Review of Fists Of Legends 2: Iron Bodyguard

Introduction

The original `Fists of Legends` was one of the best martial arts movies of recent times, and starred now Hollywood big-shot Jet Li. This sequel, some nine years later, unsurprisingly loses the A listed star from its ranks, and replaces him with a namesake, Jet Lee. Clever marketing or just coincidence? I don`t know, but it sure deceived me into a false sense of hype. Of course it didn`t take long for me to realize I was watching some cheap ass Chinese guy, with this movie being his only credited film role, ever. Clever marketing, I`m damn sure.

Video

Every damn Asian DVD I`ve ever seen, have had the most awful transfers, and guess what? It`s no different! This is quite appalling, as the image appears blurred throughout, and the colours aren`t very well defined. I`m glad I don`t have to deal with these discs often. This literally looks like something a p*** head brought up after a night out and a curry.

Audio

The dubbed soundtrack is well done, and the dialogue doesn`t sound as stupid as some translated releases. Which is a relief, because for some reason they`re aren`t any sub-titles evident with this release. So that gives you a decent soundtrack over a turd-like transfer.

Features

There isn`t a whole lot worthy of going into detail with to be honest. The packaging of the disc tries to sell off `moving menus` & `scene selections` as special features, so you kind of get the idea of what were looking at here. There is an introduction from Jet Li, yes Li, as he was attached to this project in some way or another, albeit not in an acting role.

There`s a whole lot of static goodness going on here, with production stills & galleries galore, with a few interviews & a trailer to round-up the shoddy extras side of things.

Conclusion

Some of the action is very well choreographed, and the film isn`t half bad. There are plenty of moments where you`ll do good to glance away from the screen, as limbs break with devastating effect. That said, the plot is none-existent, as the action scenes just keep coming & coming, and the repetition sets in. Thankfully, the inexperienced actors don`t ruin the experience, as they rely purely on their abilities as fighters to entertain. To a degree, this is fun, but it has an audience and anybody outside of that audience should stay well clear of it.