After going through a series of tragic events in his life, martial arts master Huo Yuanjia returns to Tianjin and must fight four international soldiers, in order to safeguard his nation's pride.
Stunts
Jet Li performed his own fights at 42, peak physical poetry.
Cinematography
Each bout shot like a living scroll painting.
Direction
Ronny Yu balances bone-crunch with Buddhist stillness.
Director
Ronny Yu
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Jet Li intended this as his definitive martial arts statement, donating his salary to charity — a symbolic 'retirement' from the genre that he later broke for expendables cash.
The real Huo Yuanjia's life was far more politically messy; the film sanitizes his opium use and messy death to craft a national hero myth that modern China still embraces.
CN
HK
