True Legend (4 Stars)

Su Chun was a successful general. In reward for his services he was offered the post of governor, but he turned it down, recommending that his adopted brother Yuan be made governor instead.

Five years later Su has retired and is living with his wife and son. He spends his days practising the Wu Shu fighting style. Yuan returns home for the first time in five years and kills his father by adoption to take revenge for him killing his real father. He also wounds Su and takes his son prisoner. Su and his wife spend two years in the mountains while Su recovers his strength and refines his martial arts. While there Su becomes addicted to alcohol and gets drunk on wine every day.

The film is then divided into two parts. In the first part Su battles his brother to get his son back. In the process his wife is killed, and he reacts by completely succumbing to alcohol and living as a beggar. In the second part Su wanders to the northern border of China, where he finds his countrymen being slaughtered for sport by English fighters. He fights against them using a "Drunken Fist" fighting style.

I have mixed feelings about the film. It's obviously meant to be taken seriously, but the fight scenes seem like a parody. How can someone who is drunk win fights against skilled opponents? In the final battle Su Chun stands drinking more wine while waiting for his opponents to attack, and then carefully balances the wine jug in one hand while hitting them with his other fist.

Click here to view the trailer.