Li, Jet - DVD

Fearless (Unrated Full Screen Edition)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 113 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Director's Cut is coming to Region 1 on July 8th, 2008! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The Director's Cut of Jet Li's Fearless, which runs 37 minutes longer and is generally regarded as the definitive version, is finally being released on official Region 1 DVD. At 141 minutes, it fleshes out the story more, makes some points more clear, and includes several more minutes of martial arts action, most notably a scene where the hero battles a Thai fighter. A subplot featuring Michelle Yeoh is restored.

The upcoming release isn't a special edition, and there won't be many special features. The two-disc set will include the Director's Cut, the PG-13 US theatrical cut (103 minutes), and the only slightly different unrated US version (104 minutes). The last two are already available on the current Region 1 DVDs. The special features are similar to those on the current DVDs, the featurette "A Fearless Journey" (16:04) and some cut scenes (reportedly more than one--there was only one deleted scene on the previous Region 1 releases).

It will be in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen, with English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, Mandarin Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, and optional English subtitles.

Fearless is the highly fictionalized story of the real-life Huo Yuanjia (or Yuan Jia), a hero of Chinese martial arts who died almost a century ago. The son of a wise martial arts champion who refuses to teach him, Huo teaches himself by, among other things, watching his father train. Lacking his father's humility, he is a most skilled fighter but commits shameful acts that, when he finally sees their devastating consequences and recognizes his failings, drive him to become an aimless wanderer. Through the kindness of humble people he recovers and eventually redeems himself in several dramatic ways.

This is a high-budget, beautifully produced martial arts film that will be enjoyed by more than the usual martial arts fan. Though it doesn't have quite the same pretensions, those who enjoyed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Hero and don't mind a fair amount of violence will probably also enjoy this.

If you don't have Fearless on DVD yet and can wait until July, you'll probably want to get the Director's Cut, especially since the shorter US cuts are also included.

No Blu-ray edition has been announced, but it will undoubtedly arrive eventually.

The Amazon page to pre-order the Region 1 Director's Cut is here.

Editorial Review:

Inspired by the true story of a real-life hero Fearless is a thrilling masterpiece from action superstar Jet Li. When an ill-advised fight destroys the reputation of a renowned martial arts champion (Li) and his family his difficult path to redemption will bring him face-to-face with the most ferocious fighters in the world. Orchestrated by Yuen Wo Ping the legendary choreographer of The Matrix and Kill Bill this sensational riveting epic is being described as "astounding" and "visually stunning with brilliantly executed fight sequences" (Pete Hammond Maxim).System Requirements:Run Time: 103 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: SPORTS/GAMES/MIXED MARTIAL ARTS Rating: PG - 13 UPC: 025193168429 Manufacturer No: 62031684

Contract Killer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 40 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A good Jet Li movie that does not exactly break new ground 3 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

This is an odd Jet movie because it is not exactly action packed. I would compare it to Dragonfight where Jet only has 2 fight scenes but they are both pretty good. This movie is actually directed by Steve Tung Wai. Only directing 4 films in his LONG matial arts choreographing and stunt career, he really shows that he can make good movies. I would have liked more action, but it is nice to see a well done film.

Now while this movie is not thrilling whatsoever, it does put in action at the right time. Jet starts out as a guy living with a bunch of hitmen and ends up being recruiting by some guy(Eric Tsang). There is a killer on the loose who is taking out bad guys and a 100 million contract has been put out on him. Seriously, 10 million wouldn't be enough? Anyway, Tung Wai puts together a nice mix of comedy and drama but goes more for the laughs. Simon stars in a really good role as a cop and Kenji Sato is very good as the villian.

There is an unbelievably stupid action sequence with a guy that uses lasers on his fingers and feet to blind Jet while fighting but it leads to a much better fight between the 2 at the end. The finale I thought was great and there is just enough action mixed in the beginning and middle to keep you interested in the somewhat yawner of a story.

The picture quality on the Mei Eh version is pretty good and good subtitles also. After seeing the American releases of Jet's Legend of the Red Dragon and Donnie Yen's Fist of the Red Dragon, I made sure never to watch those releases from Sony Pictures ever again. At least I can now laugh at the reviews concerning the rap music, terrible voice dubbing, Sony cutting at least 10 minutes of footage out...

Meltdown

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 42 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Don't take it seriously 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Don't take this movie for more than what it is, a comedy. It was funny, Jet Li fans won't find what they're looking for, if they want typical Jet Li. It's some pretty good fighting scenes at the end, especially when Frankie, turns from a coward to a fighting machine. If you watch this movie not expecting much, you'll be pleased.

"Alright...I'm trapped in a building taken over by terrorists. Where have I heard that before?" 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

How great of a film is DIE HARD? DIE HARD left such an indelible mark in cinema that movie producers all over the world have been rehashing its film premise ever since. MELTDOWN (aka SHU DAN LONG WEI, aka HIGH RISK), released in 1995, is only one film of many which blatantly [...] Bruce Willis's action opus. On its own merit, MELTDOWN isn't bad but isn't near the top of Jet Li's best flicks in terms of acting, storyline, or kung fu throwdowns. What it's got going for it is its infusion of mayhem and graphic violence, so if you're into that (and what dude isn't?), then it's good times for the viewer.

The far-fetched plot: A deadly early encounter with a terrorist mastermind simply known as the Doctor leaves military Lieutenant Kit Li (Jet Li) a widowed man feeling guilt and in search of revenge. Two years later, Li is now toiling away as a bodyguard to crass, world-renowned kung fu movie star Frankie Lone (Jackie Cheung), who much like Jackie Chan, insists on performing his own stunts. But, unbeknownst to the public, Li actually also serves as Frankie's stunt double on occasions when Frankie has had his drink on. Frankie used to be a heralded martial artist but has "forgotten" the wushu way and is now basically a craven womanizer.

When the posh Grandeur Hotel hosts an invaluable set of Russian jewels, it becomes the point of convergence for Kit, Frankie, and the Doctor and his gang of terrorists. Kit, at last, has a chance to atone for his blunder two years ago. Can he find a way to overcome the mastermind's cunning and ruthlessness? And can Frankie find his long-missing kung fu? Will the plucky girl reporter find love with Kit? Will the dubious film director be defenestrated? Can Jackie Chan forgive MELTDOWN for making a caricature of his persona?

I don't recall the ratio but it seems to me that Jet Li wields a gun here more than he resorts to chop socky. The action sequences are still dang tootin' nifty, but I guess the producers really were going for that DIE HARD sensibility, ergo more firearms. Jet Li remains a very likable persona and his performance is pretty good here as he plays up the stoic, heroic role. As for Jackie Cheung - you either like his performance or you want to slap him silly. I got very annoyed with his incessant mugging and I personally didn't think he was funny, but I know friends who did. His character was meant to be a spoof of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, but I didn't much care for it.

Too, the editing staff should've been canned for the inconsistencies left in. There's a scene in which Frankie uses a shoe as a decoy, but the very next moment reveals Frankie shod on both feet. How Kit and the cop got the car out of the elevator to pull out a surprise on the terrorists is a mystery to me. There are several "people" falling out of the skyscraper who are too obviously fake dummies. See what I mean?

Now, I saw MELTDOWN on dvd, dubbed in typically over-the-top English. I just wished I'd screened it in the original Chinese or Cantonese. As I've said elsewhere, more often than not, foreign movies lose something in translation. There's a chance Cheung wouldn't be as grating if he was presented in his native lingo. But, overall, despite its annoyances, MELTDOWN is worth watching for its crazy stunts and fierce violence. And for Jet Li, of course.

Editorial Review:

A man working as a movie stuntman comes up against the same gang who killed his wife.
Genre: Foreign Film - Chinese
Rating: R
Release Date: 5-MAR-2002
Media Type: DVD

The Legend

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 46 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Martial arts matinee idol Jet Li Lin-Kit, who made his U.S. debut as a bad guy in Lethal Weapon 4, portrays a real life turn-of-the-century Cantonese patriot, the dauntless Fong Sai-Yuk. This is a much more blunt and straightforward effort than Tsui Hark's flamboyant Once Upon a Time in China films, but codirectors Ann Hui (Song of the Exile) and Yuen Kwai (Yes, Madam) deliver many lively and funny sequences. For U.S. viewers, the revelation of the film will be Josephine Siao, a Cantonese film star of the '60s, in both comedies and high-flying swordplay films, who plays Fong Sai-Yuk's martial mother. Siao disguises herself as man to enter a martial arts competition and ends up winning both the prize and the heart of a high official's daughter--mostly because the girl has never met a hero with so much poetic sensitivity lurking just beneath the surface. Chu Kong (Sidney in John Woo's The Killer) plays Fong Sai-Yuk's father as an anti-Manchu patriot so unbendingly upright that he's a bit of a prig, and as the action heats up, political stakes emerge more clearly. In the grand finale, Fong Sai-Yuk squares off against a Manchu killer played with great panache by newcomer Chiu Man-cheuk. --David Chute

War

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Editorial Review:

After his partner is brutally murdered by the infamous assassin Rogue (Jet Li) FBI agent Jack Crawford (Jason Statham) vows to find the elusive killer and personally avenge his partner's death. But Crawford's thirst for vengeance jeopardizes his professional judgment and as the violence escalates he finds himself in the middle of a conflict between two rival Asian gangs. Now nothing is quite what it seems and he must be prepared for WAR! System Requirements:Running Time: 99 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLERS Rating: R UPC: 031398221814 Manufacturer No: 22181

Last Hero in China

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 44 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In Last Hero in China, Jet Li reprises the role of Wong Fei-hung, a legendary figure in China. Both a doctor and a teacher of martial arts, Wong has just moved his school in Canton, only to discover that the neighboring house is a brothel. Though Wong's students are delighted and the earnest brothel master only wants to study with him, Wong feels he has lost face. But this becomes the least of his troubles: soon he's fighting a corrupt police chief, a temple of slave-trading monks, and a deafness-causing medicine sold to children--and that's just in the first hour. Last Hero in China is a grand melodrama, featuring exaggerated heroes and villains, goofy humor, and hyperbolic kung fu action. The plot takes some hard-to-follow turns, but the action is so nonstop it hardly matters. The lion vs. centipede dance/fight has to be seen to be believed, to say nothing of the priest with a floating lotus chariot and a flying claw. Jet Li is in fine form, Gordon Liu (as the venal top cop) is maniacal and despicable, and the lovely Cheung Man plays an expert martial artist looking for her kidnapped sister. The character of Wong Fei-hung also appears in the Once upon a Time in China series (where he was first played by Li) and in Jackie Chan's Drunken Master movies. --Bret Fetzer

Romeo Must Die / Cradle 2 the Grave

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Editorial Review:

A kickin'-it livin'-it action mix! Martial arts moves and mayhem fuse with hip-hop sounds and style in two hard-charging adventures directed by Andrej Bartkowiak (Exit Wounds) and produced by Joel Silver (The Matrix). Dynamic one-man fighting force Jet Li makes his English-language starring debut in Romeo Must Die [Side A] taking on both sides of a violent Oakland turf war (with rapper DMX on one of those warring sides). Streets are mean but Jet Li and DMX are meaner in Cradle 2 the Grave [Side B] as they join forces in a volatile conflict ignited by kidnapping stolen black diamonds and a sadistic crimelord. Gonna be a wall 2 wall start 2 finish man 2 man rush of action that's 2 off the meter 2 resist. No coolin' this Jet!Running Time: 217 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE UPC: 012569837690 Manufacturer No: 83769

The Legend of the Swordsman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 59 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

the best of the JET LI COLLECTION DUBS, still sucks, but it is the best 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 9 people found this review helpful.

I hate the fact that I have to review this movie AND the dubbing. I saw this on spike a year or so ago and thought the dubbing was the worst. I guess that I have been seasoned in watching this stupid Jet Li collection because after watching 10 or so of the american dubs of jet, I watched this again and whoever that guy is who always dubs Jet, puts on one of the better performances of his career.

Now that I got that out of the way I can talk about the movie. I watched this without seeing the first swordsman. But I'm pretty sure I'm gonna like Jet more than bucktooth from OUATIC. Even if the fole doesn't fit him very well, jet shows that he really is an actor in this movie. Good battle scenes. Also a good movie to watch with guys so that you can make comments about the always fabulous Bridgitte lin. She is so freaking hot I actually went on a major binge and bough ALL of her movies. So go ahead and check ou Fire Dragon, Bride With White Hairm and my fav. Deadful Melody. I haven't seen the 1st or 3rd movies, but after seeing this, I will seek them out nomatter what it takes.

Truly one of the greatest movies ever and it really makes you think.

EDITED


I got the Meieh version and it is the uncut version(108 minutes). If you are going to get this movie, make sure you buy the Mei-Eh/Tai Seng version under the title of Swordsman II.

Editorial Review:

Global action megastar Jet Li unleashes all of his devastating martial arts power in this thrilling tale of a reluctant warrior who becomes a timeless hero! A young swordsman, Ling Wei (Li), and other followers of the Sun Moon Sect are making a journey to the mountains to abandon the violent swordsman's life. But upon arrival, they find their people are at war! With their leader, Master Wu, captured and the clan pushed out of their village, Ling must lead a desperate counterattack in hopes of freeing Master Wu and ending the reign of the supernaturally powerful Master Asia and his Highlander clan before it's too late! Packed with incredible martial arts choreography, this endlessly hard-hitting epic is another exciting addition to the phenomenal Jet Li Collection

The Shaolin Temple

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 38 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Not perfect by any means, but an enjoyable kung fu movie 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Now the story is decent. I laughed a few times but the drama didn't exactly stick with me. Jet Li starts out the movie as a young kid who has just had his father murdered by an evil Manchu general or something and Jet has been injured fighting with him trying to save his dad. So the monks find him and care for him in the temple and against some of the monks better judgement they make Jet a monk. When these evil guys end up storming the temple, all of the training scenes are very worthwhile. It was not the most coherent of stories but it didn't need to be. Watching Jet doing his solo training was amazing. Drunken style gets pulled out and there are some really cool moves in this fights. They did make a few of the shots look supernatural but it is still pretty good for all of these peoples first movie ever. Jet has talked about before how there was no martial arts choreographer for this movie and how everyone had to provide input and come up with the fights themselves. Jet's sifu in this movie can also be seen as his master in shaolin tepmle 2 and Twin Warriors(aka Tai Chi Master). So don't buy this movie for a gripping story abotu teh Shaolin Temple btu buy it for the sweet martial arts being displayed in Jet Li's first ever movie.

The Bodyguard from Beijing

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 2.0 of 5

HK take on Hollywood's The Bodyguard pleases 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Jet Li portrays John Chang, a mainland Chinese bodyguard trained by the military to be the best and latest word in protection. After using a controversial technique in a training exercise, he is diverted from taking a coveted assignment with his comrades. Instead he is sent to Hong Kong to protect a young woman, Michelle, who is the only surviving witness to a murder. Michelle is the mistress of a wealthy man, who spares no expense at protecting her life after two other witnesses are murdered by the triad leader suspect's gang.

Li's John Chang is all business, a repressed, grim faced young man who has one objective: to protect his client, even at the cost of his own life. His vibrant charge soon finds his protective restrictions stifling and she sets about making life as difficult as possible for the man charged to protect her. It is not until an attempt is made upon her life in a shopping mall she has stubbornly insisted on visiting, that she begins to appreciate her no nonsense guardian.

Soon, appreciation leads to infatuation, and Michelle turns the full force of her romantic charms on the unsuspecting and emotionally ill-equipped Chang. She buys him fancy clothes, an expensive watch, finding herself increasingly dissatisfied and impatient with her rich but milquetoast boyfriend. The romantic tension is almost too much for Chang, who finds himself uncharacteristically unable to concentrate on his work as her protector.

The gang charged with her annihilation is now led by the brother of one of the gang killed at the shopping mall shootout. He is intent on revenging his brother by killing John. Taking advantage of Chang's distraction, he and his crew launch an attack on Michelles seemingly impregnable home which initiates the film's final showdown.

Jet Li's martial arts skills take a back seat to gunplay and suspense until the climax of the film. Li's wushu talents are on full display as he engages in hand to hand combat with his foe. Intent on not repeating his mistake from the opening training exercise, Chang must now show a willingness to die for his client.

Highly entertaining and ultimately more satisfying than Hollywood's The Bodyguard, Jet uses his screen appeal to good advantage in the film. The supporting players are excellent, especially Kent Cheng as one of two policemen that aid John in protecting Michelle. An excellent viewing choice for those who may not be fans of Li's period wushu pieces, the film will probably disappoint those who crave fight-laden martial arts films.