMPREHEND the profound ideals of his parents.

I watched this for a second time, and I have to say it's moving up near the top of my all-time favorite martial arts movies. Definitely Jet's best acting performance, IMO, and I really liked the fight scenes: minimal wires, some good-looking, subtle, matrix-like computer editing, and not too overboard with silliness like the fight scenes of many 90's wire-fu movies. Case in point: where Jet had to run up the posts to get to the platform, and he actually got tired and a little off-balance, whereas in the 90's movies he would have almost flown up them with the wire effects. And the production values and cinematography were really strong, too. Nice costumes and sets, and some great outdoor shots.

[Guest Daisho2004]

I don't want to keep going over this but "The Running Man" is right they should've left the deleted scene in the movie, it to me would've had a better meaning at the end of the movie which would explain why he decided to go back to his home town to begin with. He was devastated by the loss of his family and he felt he had nothing to live for, but when he ended up in the village and learned what life was really about. And in the deleted scene he risk his life to save the young boy. When the Old Woman told him to basically fight back he learned where he could control his anger and rage. I thought it had its meaning right there. And you could see where it came into play at the end of the movie.

And I don't see where studying the Arts has anything to do with understanding this movie one way or another.

[Guest morgoth]

It definitely goes both ways. I have my fingers crossed tight on hopes of getting a directors cut or at least a special edition with more than 1 deleted scene.

[Guest limubai2000]

Well KyFi got the point of the film. I can summarize it in 2 words...

Conquer yourself.

You either get it or you don't.

Someone who studies Chinese martial arts has a better chance at "getting it" because we are taught that on various levels.

Watch extra on the disk with Jet Li talking about "constantly improving myself from one day to the next" (paraphrased). He even says that is the point of the film, I understood that the first time I saw it way back in March of 06.

To each their own, even RM who doesn't "get it".

[Guest The Running Man]

You are confusing the message of the film with it's execution.

Just cause a movie has a good natured message doesn't mean it's a good movie. A movie has to be executed well regardless of what it's saying.

I am not arguing it's message, I am arguing that it's not executed as well as it should be and when you realize that lots of footage has been removed...it makes sense as to why isn't that great.

I hope that we will get that Director's Cut soon.

[Guest iron flag]

Running Man,you're the first person I've heard of that didn't like the movie that much (that includes lots of non kung fu movie fans) Anyone else here didn't think the movie was at least "very good"?

[Guest The Running Man]

Actually...I do like the movie. I think it is good.

The reason I am sounding so harsh on it is because I felt after I was done with the movie that it could have been better and had the potential to really be great. And then when I considered that this version of the film was hacked up it made sense to me.

[Guest limubai2000]

You are confusing the message of the film with it's execution.

As it stands the film is executed well IMHO.

I think you are over thinking the film because you know that a chunk of footage was taken out. The question is - if you didn't know any major chunks of footage were taken out would be making this harsh judgement?

I'm waiting for the director's cut as much as everyone else is. I'm quite happy with the film as it stands now, I can only think the added footage will make it better.

[Guest The Running Man]

The question is - if you didn't know any major chunks of footage were taken out would be making this harsh judgement?

That has nothing to do with. I am able to judge a movie independently of outside facts or influences.

Seven Swords for example I think is better in it's shorter UK version.

[Guest bamboo]

While falling just short of Fist of Legend, this has been Jet's most awesome film (even overtaking Once Upon a Time in China, IMHO). I had to make do with Youtube clips for months while waiting for this to hit the US, and it was worth the wait.

[Guest Tosh]

Anyone else here didn't think the movie was at least "very good"?

Well, since you asked, once again I was late seeing this, so I didn't get a chance to get on the original discussion...

I myself, didn't care for it, same goes for my friend, who is a seasoned KF fan himself, my problem with it was it should of been a strait up kung fu movie, but it seemed more like Wuxia to me, It seems they wanted to make a tribute film to Hua Yuanjia, detailing his philosiphys, but then he had all these supernatural abilities in the fight scenes, it was very unnecessary, this works in a film like Iron Monkey, it works in CTHD set more in a mythical novel setting, I felt like I was watching two different movies at times, what was the need for the cgi?

I don't know, I'll have to watch it again here, but for the first viewing, I was disappointed.

[Guest morgoth]

I loved the film. To Bamboo, I would rate it the reverse of you. #1-OUATIC part 1, 2-Fearless, 3-Fist of Legend. Maybe it was the just the music in OUATIC but that movie is one of my all time favs. Top 10.