'Legend' feels more like a game

Set in China during the Qing Dynasty, the film rapidly skips past history lessons and jumps head-first into the kung fu fighting, but else would we expect with a master of these sequences sitting behind the camera?

Based on a Chinese character on which he has worked three times already, Yuen didn't need to do much homework. His 1978 film, “Drunken Master,” was an instant classic and launched the career of Jackie Chan.

Here we again see the drunkenness, but at least the style is more engaging. Choosing the lead, Vincent Zhao, for his fighting skills alone, it appears Yuen is still doing what he knows best, action directing. Having worked on films such as “The Matrix” and “Kill Bill” as well as the 1978 classic, “In The Eagle's Shadow,” it is surprising to watch Beggar Su's story unfold as if it were a copy of the Jet Li picture, “Fearless.” While the latter followed through with its punches, here it's just a lot of hot air and cardboard box sound effects.

Su is a rich and prosperous man living who unfortunately loses his wealth due to a conspiracy to ruin his reputation. He is forced out onto the streets and becomes a beggar, dedicating his life to martial arts and emerging as a local hero, the “King of Beggars.” Returning to his wife Ying (Xun Zhou) and young son, he confronts Ying's evil brother Yuang (Andy On) who has never forgiven Su's father for killing his own father. Yuang, a master of the five deadly fists, kills Su's father and takes his own sister and Su's son hostage.

Su is saved by Ying after Yuang poisons him, while a healer (Michelle Yeoh) assists. Recovering, but broken in spirit, Su turns to alcohol. Ironically, here he finds his 'spirit' again and is back in training, assisted by the white-bearded, 'eyebrows' actor Gordon Liu and a god of Wushu (Jay Chou), who do battle with him in his drunken imagination.

Four classic kung fu battles and one 'mountain training' sequence make up the fight sequences for the overly familiar and clichéd storyline. “True Legend” offers little else worth mentioning.

Andy On's villainous Yuan Lie has a creepy, cartoonish feel, crossing the border of incest to evoke a creepy and emotionally defunct climatic fight scene, which for some odd reason, appears in the middle of the feature. His character even has armor plates sewn into his skin. It's also distracting that one of his guards sounds like a chicken being plucked as she is struck by Su.

After the main plot is out of the way, we're inclined to roll over and go to sleep, unless something reignites interest in the film, other than more fighting. However that's all there is, and nothing remarkable is included in the ending other than some superior drunken-style kung fu reminiscent of the previously mentioned “Drunken Master,” and an appearance by the late David Carradine.

Partly filmed in 3-D, the film has icons that inform the audience when to wear their 3-D specs. While this does bring some enjoyment to the big screen, overall this seems quite ridiculous and makes the experience feel more like a game than a movie.

Unfortunately, the narrative also adds to the game-like feel; 30 seconds of substance followed by 20 minutes of action. One minute you think you are watching a realistic movie and the next it becomes a fantastical adventure. There's a lack of plot that causes the scenes to feel quite choppy and disconnected.

If you stumbled into this film halfway through, you wouldn't understand the intermittent storyline amidst the fighting. However, the biggest disappointments are the action sequences. The effects of the drinking take the plot to another level of ridiculousness with moves that seem like breakdancing. Despite the hard-hitting scenes, this movie is let down by its less than coherent plot.

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