Reviewed By-Paul Cooke
Director : Donnie Yen
Scripted : Donnie Yen , Chin Kong Hon & Lui Tak Wai
Starring : Donnie Yen , Ben Lam , Carman Lee ,
Edmund Leung & Chi Wah Wong

Donnie Yen's behind the camera debut with ‘ Legend Of The Wolf ’is far from a Directorial howler , in fact it turns out to be a very well made and competent fight flick entertaining enough for fans of both old school Golden Harvest styled productions and the frenetic sword play Action frenzies of modern Chinese Cinema. Opening at a heart pounding pace which immediately propels its audience into a violent fight sequence involving Donnie Yen's character, Fung Man-hin. Battling for all his worth in striving to save a pretty young woman , whom we later discover to be the love of his life , from local bandits & hoodlums. All manner of sharp edged weaponry is viciously used against our hero and the blood squirts in plentiful gushes , along with the  loping off of heads with such regularity that even King Henry The Eighth would do well to compete !. The frantic furore culminates in Fung Man-hin being thrown clear of the attacking hoard , ousted through the side of the building in which the affray plays out . The story jumps forward about twenty years to the present day , a time in which an arrogant young man seeks out the services of the legendary Wolf , where along with his companion and sidekick from those earlier times Fung Man-hin offers out his services for payment. ‘ Legend of the Wolf ’ is unravelled in several flashbacks as we discover that Fung Man-hin loses his memory following the brawl yet within him he has the burning desire to seek out a beautiful woman His quest brings him back to his home land wherein he meets for the first time his trusted sidekick to be , as well as the love of his life once more but tragically his memory of her does not exist. There are one or two short displays of Fung Man-hin's fighting skills as the characters are drawn and story developed , but it is later when his new sidekick witnesses first hand the true biting power of The Wolf is unleashed. Whilst travelling together through the wooded lands another spectacular showdown of ferocious tenacity occurs , attacked by some bandits the two companions defend themselves. What follows is a blistering blur of relentless combat which sees the protagonists wiped out in a formidable display of astonishing fighting capabilities. Bones are cracked and heads fly as blade upon blade slices through flesh , all in a display of arterial venting as blood syphons out towards screen in a bouquet of claret. The leader of the group of bandits becomes conscious that Fung Man-hin has returned , just as he in turn is falling in love once more with the destiny of his life even though still oblivious to the life together once shared. Marauding bandits attack the villagers in search of Fung Man-hin capturing his true love which sparks the fury within him. The Wolf is unleashed with full fury as the final showdown unifies all concerned in a fight to the death with tyranny on trial and judgment at hand. The enraged Fung Man-hin is with his rage enlightened of thought and his memory returns to him , as he discovers the truth behind his forgotten past. Startling revelations unravel with cause and affect to him and his newly found again love , as well as those around him.

The final fight sequence is one of the most astonishingly energetic pieces of choreography put to film as it plays out for a staggering twenty minutes !.With bodies falling all around and the blood flowing throughout against a backdrop of human bodily pounding’s , occurring with a manic aberration amazingly displayed by fast editing that brings the Action right out into the face of its audience, so much so that you’ll need a sponge down come closure. The awe inducing intoxication brought on by proceedings is guaranteed to grip like a narcotic drug , requiring viewing patrons to be weened off in the reflective hours to follow. Long after staggering across the living room floor to eject this stupendous Hong Kong disc from its DVD play tray , which may just still be spinning in a rotational frenzy long after the off light has since diminished. If Bruce Lee were alive and still at his fighting best today this is the film he would have starred in , and with his name emblazoned across the screen it would have been a major world wide success. To this degree therefore must go the highest recommendation to pick this one up today , sit back with and enjoy some of the best modern day old school fight sequences put to film. Within the very body of ‘ Legend Of The Wolf ’ is the heart and lungs of tradition and style from classic films gone by , breathed life into with respect and bravado by its Director and star Donnie Yen.

Release : Jumbo Plain Laser & Video Co
Coding : NTSC All Region
Sound : Dolby Digital 2.0
Extras : English Subtitles / Fullscreen Presentation 4:3 Ratio