Jet Li’sFist of Legendfound a surprising sequel inLegend of the Fist: Return of Chen Zhen, a superhero movie starring Donnie Yen. Over the years, Jet Li emerged as one of the biggest kung fu movie stars, with his biggest contributions to the genre occurring largely in the 1990s. Among them wasFist of Legend, a 1994 period piece in which Jet Li’s character is caught in the middle of a dojo war between Chinese and Japanese martial artists.
Renowned for its intense martial arts sequences,Fist of Legendhas since developed a reputation as one ofJet Li’s best movies. Not only that, but a strong case can also be made that it’s one of thegreatest martial arts movies of the 1990s. But though its ending left the door open for a follow-up installment, Jet Li never reprised his role fromFist of Legend, leaving it a standalone entry in his career. However, the film did receive a sequel, albeit one that came 16 years later and courtesy of a different martial arts icon.
Return Of Chen Zhen Focuses On A Character Played By Both Bruce Lee & Jet Li
But It’s The Jet Li Version That Donnie Yen Portrays In The Movie
Released in 2010,Legend of the Fist: Return of Chen Zhenbrought the Chen Zhen character back to the big screen, making it his third major movie appearance. After all, Chen Zhen didn’t originate withFist of Legend; rather, the character was a product ofFist of Fury,a 1971 kung fu movie starring Bruce Lee.Fist of Legendwas a remake of that film thatreplaced Bruce Lee with Jet Li in the role of Chen Zhen, the martial artist who comes home after his master has mysteriously died. But though there were multiple versions of Chen Zhen’s story before the 2010 movie, it’s no secret which story it’s continuing.
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Fist of Furyended on a tragic note, killing off Bruce Lee’s Chen Zhen, in a wave of gunfire.Fist of Legend, on the other hand, saw Chen Zhen fake his death and successfully make his way out of Shanghai.Return of Chen Zhenevidently takes place a few years later, and follows Chen Zhen after he discreetly returns to Shanghai under a false identity. In the movie, Donnie Yen’s character is on a mission to help the Chinese underground rebels battle Japanese invaders. He goes about this by donning a mask and operating as a vigilante under the cover of night.
Despite Being Completely Different, Return Of Chen Zhen Honors Fist of Legend’s Biggest Theme
Return Of Chen Zhen Offers A Superhero Slant On Jet Li’s Character
The pathLegend of the Fist: Return of Chen Zhentakes its titular protagonist clearly distinguishes it from the original film. Much likeFist of Fury,Fist of Legendwas a standard martial arts action movie, whereas Return of Chen Zhen is more of a superhero movie with martial arts elements. It has all the hallmarks of a superhero film; Chen Zhen may not have actual powers, but there’s absolutely a “superhuman” feel to the character, considering that no one seems to be a match for him. He even has a costume, an alter ego, people trying to figure out his true identity, and, of course, a selfless agenda to save people in need.
Donnie Yen’s take on the character keeps that theme alive, as Chen Zhen is once again depicted as a symbol of hope for the Chinese people in the face of the Japanese occupation of Shanghai.
But even with the superhero aspect of the story,Legend of the Fist: Return of Chen Zhenstill manages to retain the spirit ofFist of Legend.While Li’s character wasn’t a superhero, he did represent Chinese resistance to Japanese oppression in the early 20th century. Donnie Yen’s take on the character keeps that theme alive, as Chen Zhen is once again depicted as a symbol of hope for the Chinese people in the face of the Japanese occupation of Shanghai.
Return Of Chen Zhen Wasn’t Donnie Yen’s First Time Playing The Character
Donnie Yen Played A Bruce Lee Inspired Version of Chen Zhen In A 1995 Hong Kong TV Series
Even though it was Jet Li’s role beforehand, Donnie Yen was a fitting casting choice forLegend of the Fist: Return of Chen Zhen’slead character. After all, the actor was already familiar with the character, having played him in a TV series. Before Yen’s evolution into a high-profile martial arts star,Yen portrayed Chen Zhen in a 1995 TV series aptly titledFist of Fury.The show came off the heels ofFist of Legend, which had released just one year prior.
UnlikeReturn of Chen Zhen, the 30-episode Hong Kong series was not a sequel or a continuation ofFist of Legend.Existing in a separate continuity, it pressed the reset button on the story, going back before the plot of the originalFist of Furyand showcasing Chen Zhen’s relationship withHuo Yuanjia, the martial arts masterwhose death served as the catalyst to the stories of both the Bruce Lee and Jet Li movies. Thanks to the show and the movie that proceeded it by decades, Donnie Yen had an opportunity to play the iconic Jet Li and Bruce Lee character across multiple stages of his life.
