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Fearless
Rogue Pictures


8.6

based on 24 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 42 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

FILM:

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for violence and martial arts action throughout

Starring Jet Li, Nakamura Shido, Dong Yong, Betty Sun, Nathan Jones, Collin Chou, Bao Qijing, and Masato Harada

Jet Li's Fearless reunites the actor and marital arts superstar with producer Bill Kong ("Hero") and action choreographer Yuen Wo Ping ("Unleashed") as he portrays martial arts legend Huo Yuanjia, who became the most famous fighter in all of China at the turn of the 20th Century. (Rogue Pictures)

GENRE(S):	Action \| Drama \| Foreign
WRITTEN BY:	Chris Chow
DIRECTED BY:	Ronny Yu
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: December 19, 2006 Theatrical: September 22, 2006
RUNNING TIME:	103 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	Hong Kong / USA
LANGUAGE(S):	Japanese / English / Mandarin (with English subtitles)

Original title "Huo Yuan Jia"; Also known as "Jet Li's Fearless"

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

Much of the film's virtue lies in its straight-ahead narrative and uncomplicated morality. That and the undeniable charisma and virtuosity of its star.

Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek

There's something grand and enveloping about Fearless.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

Li plays haughty, brilliant wushu master Huo Yuanjia, whose recklessness leads to tragedy after he becomes a champion at the end of the 19th century.

Portland Oregonian M. E. Russell

Though it somehow manages to be a movie about inner peace with crazy, incredibly staged fight scenes every 10 minutes, it is, first and foremost, a movie about inner peace.

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

Billed as Li's final martial arts epic (would that Jackie Chan be so thoughtful), Fearless is fittingly peripatetic, finding the Hong Kong superstar ricocheting across the screen.

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

With the exception of one sequence, this PG-13 movie is so youth-friendly that I thought I might take my 10-year-old. But that sequence, upsetting for those of any age, makes the movie better suited for mature 12-year-olds and older.

Boston Globe Leighton Klein

Call it "Jet Li's Wushu Retirement Party."

Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington

One of those corny, lusciously mounted, almost predictably thrill-packed action movies you can't help but like.

Premiere Monica A. Reyhani

Despite some amusing jabs at America's influence on traditional China, this film leaves even this American viewer feeling oddly patriotic (or maybe just wishing she lived in China.)

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

Li's performance is stronger here than it has been in previous films.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

The final scenes pack a surprising melodramatic punch.

The Hollywood Reporter Megan Lehmann

Witty choreography juices the pedestrian plot of Fearless, an earnest and technically accomplished biopic in which action star Jet Li flexes his limited dramatic muscles to portray kung fu master Huo Yuanjia.

Variety Derek Elley

Manages to pack a satisfying emotional punch.

The New York Times Nathan Lee

Fearless sustains the tradition of ethically inflected Chinese action movies.

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

Contrary to some reports, this is not Jet Li's last action movie--he already has another in postproduction--but it represents his farewell to wushu, the martial-arts tradition that made him an international star.

Film Threat Felix Vasquez, Jr.

The theme behind Fearless is utterly simplistic, but universal: violence begets violence. It's a never ending cycle that becomes more and more vicious, until someone decides to stop it. It's a worthy final installment.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Keith Phipps

It's as subtle as a spinning kick, but some films aren't built for subtlety.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold

As the very traditional hero, Li keeps us riveted through the fisticuffs, and he also carries off the film's heavier dramatic moments well enough -- though, as always, his lack of a strong personality prevents the movie from ever genuinely catching fire.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

A lavish biopic that gives Li one of his juiciest roles but is relatively light on the action his fans have come to expect.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Stephen Cole

Rallies in the last reel.

Washington Post Stephen Hunter

It's handsome, well-populated and offers beautiful scenery and settings. But "House of Flying Daggers" it ain't; maybe "House of Fallen Arches"?

Village Voice Luke Y. Thompson

This is an action movie, and people don't come to be preached to; the "Terminator" flicks also favored world peace but didn't pause the action for nearly an hour to rub it in.

San Francisco Chronicle Peter Hartlaub

The movie is an enjoyable but flawed attempt at an epic story, with too much of the best action concentrated in the beginning.

Miami Herald Peter Debruge

The truth is, Jet Li has gotten soft in his old age. While fans of the "Once Upon a Time in China" star will be pleased to learn that at least half of Fearless is action, what they may not realize is just how mushy everything else is.

The average user rating for this movie is 8.6 (out of 10) based on 42 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Joao S. gave it a9:
Just loved it. Very good action scenes and story.

Yu C gave it a10:
A good film, good fight scenes, and I liked every part of it. Someone said the ending could be better, first things first "This is based on a True story". They can't go changing what happened in the real legend even though is loosely based on it, the real person died at the end due to poison and is a key part to what has happened. The proper Chinese title of the film Huo Yuan Jia (not fearless) is the actual name of the real legend happened in china and the martial art school he made still stands in china. Gabor in his review he didnt like Crouching Tider style films. Well one Chinese kung fu films has always been made in that way for decades is the way usually done and two Crouching Tiger's style is completely different style to Fearless'. If you watch enough asian films and drama you will understand what I mean.

Jim A. gave it a9:
One more usual movie with martial arts. That was my first thought about the film but I was completely wrong. This film is much more different than the the rest of this kind. It has a lot of surprises and a big value of different scenes. Furthermore the end of the movie completes the hole plot with a very interersting way!

Mike H. gave it a9:
I watched the director's cut (Which has around an extra 20 minutes of footage I think) of this and thought it was excellent, wasn't exactly fight after fight throughout the whole movie like I first thought which I liked, solid plot and excellent acting throughout, lasted two hours twenty minutes but I loved every bit of it, just one of those movies where you just sat back and let the movie take you in and wanted it to keep on going, truly stunning, I have watched movies like Hero and House of Flying Daggers but this seemed to be different in it's 'feel' and was overall better in my opinion, it just came across as much more beautiful and meaningful, if this really is Jet Li's final Martial Arts movie then it is truly an excellent one to go out on.

Sam gave it a9:
A great visual action movie with minimal special affects & wires. Ranks within the top 3 martial arts movies produced, even though I'm not a Jet Li fan. The action shots are mostly realistic and a good performance for the actors. Great movie to watch with the boys.

John B. gave it an8:
It's everything you would expect from Jet Li, and yes, it is cliche but good nonetheless. I definitely recommend seeing this movie if you like martial arts films.

Gabor A. gave it a3:
Loaded with just about every asian epic cliche. The plot is really just ten other movie compacted. Can't we bring something else over seas for a change? I know for a fact good movies are made in asia, but all we get are these Crouching Tiger formula followers. Oh, and Crouching Tiger sucked.

Fearless Rogue Pictures

Fearless
Rogue Pictures