Fearless

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.