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Jet Li’s last martial arts action movie, Fearless (original title: Fok Yuin Kap). I went to watch it at GSC 1-Utama over the Chinese New Year weekend. Being the opening weekend, needless to say the theatre was packed to capacity. Surprisingly, the movie is being screened in this region first instead of having a simultaneous worldwide premiere.

Warning: Some spoilers below

As far as Jet Li movies are concerned, this one follows the standard story lines that we’ve come to expect. If you are looking for a deep plot to keep you engrossed, look elsewhere cause you’re going to be very disappointed here. However, if you want an action packed flick filled to the brim with fights and Jet Li’s signature kung fu moves, then this show is definitely for you.

The story starts Fock Yuin Kap (Jet Li’s character) in the ring ready to take on 4 different contenders in four consecutive matches. The first one is a fight with a boxer, the next a pikeman, and the third is a fencer. Then comes the fourth and final martial arts exponent from Japan. The scene fades to black and a recount of our hero’s past begins.

We’re taken back to Fock Yuin Kap’s childhood where we get some background on our hero, the events that influences his life, and how he grows into the man that he is. One particular event where he is humiliated by his father’s rival’s son, greatly influences his future in which he swears never to let anyone defeat him again.

Fast forward to seven years prior to the opening sequence. We see our hero fighting to become the number one martial arts master in Tianjen. We get to see Jet Li in all his kung fu glory as he takes on contenders from all sides, even defeating more than a dozen fighters in a single battle royale, as well as finally defeating his childhood rival.

All the fight sequences put together covers about an hour of the movie. During this period, our hero is portrayed as a selfish man who cares only about himself and the glory that he gains in the ring. He has little regard for others and this eventually leads to his downfall. After every win, his prestige grows and many people flock to him wanting to become his student. He takes them in without checking their background and one them eventually flames his rivalry with a master Qin who he kills in a fight.

After the deathmatch, the god son of master Qin kills his mother and daughter in revenge. One thing leads to the next and when he finds out that it was his pupil who caused trouble with master Qin’s family to begin with, he becomes full of remorse with his actions and the consequences that he leaves everything behind.

He is found half dead by a tribe of nomads. There he lives with a blind girl and her grandmother, eventually learning humility and how to live a balanced life. Fast forward seven more years, we see him returning to his homeland to find that everything has changed. European traders have come to China. The Chinese people are seen as weak and useless. To prove this wrong, Fock Yuin Kap seeks the aid of his childhood friend to stand up for the motherland.

The movie comes full circle, eventually returning to the fight with the Japanese martial artist. What happens next is a mystery cause I didn’t get to see the finish due to the power outage in 1-Utama. To find out, I guess you’ll have to catch the movie yourself.

Having said that, this is another one of those movies of self discovery. Aside from the fast paced fight sequences, the movie is actually quite long and dreary (much like this article probably. hehe). I recommend it to Jet Li and kung fu movie fans. However, if you’re one of those who needs a good story line to hook you in, then don’t watch this show.