Fist of Legend

Fist of Legend is a 1994 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Gordon Chan, and features action choreography by Yuen Woo-ping, and produced by Jet Li, who also starred in the lead role. The film was released on 22 December 1994. It is a remake of the 1972's Fist of Fury, which starred Bruce Lee as the lead character. The film is set in the Shanghai International Settlement in 1937 during the Second Sino-Japanese War as the city is occupied by Japanese forces. It currently holds a 100% "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 11 critics' reviews.

Plot

Chen Zhen (Jet Li) is attending class in Kyoto University when some Japanese karate students from the Black Dragon Clan burst in and attempt to force him out because he is Chinese. Mitsuko Yamada (Shinobu Nakayama), one of Chen's female classmates who has a crush on him, along with Chen's professor and other students, speak up for him. The thugs turn violent but Chen easily defeats them using a variety of controlled Chin Na techniques. The Japanese thugs' sensei, Funakochi Fumio (Yasuaki Kurata), who is also Mitsuko's uncle, arrives to take control of the situation and apologizes for his students' behavior. Fumio is impressed by Chen's skill and converses with him, and Chen learns that his master Huo Yuanjia has died after losing in a match against a Japanese martial artist. Chen is distraught after hearing the bad news and he leaves for Shanghai immediately.

Jet Li

Li Lianjie ([lì ljɛ̌ntɕjě]; born 26 April 1963), better known by his English stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese film actor, film producer, martial artist, and wushu champion who was born in Beijing. He is a naturalized Singaporean citizen.

After three years of intensive training with Wu Bin, Li won his first national championship for the Beijing Wushu Team. After retiring from Wushu at age 19, he went on to win great acclaim in China as an actor making his debut with the film Shaolin Temple (1982). He went on to star in many critically acclaimed martial arts epic films, most notably the Once Upon A Time in China series, in which he portrayed folk hero Wong Fei-hung.

Li's first role in a Hollywood film was as a villain in Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), and his first leading role in a Hollywood film was as Han Sing in Romeo Must Die (2000). He has gone on to star in many Hollywood action films, including Kiss of the Dragon and Unleashed. He co-starred in The One (2001), The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) with Jackie Chan, all three of The Expendables films with Sylvester Stallone, and as the title character villain in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008) opposite Brendan Fraser.