I usually avoid trailers for martial arts film altogether because, let's face it, it's not too hard to make even the worse film in this genre look mind-blowing and cool in an two-minute trailer. And while the fight choreography in Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zen indeed looks awesome, I was struck more by the chaotic opening war scene and the gorgeous period detail here, both of which set this one way ahead of the pack. At least as far as trailers go. Also, the director of Infernal Affairs, the original Hong Kong version of The Departed, is in charge here, so maybe we can expect a fun, convoluted narrative to compliment the action?
Here, superstar Donnie Yen plays Chen Zen, the character originally portrayed by Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury. I can't really tell whether this is a sequel, a remake or uh, a "reboot?" I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter. What matters is that Zen was wronged during the war and somehow makes up for it in Post-War Hong Kong by donning a mask that looks straight out of the The Green Hornet (or a burglar cartoon) and doing awesome stunts.
There are gangsters involved, and also a woman, but based on Infernal Affairs, I'm not even going to try to sort out the plot right now. I will say that Yen actually looks even more fun out of costume, donning a playful, stoic demeanor, and not speaking too much. My only caveat right now is that I'm not positive that the movie can possibly be as cool as this trailer. One way to find out, I suppose.
Verdict: Sold.