huzefa

What are the differences b/w the HK and US versions of Fist of Legend? I know that there are 3 extra minutes of footage on the HK version. But are the subtitles the same on both versions. Is there any difference between the HK and US transfers? Is the US transfer better than the HK or vice versa or are they the same?

Also, is there another version of the Storm besides the HK one or are there multiple HK versions of it?

Thx.

H

Aghama

The big difference is that while the US transfer is better, there is only an English dub track.

Vanian

Here is my review of the RITEK version of FOL.
http://www.loveandbullets.com/folritek.htm

The English dubbing of the US version changed the mood of the movie and takes liberties with how some of the characters are portrayed.

Vanian

axolotls return

There is no HK DVD version of FOL. Ritek I believe is Taiwan and in Mandarin Only. There is an HK VCD around here; but don't know who put it out.

Klotera

Yeah, there is no HK DVD - but there is a Mandarin dubbed Taiwan DVD which I recently picked up. The print is very dirty and the transfer isn't nearly as good as the U.S. version. But, the mandarin dubbing is much more tolerable than the english dubbing and the subtitles on the Ritek DVD are better than the terrible changed dialogue in the english dub.

Here are some examples of dialogue changes:

*When Chen Zhen first shows up back at Jinwu and Ting An fights some guy, Ting An says to the guy after the fight "My victory was unjustified. You have traveled far and are tired. If you want a rematch, I will come visit you." The english dub changes it completely to "Understand this. If you come to Jing Wu looking for a fight, you are looking for trouble - you or the Japanese." I mean, its not even close to the original dialogue

*When Funakoshi is meeting with the general, in both versions they discuss the militaries involvement with Funakoshi and his clan. But, in the original version, when Funakoshi says that the military could stop relations with his clan, the general brings up the "chairman" upon which Funokoshi responds "Don't pressure me with the name of the chairman". In the english dub, somehow he tries to bring up Mitsuko for some odd reason.

*When Chen Zhen is trying to get his clan to let Mitsuko stay, in the original version - she turns to him and asks "By coming here, did I bring you trouble?" In the U.S. version, its sounds more like she is fighting back by saying "Have I ever betrayed you?"

*When the cook and the other man that was bribed to poison the master meet, in the original they discuss both the release of the cook's son by the Japanese and the money he was given. In the U.S. version, they just discuss the money with no mention of his imprisoned son.

*After Chen Zhen fights with Funakoshi, they have a discussion. Funakoshi passingly mentions he adapted to Chen's style. They then go on to discuss the true meaning of martial arts, where Funakoshi says "The best way to beat an opponent is with a gun, martial arts is to focus one's energy" They talk mostly as equals. in the U.S. version, he talks down to Chen Zhen, more like a mentor and focuses on giving him advice about adapting to the opponents style. This is used later to add a cheesy flashback voice-over in the final fight when Chen Zhen gets back up to fight the general. That cheesy cliched voice-over was completely non-existant in the original version.

These are just a few examples of how the dialogue is butchered and completely changes the context of certain scenes. It is the main reason I can't watch the Dimension version.

Also, a couple short scenes are cut from the Dimension version (as well as the Tai Seng VHS). They are both with Ting An and his girlfriend. The first, he is smoking opium. She catches him and after telling him she doesn't like it, he says he does it cause he is in a bad mood and he'll stop. The second is a useless scene where she sees him up late at night at Jing Wu and he tells her to go to sleep first.