8. Fearless
(2006, 74 percent)

If, as Li has claimed, Fearless is indeed his last wushu epic, he went out with a bang. Directed by Ronny Yu and choreographed by Yuen Woo Ping, Fearless is loosely based upon the life of martial arts legend Huo Yuanjia (also the basis for the master in Fist of Legend). Set in the early 1900s, Fearless tells the story of how Huo became one of the most famous fighters in China -- before his arrogance got the best of him. After a series of personal (and near fatal) hardships, Huo is nursed back to health by a kindly woman in a remote community; it's there that he realizes that the noble martial arts he has studied have become corrupted by brutality; he seeks to make good on his early promise, clear his family's name, and restore China to the forefront of fighting. Though the critics found Fearless less impressive than Li's early 1990s epics, they still found plenty of emotional and spiritual heft in addition to several excellent action scenes. "The film is about more than complex stunts and breathtaking acrobatics," wrote Forrest Harman of the Reno Journal-Gazette. "It's about a man who learns the pitfalls of pride and becomes a national hero in the process. And it's a good time at the movies."