Starring: Jet Li (Huo Yuan Jia), Shido Nakamura (Anno Tanaka), Betty Sun (Moon), Yong Dong (Nong Jinsun), Hee Ching Paw (Yuanjia’s mother), Yun Qu (Grandma)
“Fearless” tells the biographical story of Huo Yuan Jia who rose to fame as the most famous fighter in China around the 20th Century and the founder of the Jin Wu Sports Federation. As a young boy, Yuan Jia was not allowed to learn martial arts. After watching his father suffer a humiliating defeat in a martial arts match in public, he vows to never let himself lose or surrender, so he starts training in secret. Years later as an adult, Yuan Jia has a young daughter, but his father and wife are dead. He is undefeatable and has never lost a match, but he has also become arrogant and cocky. He takes on many disciples and runs huge debts at his best friend, Jinsun’s (who is a very successful businessman) restaurant. When he learns Master Chin (a martial arts master) beat up one of his students, he goes after him and challenges him to a fight, eventually killing him. This costs him the life of his daughter and mother. It is then that the student who got beaten up confesses Master Chin only beat him up because he had insulted his wife. Yuan Jia goes away, leaves the city and tries to drown himself. He is saved by some kindly villagers. He lives peacefully in the village with Moon (a blind girl) and her grandmother for a few years. He eventually returns to his city where he learns the Westerners have taken over and mocks the Chinese. He reunites with Jinsun and starts fighting again, but with a whole new different attitude (living with Moon and her grandmother had humbled him). Yuan Jia defeats Western fighter O’Brien (Nathan Jones) thus gaining back the respect of the Chinese. He and Jinsun open up the Jin Wu Sports Federation. Yuan Jia is then set to fight Tanaka, a Japanese challenger, who is actually a good guy. Tanaka’s sponsor, Mita (Masato Harada) had lost money in the O’Brien fight and wants to get it back. Tanaka and Yuan Jia fight for a round. Both are formidable fighters. During the fight, Mita poisons Yuan Jia’s tea. Yuan Jia spits up blood and grows weak. He insists on continuing the fight, and Tanaka warns him he won’t hold back, but Yuan Jia tells him it’s an honor to fight him. Tanaka ends up beating the hell out of him, thus winning the fight, but ends up withdrawing, making Yuan Jia the winner by default. Mita is furious with him. Tanaka says it was the right thing to do. Mita insults him, Tanaka tells him he’s a disgrace to Japan. As Yuan Jia lays dying in the arena, he dreams of Moon. He dies and the Jin Wu Sports Federation lives on.
FYI. The main reason the japanese fighter withdrew the fight is because he knew Huo Yuan Jia could have delivered the finishing blow that he used to kill Chin with but he held back and smiled.
One Response to “Fearless (aka Huo Yuan Jia or Jet Li’s Fearless)”
January 16th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
FYI. The main reason the japanese fighter withdrew the fight is because he knew Huo Yuan Jia could have delivered the finishing blow that he used to kill Chin with but he held back and smiled.
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