“True Legend” signals the return to the director’s chair for Yuen after he last directed “Tai Chi Boxer” back in 1996. Meanwhile, he had been busy choreographing the fight sequences for films like “The Matrix” series, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, “Kill Bill: Volume 1 and 2”, “Fearless” and “The Forbidden Kingdom”. Including an all-star cast set in the late Qing dynasty, “True Legend” tells the story of a retired general Su Can who later mastered the Drunken Fist style and became the folk hero Beggar Su.
Buy This Title
by clicking on the image below
Qing general Su Can (Vincent Zhao) rescues a kidnapped prince held in a mountain fortress and the grateful Emperor wants to promote him to a governor. But Su only wants to set up his Wushu school and live a peaceful family life away from politics. Therefore, his adopted brother Yuan (Andy On) got the position instead. During the next five years, Yuan has secretly, with the use of poisonous insects, mastered the deadly Five Venom Fists. Besides looking like a ghost-like walking dead with pale skin, he also has armor plates sewn onto his upper body.
Upon returning home with a small army, Yuan immediately decapitates Su’s father who is responsible for his own father’s death, though it was a justified killing. Su is no match for the too powerful Yuan when he confronts him on a raging river bank. When the defeated Su falls into the river, his wife Xiao Ying (Zhao Xun) also jumps in to rescue him. Thinking that they are dead, Yuan kidnaps their son Feng to raise as his own. Further down the river, Ying pulls her husband Su to safety and a lady herbalist, Sister Yu (Michelle Yeoh) comes along and takes them into her mountain retreat. As Su starts to heal physically, he also takes up drinking. One day in the forest, he comes across a drunken Old Sage (Gordon Liu) and the God of Wushu (Jay Chou). In a sacred site nearby, Su starts to spar with the Wushu God. Some extensive training later, Su leaves the mountain to seek revenge and rescue his son.
Check also this video
Yuen Woo Ping is no stranger when it comes to Su Can, nicknamed Beggar So, a martial artist and folk hero of the late Qing dynasty who specialized in Drunken Fist, a form of drunken style of fighting. Furthermore, Yuen directed his father, Simon Yuen Siu Tien in two “Drunken Master” films and made his father famously known as Beggar So. Unfortunately, from a director’s point of view, “True Legend” does not quite reach the level of greatness as compared to his duty as an action choreographer.
The combination of modern and old school techniques works fine in the action department and Yuen’s action choreography does not disappoint. The camera angles are still energetic at times, the outdoor locations like the raging river and the rugged mountains are indeed magnificent to behold. The less convincing CGI backdrop with the gigantic statues does serve its purpose in representing Su’s hallucinations.
Instead of ending the film right after the climactic fight, which would be a much gratifying conclusion, Yuen oddly adds a lengthy and unexpected time-lapse sequence showing Su taking on a bunch of westerners which echoes “Fearless” and “Ip Man”. Nonetheless, this addition explains how Su mastered the drunken fist style, defeated the foreigners and brought glory to China. Most importantly, how he eventually became Su Qi Er (Beggar So) as translated in the film’s Chinese title.
Both Vincent Zhao and Andy On are perfect in their respective roles, especially in the action sequences. Zhao’s convincing performance is passionate at times as a man who unintentionally creates his own downfall but eventually ends up being a hero. Zhou Xun plays Su’s wife Ying, a gentle soul with a big heart. She is good with her emotional scenes throughout the film nonetheless. American born actor On is equally good as Governor Yuan, a needy son looking for revenge while being absolutely evil. He is mean to everyone, especially Su, but shows a rare caring side towards his nephew Feng.
Taiwanese singer Jay Chou who plays the God of Wushu and Drunken God is a revelation here. Judging by his impressive action sequences, thanks to Yuen’s choreography and wire works no less, one might think that he is actually a martial arts expert. Sporting long white eyebrows, Gordon Liu has a small role as the Old Sage who drinks and pokes fun at Su. Also in a non fighting role, Michelle Yeoh turns up as the lady hermit Sister Yu. Elsewhere, David Carradine appears briefly as Anton, the arena ringleader of the bunch of foreign wrestlers. This was, sadly, his last film role.
As a martial arts film goes, “True Legend” hits the right notes and the overall action sequences are impressive and well choreographed. Apart from its weirdness and uneven plot, it certainly has its moments and overall it is an entertaining watch. But for a much better Yuen experience, watch his “Iron Monkey” (1993) instead.
