The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk 1 & 2

Streaming all-but destroyed the idea of listening to music in any particular order.   Suddenly carefully crafted albums (not to mention mixtapes) were obsolete, consumed in a random algorithm of greatest hits.  Sure, a great song can stand alone, but it’s even better in context.  What the hell does that have to do with The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk? Well, the Jet Li / Cory Yuen joint contains what is arguably one of the best fight scenes in the modern kung fu era, one that could easily be enjoyed as a stand-alone highlight reel of Hong Kong action cinema…but the movie around it ain’t half bad either!

A carefree trouble-maker, Fong Sai-Yuk (Jet Li) is constantly being bailed out of trouble by his mother (Josephine Siao), whose kung-fu skills equal or rival his own.  But when a Manchu conspiracy and impending wedding vows put her son in hot water, it takes the entire Fong family to set things right.

 

Plot-wise, The Legend (as it was titled on home video in the U.S.) is boilerplate material kicking around in the same historical sandbox.  But director Cory Yuen’s camera is an active participant in the story; swirling, twisting and leaping with an infectious energy that enhances the fight choreography rather than distracting from it.  Which brings up the aforementioned scene: a “floor-is-lava” style competition with Li and his opponent battling atop the heads and shoulders of a crowd of onlookers.  Relentlessly clever and downright exhilarating, it’s the sort of sequence that gets better every time you watch it and captures Jet Li at the peak of his abilities (it also won Best Action Choreography at the 13th Hong Kong Film Awards).

 

But the movie leans just as heavily on co-star Josephine Siao, whose comic timing makes her a great partner-in-crime.  She returns, along with Li, for the sequel, The Legend 2, covering much of the same ground with Fong Sai-Yuk now caught in a love triangle while attempting to recover a chest of secret documents.  The highlight here is saved for the finale, with Sai-Yuk battling for his mother’s life as she hangs by a noose atop a precarious scaffolding.  Just as charming as the original, but with a bit less action, The Legend 2 is a worthy addition to the kung-fu set list.  But do yourself a favor:  don’t just skip to the good parts.

 

Released on Blu-ray as a double-feature, both films look particularly good with the sequel perhaps having a slight edge in quality.  Extras include interviews with Cory Yuen and writer Jeff Lau, audio commentary with Chris Poggiali and trailers.

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