Already a boxoffice hit in Asia, JET LI'S FEARLESS, directed
by Ronny Yu (helmer of the Hong Kong classic "The Bride
with White Hair") is Jet Li's final martial arts masterpiece,
capping a tremendous body of work in that genre. JET LI'S
FEARLESS reunites the actor with producer Bill Kong ("Hero")
and action choreographer Yuen Wo Ping ("Unleashed") as
he portrays real-life martial arts legend Huo Yuanjia,
who became the most famous fighter in all of China at the turn of the
20th Century. The film will open nationwide on
September 22 in theaters.
Huo faced incredible personal tragedy, but ultimately
fought his way out of darkness and into history, forever defining the
true spirit of martial arts. His self-discovery, and
the choices he made, inspired his nation. The son of a great fighter who
did not wish for his child to follow in his footsteps,
the bullied Huo Yuanjia resolves to teach himself how to fight - and win.
Years of training enable him to ace match after match
in his home region of Tianjin. But as his fame as a martial arts
master grows, so does his pride. After an ill-advised
fight leads to another master's death, members of Huo's family are
slain in revenge.
Grieving and ashamed, Huo wanders the country in shock.
Near death, he is rescued by women from an idyllic village,
and is offered simple kindness and generosity that helps
him heal and regain his equilibrium over a period of several
years. Huo realizes that the future of martial arts lies
in sportsmanship and not brutality, and he rejoins society to apply
what he has learned.
Returning to Tianjin, Huo takes steps to come to terms
with his past and restore his family's name. His evolving, graceful
Mizong (Missing) Fist method of fighting brings Huo renewed
success, and he forms the progressive Jingwu Sports
Federation. Taking note, duplicitous members of the Foreign
Chamber of Commerce engineer a Shanghai tournament
pitting Huo against four fighters, each representing
the major foreign powers in China. Huo commits to the bout and faces
off against, respectively, a British boxer, a Spanish
swordsman, a Belgian soldier, and a Japanese martial artist.
What
happened that day in 1910 has never been, and will never
be, forgotten in China.
"I believe JET LI'S FEARLESS is my most personal and important
martial arts movie. This film captures the martial arts
beliefs and philosophies I have learned and experienced
over the past 30 years." - Jet Li
JET LI'S FEARLESS comes to theaters in the US on Friday,
September 22, 2006 directed by Ronny Yu and written by
Chris Chow and Christine To. The cast includes
Jet Lil, Nakamura Shindou, Sun Li and Dong Yong. The film will be
released by Rogue Pictures and has an MPAA Rating: PG-13.
Mark your calendars!
