Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen

Shanghai endures a brutal occupation as Japanese troops assert control and terrorize the city. Believed dead, Chen Zhen reappears to challenge the invaders and mobilize a diverse circle of friends and martial artists. He weighs local grievances, trains those who stand up to the regime, and faces ruthless enforcers in tense confrontations. The film blends political history with kinetic fight sequences as communities secretly resist and seek justice. Chen Zhen’s return is personal as well as symbolic, urging the oppressed to find courage and determination in the face of overwhelming odds. The film pairs gritty street scenes with formal martial arts staging, letting characters shaped by love, loyalty and resistance drive the tension.

Directed by Andrew Lau Wai keung, this 2010 action drama reimagines the Chen Zhen legend with Donnie Yen in the title role. The screenplay by Gordon Chan places martial spectacle in a historical Shanghai framework with practical stunts for fans.

Reception acknowledges the film as a hard edged blend of politics and action, foregrounding national pride, sacrifice, and the cost of resisting tyranny. Yen brings a grounded, athletic presence while Shu Qi and the ensemble contribute emotional texture to a period drama that doubles as action cinema and tight pacing.

While it punches hard in the fight department, the picture did not rack up major awards. It functions more as a star driven spectacle within Yen's expanding catalog of martial arts cinema, drawing attention to its choreography, performances, and its cultural revival of the Chen Zhen figure for fans worldwide.

Donnie Yen's return to Chen Zhen helped keep the character in circulation for fans of martial arts cinema and period action. The film combines street level grit with stylized martial arts and era mood, contributing to a late 2000s wave of Chinese language historical thrillers and enduring appeal.