Well, I've just got back from an early afternoon screening of the movie that is being billed, and advertised as the very last Jet Li martial arts movie. That movie is Fearless, aka Jet Li's Fearless AKA Huo Yuan Jia after the lead character. Look for the film to hit theaters stateside September 2006.

I'm a fan of the man they call Jet Li, and I'm embarrassed to reveal that the first movie that I had seen with Li in was Lethal Weapon 4. I know, I know, but I'll back myself up by saying that I went back and saw his earlier films, like Once Upon a Time in China etc. I loved what I saw, and I've been a huge fan ever since. So, here we have Fearless, and for the moment, let's discard the fact that this may or may not be his last martial arts actioner and concentrate on the material.

The true story revolves around Li's character, Huo Yuanjia, who was the founder of the famous Jin Wu Sports Federation. From humble beginnings to exceptional achievement, Yuanjia encounters personal tragedy, emotional torment and determination and unbelievable strength from within. The film charts his rise to becoming the greatest martial artist of the early twentieth century.

I'm going to throw this out there and compare this movie to the Batman myth. Li's Yuanjia suffers huge personal tragedy, leaves his surroundings of Shanghai and takes exile in a small community where he finds himself once more, only to return stronger and mightier than before. There's even the 'Alfred' type family figure in there, who is still around on Yuanjia's return. Of course, being a true story, Fearless goes a lot deeper than that, but it shares a lot of themes of the comics and films of the Caped Crusader.

It's a superb little story, and I really can't believe the same guy that directed Freddy Vs. Jason, helmed this. It's a huge, epic movie and Yu has managed to draw a superb, emotional, but taut performance from Li and his co-stars.

The fight scenes come thick and fast, right from the bat, and although the film sags a third or so in, it fully redeems itself by the third act. The martial arts scenes are possibly some of the best that I have seen on screen, and if this does indeed turn out to be Li's swan song, then it's not a bad way to bow out. The film's climactic scenes are also very fitting if the rumours are true that we won't see Mr Li kicking arse in the same way on screen again. Pity.