Fist of Legend SE - Page 2

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I'll wait to hear how this release turns out, although I it may be worth the upgrade solely for an anamorphic version. Is this version any different than the Dimension release? The runtime on that link is 103 minutes which is the same as the Dimension release.

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I'll post info as soon as I get my copy. I'm expecting that there will be an original language option as well as restored titles. To my knowledge the Dimension release did not have anything removed that would affect run time - the titles were different as was the score, but I don't believe anything was taken out.

And it is my favorite Jet Li movie, which makes it his best.

Re: Fist of Legend SE

Okay, here's the skinny.

Three language options: Cantonese and Mandarin in Stereo, and English in 5.1

Since it was not likely filmed with sync sound, there's probably some debate on what is the "original" language, but the first time I saw it it was in Cantonese. Mandarin is Li's native dialect but on the Cantonese track the voices seem better integrated, even though it's not Li's voice (and it doesn't sound much like Li on the Mandarin track either).

The Cantonese and Mandarin tracks have the original score and sound effects (for better or worse). However the titles are the same as the ones created for the Dimension release, which were OK, but too new looking to really fit with the rest of the film.

Now this is where it gets interesting. The English track is the same as the one on the Dimension release, down to the dubbing, which had some pretty radical changes from the original dialogue, and the different score. On the Dimension release there was a credit to Steve Edwards for the new music but on this new edition his name has been removed from the title cards.

IMDB shows the film's aspect ratio as 1.85:1 but there's not the sliver of black border on this new edition, so it looks like it's been cropped a little to 1.78:1 (anamorphic) - if you're willing to believe IMDB.

Of what I watched the image quality is pretty good. There's a bit of black crush in some shots but there's no edge enhancement or noise reduction that I can see. And the segments I watched were pretty clean - just a few specks and blemishes here and there.

As much as I like this film, I've never gone to the trouble to procure an import, mostly due to availability and price. But it's probably safe to say this is the best this film has ever looked, at least for this region.

Now when are we going to see Police Story III?

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I saw this movie theatrically when it first came out in Taiwan with a Mandarin track. It was not Li's voice. Happens fairly common, unfortunately.

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Thanks for the quick summary Cameron. I'll probably get this to have an anamorphic version.

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At Best Buy there was a guy holding a copy of Forbidden Kingdom and I asked if he'd seen Fist of Legend. He hadn't. I didn't manage to get him to pick up Fist of Legend instead (he said the cover looked cartooney) , but I got him to put Forbidden Kingdom back. Which I guess is a start.

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Why did you do that ?

I happen to like that movie

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I actually bought the Blu-ray of that blind today. Haven't watched it yet though.

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Best Buy has a two pack bundle of the Dragon Dynasty "Fist of Legend" and the 1986 Sammo Hung comedy "Shanghai Express" (aka "Millionaire's Express") for only $5 more than "Fist of Legend" by itself. They are very different films in style and tone, but I like them both, so it was a good deal for me.

Regards,

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Here's a review: REVIEW: ‘Fist of Legend’ (DVD - Dragon Dynasty)

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I have a question about the English subtitles. Are they reasonably accurate to what is being said in the original Cantonese and Mandarin soundtracks, or are they based on the English dubbing of the 5.1 soundtrack (which apparently is wildly inaccurate to what the characters are really saying)?

Also, if Li's native dialect is Mandarin and that is what he spoke in during filming, then why didn't they use his real voice for the Mandarin version of the soundtrack? Or if he spoke in Cantonese during filming (it seems quite a few Chinese people can speak in both their native dialect as well as Cantonese or Mandarin, as the case may be), why didn't they use his actual voice for the Cantonese version of the soundtrack? Obviously they recorded his voice when making the movie, it's absurd to not be able to hear the star of the movie's voice.

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Sorry, a bit of a typo in my post up above about sync sound (which I fixed). But in general Hong Kong films, especially of this vintage and older, did not do sync sound, so even with the native language dialogue was all recorded and replaced in post. Whether the process involved actually recording during filming, I don't know. I suspect not since why would you go to the trouble if you know you're going to record it all in studio later? So if you've seen enough Hong Kong films you'll see lip sync issues even in the original language.

Why they didn't use Li for his own voice, maybe it was availability on his part. But I also get the impression there are some established voice people who do this kind of thing regularly, so it might come down to using people they know are good at it.

Regarding the subtitles and English dub, the only scene I compared was the one where the Mitsuko is saying goodbye to Chen Zhen at the harbor. In the English dub she says, "Do you know how much I want to go with you?" But in the subtitles for the Chinese tracks she says, "Don't be gone too long because I may not wait for you." She's speaking in Japanese, so I can't confirm if the translation for the Chinese tracks is accurate, but her independent, challenging spirit is much more consistent with her character (and Chen Zhen's reaction makes more sense with the subtitle's translation). I could check other spots, but generally I feel like the subtitles are good and certainly preferable to the English dub in terms of meaning.

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Cameron Yee: Thanks for the info. Hmm, that's extremely strange for Chinese audiences to not be demanding to hear the real voices of their favorite action movie stars in movies in which they play the leading role.

It's too bad, because then we don't even get to hear what Li sounds like in the film, or how he would interpret the character when talking with others. I mean, good grief, let Li deliver his *performance* of the role.

Can you imagine watching Dirty Harry and Clint Eastwood doesn't even speak during the whole movie, they just dub in some other guy instead?? haha

Well, at least it's good to hear that the English subtitles are solid.

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Unfortunatly, this DVD suffers from the same flaw as DD's recent Tai Chi Master: with frames being double printed and slowed down, presumbly to aid audio syncing. Very shoddy and unnaceptable, but sadly typical of the company

As for voice syncing, from the 60s until the mid 90's, it was VERY rare to hear an actor's actual voice in a Hong Kong film. Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Jet li and many more...all dubbed by others

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So I was perusing the Asian film sites and saw on HKFlix.com that Police Story 3 from Dragon Dynasty is listed for release on December 30th. I'm hoping this is true...

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So... was it?!

I finally got around to picking up Fist of Legend from Wal-Mart where I saw it for $13. It had the sticker on it that said "with over 3 hours of extras!", but when I got it open it was only the single disc version (the movie and the commentary). I'm actually okay with that (the two-disc is, like, 22 bucks or something at Best Buy), but I did feel a tad stung what with the sticker being on it and everything.

Looking forward to watching this! Have only seen the Dimension release, so this will be a treat.

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It's actually coming out next week! I will be at BB ASAP.

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Sadly, it seems Supercop is super-screwed

From Lisa C on the Kung FU Cinema site

"sorry, but no it is the Dimension version. The distributor sent me a review copy and I just finished writing the review. The Cantonese sound is added to the Dimension cut. In fact the end song on the Cantonese track (sung by Jackie Chan) had to be slowed down to fit in the added US credits for editors and rap music added to the Dimension version. At least the subtitles do not follow the horrid English dubbing, but rather the actual words spoken in Cantonese (unless you are using the subtitles for the hearing impaired). No OD’ing hookers and no restaurant back room full of animals (where PETA stands for ‘People Eating Tasty Animals’)

I will give them credit for showing an extra feature where Jackie Chan gets to voice his displeasure at the cuts saying his:
“I don’t understand….We spent two years to put everything together. We edit every single day, every night. Then we hire the music, where we should put the music, when the music stops. We do the best we can….. Suddenly America bought it. They change the music, they change the editing!” Jackie goes on to say, “They only spend ten days or one week to look at the movie, then they automatically know, they wanna change the cut, they wanna change the music, they wanna change this, they wanna change that….What? I spent two years or so every day. They think they’re the best…Ok I don’t want to stop them from making money. As long as the American audiences like it, as long as the bosses like it. But you ask me..I don’t like it.”

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Interesting. I saw the Chinese cut some time ago (after seeing the Dimension) and wasn't too bothered by the changes.

Here is Bey Logan's comments about the release: Dragon Dynasty: Bey’s Blog: View Post

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Its the principle that annoys me. Why not include both versions?

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Understandable. The credit song slowdown seems pretty goofy, but I'll have to hear it for myself.

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Well looks like another Dragon Dyansty I won't buy

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"I was living in Birmingham at the time (heaven help me…) and had been grudgingly granted membership at the local Chinatown video store. They had no other foreigners renting from them, so my membership card simply read (in Chinese) ‘white guy’."



I'm a novice at all things martial-arts-film wise, but when are we gonna see an uncut, original language, anamorphic, etc., etc., disc of Drunken Master II (AKA, Legend of the Drunken Master). This film has shown up on 100 greatest films of all time lists and the fact a nice DVD ain't available is criminal.

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My understanding is that DMII stayed with Dimension. None of the DVDs anywhere are uncut and or original aspect ratio

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So I don't have an uncut version to compare it to, but the above comment from Kung Fu Cinema is misleading.

Chan's song ends with the Chinese credits. When the US credits come in there is in fact no music and they continue on in silence. Maybe the song has been slowed down, but with nothing to compare it to, it's very difficult to tell. And I don't know what the point would be if there's no music accompanying the US credits. The song would have to be slowed to a ridiculous rate to fit it all in anyway, and that wasn't what was done.

Though not a perfect release, it is a considerable improvement from the non-anamorphic release. The restoration of the original language reveals the film's more serious tone, though that's not hard to notice since the English dub was so cartoonish. The best example of this is when Chan meets Yang for the first time. In the English dub he came off really pervy and that always bothered me. In the original language he's just being informal and casual.