Li is finally Fearless

Fearless
cert 15 ***

Don't expect something as artful and imaginative as Crouching Tiger from Jet Li's last martial arts movie.

It suffices as a conventional melodrama with some classy action.

The now 42-year-old actor delivers an honourably stoic performance as early 20th-century Chinese hero Huo Yuan Jia, who brought martial arts to the masses by knocking over some nasty foreigners and was then poisoned, aged 42. One wouldn't like that to happen to Jet Li but I can't see where he will go from here since he's not exactly an expressive actor.

The fight scenes are choreographed by Yuen Wo-Ping, of the Matrix and Kill Bill movies and, without the aid of the usual special effects, are often mightily impressive.