"Fearless"?

Once upon a time, I was a big Jet Li （李连杰）fan - I rented every Jet Li movie I could get my hands on, but I guess I wasn't enough of a fan to buy posters or t-shirts, etc. This was about the time that I was very interested in Chinese martial arts, when I made my best friends at university in the UBC Kung Fu Association. However, my interest in kung fu waned when I left for Taiwan - when I got back, the club just wasn't the same without my buddies, and my attempts to learn wushu were hampered by my inability to do most of the moves. Also, I no longer felt the need to assert my Asian identity through such means and besides, I became quite tired of the "finding my roots" thing. While I still like kung fu and still find it interesting, I no longer consider it part of my life, and I definitely don't think kung fu defines me.

Anyway, Jet Li's latest movie, which he says will be his last martial arts film, was recently released in Hong Kong. Just as I haven't watched his last few films, I haven't bothered to watch this one. His last few films were not only not as good as his older movies, but they also had some of the most stupid titles I've ever heard. "Danny the Dog"? Is it a movie about a dog?? "Cradle 2 the Grave"? Why the number 2? "Romeo Must Die"? Why is it imperative that Romeo must die? And what kind of a Romeo doesn't even make any moves on chicks and doesn't even kiss the girl? Actually, I did watch Romeo Must Die, but I didn't pay to see it.

Who makes up these lame-assed titles? It's not just the titles of these movies, but I also find that when the superstars of Hong Kong cinema make the transition to Hollywood, they usually churn out crap. I did not enjoy a single Hollywood movie that Jackie Chan, Jet Li, or John Woo have made since their moves to Hollywood, though I must say that Chow Yun-fat's Hollywood movies aren't quite so bad. Sadly, the quality of almost all movies made in Hong Kong declined at around the same time that these superstars left the Hong Kong film industry. While Hong Kong movies made in the 1980's and early 1990's were simple but entertaining and original, they have since become formulaic, expensive, and sometimes, needlessly complex. Sadly, at around the same time that cinema receipts and video sales declined (partly due to rampant piracy), productions have become more expensive, with special effects, extravagant sets, and overpaid stars. Furthermore, professionally-trained and experienced actors, some of them also martial arts experts, have been replaced by stables of talentless pop-stars "owned" by various entertainment conglomerates. On the plus side, Hong Kong cinema still produces movies of some highly amusing and sometimes unique genres and themes that include debt collecting, life in the Triads, and gambling. I find that films can sometimes provide a glimpse of the sociological realities of a certain time or place, so I think movies are always worth watching, no matter how bad they may be.

Anyway, Jet Li's latest movie has yet another lame English title: "Fearless". It's unfortunate because the Chinese name is pretty cool and straightforward. Since the movie is about a real-life Chinese kung fu master, Huo Yuanjia (Fok Yuen-gapp), the Chinese name of the movie is "霍元甲" (Huo Yuanjia). I think the movie would do well if it were called "Master Fok". I feel that part of the appeal of Hong Kong films is their campy, cheesy feel, and nothing is more campy and cheesy than names like "Master Fok" or "God of Gamblers". As for the name "Fearless", is fearlessness really a virtue? Isn't it good to have some fears? With fear comes restraint, and being able to overcome fears takes strength of character and learning. Being fearless at the outset, on the other hand, is to be thoughtless. I don't think fearlessness is a virtue at all!

Another thing that makes this movie unappealing is that the producers recruited Taiwanese R&B singer Jay Chou to write and record the soundtrack. I don't see the appeal of Jay Chou. I do give him credit for writing his own songs and lyrics and some very catchy tunes, but I dislike him, though I'm not sure why. Perhaps I dislike anything that's popular (e.g. Harry Potter) and disdain contemporary pop culture, but more likely, I disdain egomaniacs, and there are few egomaniacs in Asia that are bigger than Jay Chou. Don't get me wrong - I don't hate the successful - I just hate what's popular.

I guess I'll pick up a 5.5 yuan pirated DVD copy of this the next time I go to China, or I may watch it on TV 6 months later.