This limited edition box set includes two Yuen Woo Ping-choreographed martial arts classics on Blu-ray: FIST OF LEGEND and TAI CHI MASTER. FIST OF LEGEND: In this tribute to Bruce Lee’s classic FIST OF FURY, Jet Li radiates sheer power and coolness as a kung fu student living abroad who returns home to avenge the death of his master and save his martial arts school. TAI CHI MASTER: Two best friends and fellow martial arts students are expelled from the storied temple of Shaolin, only to meet again on the battlefield – one a power- hungry general, the other a freedom-fighting rebel, both mortal enemies. Featuring Michelle Yeoh (EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE) and directed by martial arts legend Yuen Woo-Ping (action director on IP MAN 3 and 4), TAI CHI MASTER is a quintessential martial arts classic.
For thoughts on Fist Of Legend and Tai Chi Master, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Fist Of Legend and Tai Chi Master return to Blu-Ray via Ronin Flix with 1080p masters in their original aspect ratios. Both of these films were previously released under the Dragon Dynasty line nearly 13 years ago, but those releases are long out of print and fetching high prices. While we do not have those releases for comparison, these appear to be derived from the same dated source without any new restoration effort being put forth. These films are very similar in quality, so they will be discussed as a pair.
This new two-pack includes both films on separate Blu-Ray discs that offer a fairly decent presentation that could be improved but does what it needs to do. The transfer does not appear to have much in the way of filtering or DNR applied, but there appears to be a very minor amount of sharpening which does not impact the organic appearance too greatly. While most of the film resolves well in this respect, there are some minor moments when the grain field spikes. This transfer delivers little in the way of wear and tear, and the film does not exhibit any notable instances of compression artifacts. There are occasional shots that present as a bit soft which likely links back to the quality of the source elements. These transfers feature pleasant color saturation throughout with vibrant hues popping off the screen, especially in elements of the landscapes. Fine detail could be stronger with fine detail struggling slightly. Ronin Flix has delivered an acceptable release that deserves better. .
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray Fist Of Legend presents the film with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track in Cantonese and Mandarin along with an English dub in DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio for those who have an aversion to subtitles. Tai Chi Master comes to Blu-Ray with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track in Cantonese along with a Cantonese track and an English dub in DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio. As always, we recommend sticking with the original language track for both films. There are both Original Language English and English SDH subtitles provided for both films.
Dialogue is fairly clear but can sound a bit overwhelmed by other sounds or fuzzy at points. The track can sound a bit strained in other ways during odd moments, but it is not a persistent issue. The score maintains a nice fidelity with no real instances of age related wear and tear. The film offers up some weighty moments that add a bit of power to the overall mix during the fight scenes. This audio experience is not 5-star, but Ronin Flix has provided the most stable experience possible with what they were supplied.
Special Features
Fist Of Legend
- Deleted Scenes: Five minutes of unused material is provided here in rough standard definition quality with burned-in English subtitles. Nothing too substantial has been left out, but this is nice to have.
- The Man Behind The Legend – Interview with Director Gordon Chan: A 36-minute interview with the director is provided here in which he discusses the idea behind the film, convincing Jet Li to take over this role originated by Bruce Lee, using real life people within a fictional context, the challenges of the fil, the production design, injuries on set and more.
- Brother In Arms – Interview with Kung Fu Impresario Chin Siu-Ho: A nearly 24-minute interview with a performer in the film who discusses his early interest in martial arts, learning how to translate his love to the silver screen, working with Jet Li, memories of shooting certain scenes and more.
- The Way Of The Warrior – Interview with Japanese Action Legend Kurata Yasuaki: A 30-minute interview in which Yasuaki discusses his early life, memories of meeting Bruce Lee, remaking some of these old stories, challenging moments on set and more.
- The School Of Hard Knocks – A Screen Fighting Seminar At The Celebrated Kurata Action School: A 27-minute look at the training that goes into becoming a kung fu master.
- A Look At Fist Of Legend with Director Brett Ratner & Film Critic Elvis Mitchell: A ten-minute piece with these two film experts discussing the importance of this movie on Jet Li’s career and martial arts in general.
- Original Theatrical Trailer: A three-minute trailer is provided for Fist Of Legend.
Tai Chi Master
- Nemesis – Interview with Star Chin Siu-Ho: A 20-minute interview with the star in which he discusses his background, getting involved with this film, the facets of his character, developing the fights for the movie and more.
- The Birthplace of Tai Chi – On Location In Chen Village: A 15-minute piece which takes a look at the birthplace of Chinese martial arts with insightful interviews from some of the practitioners of the form.
- Meditations On The Master – Director Brett Ratner & Film Critic Elvis Mitchell Discuss Yuen Woo Ping: A 14-minute featurette in which these two experts discuss the work of Woo Ping, the physicality of his set pieces, creative ways to shoot action, the fearlessness of his movements and more.
- Twin Warriors – Director Brett Ratner & Film Critic Elvis Mitchell Discuss Jet Li & Michelle Yeoh: Another 15-minute discussion about the two stars of this film and why they are so incredible.
- Trailer: A 46-second trailer is provided for Twin Warriors.
Final Thoughts
Fist Of Legend and Tai Chi Master are two exciting entries earlier in the career of one of the greatest martial arts stars the silver screen has ever known. The stories are not altogether earth-shattering on any particular level, but Jet Li makes the most out of them with a great blend of charisma and raw physical talent. Add in the terrific Michelle Yeoh into the mix on the latter title, and you are in for a thrilling time. Ronin Flix has released a Blu-Ray set featuring decent A/V presentations and a deep well of interesting special features. If you are a fan of the stars, this is worth scooping up for your collection. Recommended
Jet Li 2 Movie Collection: Fist Of Legend and Tai Chi Master is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Ronin Flix has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.