Fong Sai-Yuk

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Ronnie M Great Martial Arts Fun Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/07/24 Full Review Matthew D The most hectically paced and hilariously funny film I've seen in years! Hong Kong director Corey Yuen's martial arts action-comedy film The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk (1993) is hysterical! It's a total farce and well worth seeking out. Yuen's martial arts choreography is impressive, creative, and entertaining as he lets Jet Li and both actresses perform astonishing displays of kung fu. Yuen's direction dazzles with a breakneck pace, outrageous joke after joke, and cute romantic scenes with tons of stylish visuals. There is not a second wasted as we fly from comedy sequence to action sequence with reckless abandon. The wire work alone is beyond comprehension. You've never seen a martial arts film with this lightning fast pace. I'm so glad Jet Li executive produced The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk. What a bonkers movie. I loved this one! Writers Jeff Lau Chun-Wai, Kin Chung Chan, and Kevin Tsai craft a simple and effective story of an evil emperor, two fierce mothers who know kung fu, two furious fathers, a brutal governor, a faithful son who knows kung fu, and the girl who loves him. Jet Li is hilarious, heroic, and cool as the Chinese folk hero Fong Sai-yuk. His pole staff swings, rope whip attacks, furious punches, amazing kicks, high jumps, and swift movements are amazing. It's easy to see why Jet Li was arguably the greatest Tai Chi master alive back then. Jet Li displays tender emotional drama, absurdist comedy acting, daring martial arts prowess, and sheer charisma as the lead Fong Sai-yuk. The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk is like Jet Li doing a Jackie Chan style action-comedy. Josephine Siao steals the show as Jet Li's ferocious and hilarious mother Miu Tsui-fa. She's gorgeous and compelling, but her kung fu skills are somehow as impressive, fast, and versatile as Jet Li in his physical prime. You'll never forget her fast talking and funny gags besides her goddess speed movements. I just adore her now! Vincent Zhao's ruthless villain the Governor of Nine Gates is a formidable foe for Jet Li to fight in two of the wildest duels in martial arts history. The first with pole staffs is hilarious, then the outrageous under the stage fight is even crazier. Paul Chu is fun as Jet's principled father Fong Tak. Michelle Reis is super cute and playful as Jet Li's romantic interest Lui Ting Ting. She's very sweet and fun opposite Jet Li and brings out his sweet side. Sibelle Hu is lovely and astounding as Ting Ting's martial arts loving mother Siu-wan. She gets all these lesbian jokes that are a scream. Her kung fu is as dazzling as Josephine Siao. Chen Sung-young is a riot as the fearsome Tiger Lui, who is Ting Ting's rich father trying to marry her off. Adam Cheng's finale cameo as Master Chan is a great ridiculous moment. Editor Peter Cheung's ultra fast cuts keeps an insanely quick pace for a very brisk 106 minutes. Cinematographers Jingle Ma Choh-Sing and Chi Ying Chan shoot tons of strange angles, so that we get tons of wide shot and close-up coverage of each outrageous kung fu battle. The wide shots are carefully framed to look nice, but the close-up shots are truly striking. Production designer Ann Hui's lavish sets are stunning. Art director Man Hung Lau lingers on dragon tapestries and tea pots for a charming Chinese period aesthetic. Choreographers Corey Yuen and Richard Yuen Tak give Jet Li, Josephine Siao, Sibelle Hu, and Vincent Zhao incredibly complex kung fu moves. It's like fast paced dances for these fights that focus on getting a laugh out of you as much as jaw-dropping speed. Composers Romeo Díaz, James Wong, and Mark Lui use pretty synths and idyllic classical string arrangements for a serene film score. Costume designers Huang Baorong and Shirley Chan Koo-Fong craft breathtaking robes and dresses with immaculate detail and vibrant colors. In short, The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk is an early classic from Jet Li with marvelous ladies fighting alongside him! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/07/24 Full Review Audience Member Get the proper, Hong Kong version, which is ten minutes longer and also not irritatingly dubbed! This film is made great by the comedy (most particularly the relationship the hero has with his doting kung-fu mum) as well as some marvellous choreography. Much more enjoyable than the Once Upon A Time in China films. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member Is this the one where Jet Li punches people? And there aren't any rappers in it? Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Nice movie with great fighting scenes but also with a lot of humour. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Audience Member THE STORY IS FUN AND A JOY TO WATCH. WITH SOME OF JET LI'S HIGH ACTION MARTIAL ARTS THAT IS BLEND OF COMEDY AND FAST ACTION MOVES. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Fong Sai-Yuk

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