True Legend

2010's True Legend had all the makings of a good classic kung fu movie, but fell rather short in it's delivery. Directed by Yuen Woo-Ping and starring Vincent Zhao, it portrays the legendary story of the Drunken Fist kung fu style.  There are some moving moments in the story, that futily attempt to be a saga, but the pacing is such that it feels like too many stories are just not effectively pieced together.  Martial art movies need a good story, but if that gets lost then the fight choreography is it's only saving grace.  Here, the kung fu action is average, with maybe 2 or 3 fight segments where Woo-Ping does rise to the occasion.  Wire works and special effects are done rather too heavy handed in True Legend, as are the segments that too obviously borrow from other martial art films instead of being a respectable nod.  So, it's better than most kung fu films, but not by much given the production value.