Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- propulsive
- patriotic
- stylized
- action movie night
- martial arts marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film uneven and confusing, while praising its action sequences and Donnie Yen's performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Chen Zhen disguises himself as a caped fighter by night while infiltrating criminal and Japanese-aligned networks.
The film combines traditional martial arts resistance with a Hollywood-influenced masked hero and explicitly confronts Japanese occupation.
Chen Zhen befriends a local mafia boss and enters the organization to uncover its alliance with the Japanese.
Donnie Yen's performance and the film's kinetic martial arts sequences are its defining cinematic attraction.
Films like Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen, and why
Ip Man
Hong Kong martial arts action, patriotic heroism, and a disguised vigilante protagonist
Fist of Fury
Period-set martial arts spectacle centered on national identity and resistance to Japanese aggression
Once Upon a Time in China
Stylized Hong Kong action, undercover crime infiltration, and superhero-like vigilantism
Movie Details
- Director
- Andrew Lau Wai-Keung
- Release Date
- 2010-09-01
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (467)
Cast
- Donnie Yen
- Shu Qi
- Anthony Wong Chau-Sang
- Huang Bo
- Huo Siyan
- Angela Jiajia Chen
- Zhou Yang
- Ryu Kohata
- Ryohei Kurosawa
- Yasuaki Kurata
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Hi-YAH, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Hi-YAH Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen about?
- A presumed-dead martial arts hero returns to occupied Shanghai, infiltrating a crime syndicate while waging a masked campaign against collaborators and assassins.
- What is Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen as graphic.
- What did critics think of Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen?
- Critics broadly found the film uneven and confusing, while praising its action sequences and Donnie Yen's performance.
- Which films are like Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen?
- Films with a similar feel include Ip Man, Fist of Fury, and Once Upon a Time in China.
- How long is Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen?
- Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen?
- In United States, Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen streams on Amazon Prime Video, Hi-YAH, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Hi-YAH Amazon Channel.
