Fearless
Rogue Pictures | Release Date: September 22, 2006 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
70
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 24 Critic Reviews
Positive:
20
Mixed:
4
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
Much of the film's virtue lies in its straight-ahead narrative and uncomplicated morality. That and the undeniable charisma and virtuosity of its star. Read full review
90
SalonStephanie Zacharek
There's something grand and enveloping about Fearless. Read full review
88
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
Li plays haughty, brilliant wushu master Huo Yuanjia, whose recklessness leads to tragedy after he becomes a champion at the end of the 19th century. Read full review
83
Portland OregonianM. E. Russell
Though it somehow manages to be a movie about inner peace with crazy, incredibly staged fight scenes every 10 minutes, it is, first and foremost, a movie about inner peace. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Billed as Li's final martial arts epic (would that Jackie Chan be so thoughtful), Fearless is fittingly peripatetic, finding the Hong Kong superstar ricocheting across the screen. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
One of those corny, lusciously mounted, almost predictably thrill-packed action movies you can't help but like. Read full review
75
PremiereMonica A. Reyhani
Despite some amusing jabs at America's influence on traditional China, this film leaves even this American viewer feeling oddly patriotic (or maybe just wishing she lived in China.) Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Li's performance is stronger here than it has been in previous films. Read full review
75
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
The final scenes pack a surprising melodramatic punch. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeLeighton Klein
Call it "Jet Li's Wushu Retirement Party." Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
With the exception of one sequence, this PG-13 movie is so youth-friendly that I thought I might take my 10-year-old. But that sequence, upsetting for those of any age, makes the movie better suited for mature 12-year-olds and older. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterMegan Lehmann
Witty choreography juices the pedestrian plot of Fearless, an earnest and technically accomplished biopic in which action star Jet Li flexes his limited dramatic muscles to portray kung fu master Huo Yuanjia. Read full review
70
VarietyDerek Elley
Manages to pack a satisfying emotional punch. Read full review
70
The New York TimesNathan Lee
Fearless sustains the tradition of ethically inflected Chinese action movies. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
Contrary to some reports, this is not Jet Li's last action movie--he already has another in postproduction--but it represents his farewell to wushu, the martial-arts tradition that made him an international star. Read full review
70
Film ThreatFelix Vasquez, Jr.
The theme behind Fearless is utterly simplistic, but universal: violence begets violence. It's a never ending cycle that becomes more and more vicious, until someone decides to stop it. It's a worthy final installment. Read full review
67
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
As the very traditional hero, Li keeps us riveted through the fisticuffs, and he also carries off the film's heavier dramatic moments well enough -- though, as always, his lack of a strong personality prevents the movie from ever genuinely catching fire. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
It's as subtle as a spinning kick, but some films aren't built for subtlety. Read full review
63
New York PostLou Lumenick
A lavish biopic that gives Li one of his juiciest roles but is relatively light on the action his fans have come to expect. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Stephen Cole
Rallies in the last reel. Read full review
60
Washington PostStephen Hunter
It's handsome, well-populated and offers beautiful scenery and settings. But "House of Flying Daggers" it ain't; maybe "House of Fallen Arches"? Read full review
50
Village VoiceLuke Y. Thompson
This is an action movie, and people don't come to be preached to; the "Terminator" flicks also favored world peace but didn't pause the action for nearly an hour to rub it in. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Hartlaub
The movie is an enjoyable but flawed attempt at an epic story, with too much of the best action concentrated in the beginning. Read full review
50
Miami HeraldPeter Debruge
The truth is, Jet Li has gotten soft in his old age. While fans of the "Once Upon a Time in China" star will be pleased to learn that at least half of Fearless is action, what they may not realize is just how mushy everything else is. Read full review
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