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Review by
Calvin
McMillin: |
With the possible exception
of Enter the Dragon, the original Fist of Fury probably
ranks as the most popular film in the Bruce Lee canon. Lee's character
Chen Zhen left such an indelible mark in the history of Hong Kong
cinema that everyone from Jet Li to Donnie Yen has tried their
hands at the much beloved role. Of course, with the benefit of
hindsight, the decision to have Jackie Chan headline New Fist
of Fury would probably sound like a good idea to the average
Hong Kong movie fan. Who better to replace the departed Bruce
Lee than his virtual heir apparent? Unfortunately, those unfamiliar
with the circumstances surrounding this sequel will be disappointed
to find that the film doesn't quite mark the symbolic "passing
of the torch" that fans might hope. The reality of the situation
is that Jackie Chan was a virtual nobody when this tepid sequel
was released, and it really shows. But it's not all his fault.
The real blame for this stinker falls on Chan's pushy director,
a poor racially-charged script, and most of all, simple bad timing.
Despite my harsh words, I have to
credit the filmmakers for at least taking great pains to connect
their film officially with its more famous predecessor. From the
people behind the camera to the actors in front, the movie does
feel like the "real deal" as opposed to the myriad of
Fist of Fury clones that popped up after Lee's tragic death.
To help bridge the two films, writer/director Lo Wei reprises
his role as the police inspector who negotiated with the Japanese
to ensure the safety of the Jing Wu students, effectively trading
Chen Zhen's life for his brothers. In the sequel, we find that
the Japanese have gone back on their word, forcing the few surviving
members of the Jing Wu School to flee to Shanghai. Thankfully,
Nora Miao's presence adds an additional layer of authenticity
to the film as the famous actress again plays the formerly sweet,
now tough as nails Li-Er. Strangely, her status as Chen Zhen's
love interest is downplayed considerably, as Li-Er seems to view
her former lover in an almost brotherly light. Call it selective
memory loss.
Li-Er and pals head to Shanghai
to stay with her venerable grandfather, where we meet Lung (Jackie
Chan), a bumbling thief with a curious sense of conscience. As
a personal rule, he never steals from the locals. However, Lung's
principles don't preclude him from robbing strangers like Li-Er,
and he swipes a box containing Chen Zhen's nunchaku. But Lung's
inner virtue shines through his criminal façade as he begins
to feel guilty over the theft and wishes to return the precious
weapon. As a further demonstration of character, Lung refuses
to kowtow to some Japanese sympathizers who want to hire him for
some thug-work. Lung's rejection of their offer may be bold and
righteous, but it doesn't prevent Lung from getting his ass handed
to him by the hooligans, who end up throwing our hero in an open
grave and leaving him for dead.
Quite fortuitously, Li-Er and company
happen upon poor Lung and nurse him back to health. After some
initial resistance to their overtures for martial arts training,
Lung eventually joins the Jing Wu School in the hopes of overthrowing
the Japanese presence in Shanghai. Meanwhile the Japanese do little
more than act arrogant, beat up locals, and order all the Chinese
martial arts school to change their names. Why? Because they're
eee-vil, I suppose. Naturally, all this bad blood leads to the
final fatal duel at the home of the muscle-headed Japanese chief
Okimura (Chan Sing). Somewhat shockingly, the sequel ends much
as the first one did, but sadly, the near-apocalyptic ending achieves
far less emotional or poetic resonance.
New Fist of Fury feels like
a missed opportunity. Part of the problem with the film has to
do with Lo Wei's script and direction. The director simply tries
too hard to link Jackie Chan with Bruce Lee without giving the
audience any credible onscreen evidence for such a connection.
Yes, Chan's character is named "Lung" (Dragon), but
a name isn't enough to put him in the same category as the Little
Dragon himself. At one point in the film, we are expected to believe
that Chen Zhen and Lung are cut from the same cloth simply because
Nora Miao's character says so (and has a cheesy flashback). Unfortunately
it's a feeble connection that isn't really earned. There's even
an unintentionally embarrassing scene that poorly apes Lee's graceful,
slow-motion martial arts routine towards the end of the first
film. What was supposed to be a tribute looks more like unintentional
parody.
Storywise, the film falters for
a variety of reasons. The line between patriotism and out-and-out
prejudice is crossed early and often in this film, a trait that
Lee himself didn't care too much for in the original Fist of
Fury. The Japanese are cartoonish and stereotypical villains,
which doesn't make for very compelling antagonists. And despite
Lo Wei's attempts to make Jackie Chan a star in this film, the
old man doesn't give Chan much to do. Instead, the storyline focuses
on Li-Er and her Jing Wu compatriots as well as the continual
backstabbing and arrogance of the Japanese forces. Jackie Chan's
character simply seems to come and goes as the plot requires.
There's a subplot about Lung's prostitute mother that seemed promising:
Lung hates the Japanese and all those who associate with them,
but doesn't know that his mother is consorting with the enemy,
let alone that she's a prostitute. Though these details seem to
promise a "revelatory scene" between mother and son
later in the narrative, this twist is never fully developed.
Timing is another concern. Given
the knowledge of Chan's future career, New Fist of Fury's
poorly conceived script and ham-handed direction might have been
overcome had the movie been made about four years later. It's
obvious from his initial scenes in the film that Chan preferred
taking the kung fu comedy route, but Lo Wei strains to make Chan
a badass in the Bruce Lee mold, and the film suffers for it. For
Jackie Chan fans, this obviously goes against the very essence
of what makes him unique. And on a lighter note, it also doesn't
help that Chan sports a thin "premature growth" moustache
throughout the entire movie. The facial hair makes him look more
like an overgrown adolescent than a competent leading man. Based
on his scruffy appearance alone, Chan's character could never
be confused with Lee's iconic Chen Zhen.
It's really a shame that this film
was made at a time when Jackie Chan was so raw and untested as
both an actor and a martial artist. If only he had been more mature
and the film had been put in the hands of a more capable director.
Maybe New Fist of Fury could have been not only a fitting
sequel, but a film that effectively showed the changing of the
guard from Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan. Regrettably, this movie sucks.
(Calvin McMillin 2003)
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