Fist of Legend (1994)
Director - Gordon Chan
DVD Released by : Dimension
Player reviewed with : Sony S3000
Receiver reviewed with : Sony 925
Features:
Scene Access
2.0 Dolby Surround
Widescreen (1.85:1)
Running Time : 103 mins
Jet Li stars in this classic movie which is a retelling of the story of the character Bruce Lee portrayed in FISTS OF FURY. While attending school in Japan, Jet Li finds out that his master has been killed in a match against a Japanese master. He returns home to find that his master lost not because the other master was more skilled, but because he was poisoned before the match, by order of a Japanese general. Jet is framed when the Japanese Master is killed but is exonerated when his Japanese girlfriend testifies for him. He returns to his school only to find that he is shunned because his girlfriend is Japanese yet admired at the same time for his skill. When the Japanese Master who is ordered by the General to fight the master of Jet's school and refuses, Jet must battle the general himself.
DVD Released by : Ritek
Player reviewed with : Sony S3000
Receiver reviewed with : Sony 925
Features:
Chapter selection
English and Chinese Subtitles
Mandarin Soundtrack
Running Time : 106 mins

This movie is an absolute must to see if you are a Jet Li fan. If you want the DVD, you have two choices. The Buena Vista English dubbed and cut version or the Ritek, uncut, Mandarin language only soundtrack. I would have to say I recommend the Ritek over the Buena Vista.

The picture quality of the Ritek DVD isn't as good as the Buena Vista version. That was to be expected. The Ritek DVD is a little darker and has specks on the film at times. The specks seem to be worse at the beginning of the movie but thankfully they are all but gone after a while. The picture overall isn't bad. The subtitles are burned in the picture and sometimes go off the screen but they are always readable against what background they are on.

The sound is one of the major differences between the two versions. The Buena Vista version is dubbed in English and is totally re-scored. The Ritek features a Mandarin only soundtrack but retains the original music. The soundtrack is fairly clean and comes from the front speakers. The original soundtrack was in Cantonese so either choice is a compromise. The Ritek does have the original music which is a big a plus. This does affect the mood of the movie and you will notice a big difference when you watch both. It probably wouldn't be so bad if Buena Vista just put English dialogue in but they changed the whole soundtrack.

The sub-titles in the Ritek version many times differ even from what is spoken on the Buena Vista disc and it's not just choice of words. The subtitles are heavier on the political side of things with the Japanese and Chinese and what is happening at the time. The Buena Vista disc almost portrays the Japanese Master that Jet battles blind folded as a mentor to him. The Japanese Master even gives him advice. The subtitles definitely show that the Master is a man of honor but it shows the two to be more like equals.

The Ritek DVD is uncut. The scene that is cut out of the Buena Vista version is one of Tang Yan smoking opium at the brothel. It shows a vulnerable side to him and he expresses his feelings for his girlfriend. Though not essential to the plot, it gives his character depth.

If you are a fan of the movie, I would strongly recommend the Ritek version. The plus side is that you have the uncut movie with the original music and subtitles. The down side is that there is no Cantonese track and the picture sometimes looks a little worn. With the Buena Vista version, the plus side is that the picture looks good, but that's it. I felt like the Ritek version was a different movie at times. The Buena Vista disc really downplayed the political elements of the story and changed the mood of the movie for me.

Buena Vista gives us an English dubbed version of this classic. The original soundtrack is totally gone. The music, sound effects and dialogue are all new. After viewing the Ritek release, I noticed this severely changes the mood of the movie.

The picture quality is very good on this DVD. It's not perfect as some dark scenes look a little blurry but the colors and brightness are pretty much on the money. The picture is the best thing about this DVD.

The sound is 2.0 Dolby Surround and the movie is dubbed in English. The sound level also seemed pretty low. I had to turn the receiver up a bit to get a decent sound. The dubbing at times is distracting. The dubbing also changes the mood of the story. The political element is toned down and the Japanese Master that Jet fights blindfolded towards the end almost seems to be his mentor.

Dimension has lost me if they can't start providing original soundtracks. If this was the only version available, it would be worth getting just because of the picture quality. If you prefer English dubbing, by all means get this but also be aware that the story content is changed slightly. If you can't get the Ritek version, the Dimension DVD is the only other choice unless you can get lucky and find the laser disc.

FIST OF LEGEND is a very good example of what can be changed when a movie is dubbed. It's not just the choice of words in this case. Character relationships and an important theme in the movie is altered.

Ritek
Ritek
Ritek
Ritek
Dimension
Dimension
Dimension