Arrow Video: New Fist of Fury (1976) - Reviewed

Images courtesy of Arrow Video

Who would’ve thought legendary martial artist screen legend Bruce Lee and particularly Fist of Fury director Lo Wei vicariously had a hand in launching the career of then stuntman Jackie Chan?  Well, in 1976, years after Lee’s passing with the prospect of directing a sequel New Fist of Fury falling into Wei’s lap, the filmmaker and Chan collaborated on what became the actor’s first real leading role in a major motion picture.  In the pantheon of Bruceploitation knockoffs, many of which were covered by the Movie Sleuth, New Fist of Fury is one of the few official direct sequels to a Bruce Lee film.  While not nearly as strong as the Lee films preceding it, it nevertheless was an important stepping-stone for Chan’s eventual foray into the action film universe.

 
In Shanghai, 1910, the Jing Wu martial arts school is facing dissolution after Chen Zhen (Bruce Lee glimpsed in brief flashbacks) dies and his fiancée Li Er (Nora Miao from the first film) takes refuge inside Japanese occupied Taiwan at her grandfather’s martial arts school.  However, local karate master Okimura (Chan Sing) is himself threatening to take over all the Chinese run martial arts academies in Taiwan, throwing a wrench into Li Er’s efforts to go into hiding.  During this, a young thieving drifter Ah Long (Jackie Chan) strikes a bond with Li Er after inadvertently pilfering the late Chen Zhen’s nunchaku and soon finds new purpose in becoming the key martial arts student in the group who will lead the mutiny against the encroaching Japanese and mercenary Okimura.

 
One of the few Jackie Chan vehicles not chock full with his trademark humor, even going for some considerably darker notes than moviegoers later accustomed to Chan’s comic relief are used to, New Fist of Fury is an otherwise solid and at times tense martial arts actioner showcasing the early talents of its central star.  Startlingly anti-Japanese for the period being depicted, the film is a bit of a waiting game as Jackie Chan’s character needs time to train and we find ourselves getting somewhat restless.  Despite beautiful period cinematography of the Taiwanese landscapes and schoolyard grounds and a decent original period score by Yung-Yu Chen reminiscent of like minded Shaw Brothers productions, New Fist of Fury despite its importance to Jackie Chan’s career is a little sluggish.

 
Curiously after initially flopping in China and further after the emergence of Jackie Chan as a comic action movie star, the film was reedited in 1980, excising some forty minutes of footage in an effort to lighten up the tone and speed things up to no avail.  For posterity, Arrow Video in their special limited edition blu-ray release have included both versions fully restored replete with separate audio commentaries for each film.  Mostly a footnote in the Jackie Chan saga only serious Chan die hards will be inclined to seek out and among the few halfway decent official post mortem Bruce Lee sequels, the film won’t wow viewers later accustomed to Chan’s mixture of comedy and action.  But for those keen on seeing where it all started, look no further than New Fist of Fury.  Whichever version you wind up watching, you will more or less get to see Jackie Chan flex his screen muscles in the leading role for the very first time.

--Andrew Kotwicki