Unlike the more philosophical Wong Fei-hung, Jet Li's Hung Hei-kwun is a brooding, intense figure hardened by tragedy. He speaks very little, letting his actions and his mastery of the spear talk for him.
The plot of The New Legend of Shaolin is a whirlwind tour of its many influences. It opens with a direct, though darkly humorous, homage to the Japanese Lone Wolf and Cub series. Our hero, Hung Hei-kwun (Jet Li), a member of the Shaolin Temple's resistance against the corrupt Qing government, returns to his village after a failed uprising to find his family slaughtered, his home in ruin. The sole survivor is his infant son, Man Ting (Xie Miao). In a cruel parody of the "sword or ball" choice from the original manga, Hung places a toy and a sword before his son, promising to send him to the afterlife if he chooses the toy, or to raise him as a warrior of vengeance if he chooses the sword. The baby instinctively grabs the blade, setting their bloody path. Jet Li Movies The New Legend Of Shaolin
Jet Li’s weapon of choice in this film is a collapsible iron spear. Li’s real-world background as a multi-time Chinese National Wushu Champion shines brightest during the spear forms. The speed, precision, and geometric beauty of his spear work contrast sharply against the chaotic, superhuman fighting style of his mutated arch-rival, Ma Ning-er, who drives around in a bizarre, iron-plated combat car. Pint-Sized Powerhouses Unlike the more philosophical Wong Fei-hung, Jet Li's
The New Legend of Shaolin is not the most famous Jet Li movie, but it might be the most rewatchable . It has everything a martial arts fan craves: It opens with a direct, though darkly humorous,