Jet Li’s Fearless (***3/4)

? In 1910, the best fighter in the Chinese province of Tianjin (Li) is matched against four international opponents in Shanghai. The story then flashes back to tell a fictionalized version of the life of Huo Yuan Jia, beginning with his childhood humiliation by a rival. Although there are many fight scenes, the story contains a strong dramatic component. Not what you’d expect from the guy (Ronny Yu) who directed Freddy vs. Jason and Bride of Chucky.

+  The many imaginative fight scenes, which incorporate the martial art called wushu, are far from the only reason to watch. Thematically, the Shanghai-shot movie is more about Yuan Jia’s struggle against his own arrogance than his quest to become the top fighter in his province. The violence is rarely lethal, and only then to make a point against brutality. (The fighters are shown signing a “death waiver” before each contest.) The story also takes in a little bit of Chinese history, as the period portrayed was one in which China was beginning to be threatened with cultural and military domination. Circling back to the opening scene, the conclusion is a moving surprise.

- This isn’t really a mark against the movie, but some people may prefer the fantasy action and mythical storyline of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, or House of Flying Daggers. Both the fighting and the plot are basically realistic here.

= ***3/4 Sure to be one of the year’s top movies, this transcends the martial-arts genre.

IMDb link