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January 13, 2006

MICHELLE YEOH CUT FROM FEARLESS

More pacing, less YeohRonny Yu is my new hero. In an era when movies are becoming more and more bloated, with supposedly taut thrillers like MUNICH and SYRIANA running over two hours, and KING KONG running around three, director Ronny Yu has called a halt to running time bloat by cutting Jet Li's latest (and possibly last) martial arts extravaganza, FEARLESS, down from 143 to 103 minutes. Instead of running for almost two and a half hours, it will now come in at a sleek hour and forty-five.

How did he get it so small? He cut out Michelle Yeoh's role entirely (she says she "understands" after Jet flew to Hong Kong to apologize to her in person) and he cut out a scene between Jet Li and Somluck Kamsing, a former Olympic boxer. The entire framing story of adding Chinese martial arts to the Olympics has also been deleted.

A director shortening instead of lengthening their big new movie? Why that's...that's unAmerican!

Bless you, Ronny Yu. Bless you.

(Thanks to MonkeyPeaches for the heads up)

January 13, 2006 at 12:36 PM in News | Permalink

Comments

I'm hoping Fearless comes to Thailand with the original soundtrack and English subs. Too bad about Michelle Yeoh and the fight with Born to Fight's Somluck. Hopefully they will make great extra features on the DVD.

Posted by: wisekwai | Jan 13, 2006 8:26:31 PM

I really don't care whether a movie runs 2.5 hours or 1.5 hours as long as the story is entertaining.

For the case of "Fearless", I guess it's a good way to sell more DVDs.

Posted by: dysonlu | Jan 14, 2006 10:23:16 PM

I can't believe when i watched in cinema, they have sensor a lot. Why must Ronny Yu have to deleted from 143 mintues to 103 mintues? They have sensor about 40 mintues and also i don't see Michelle Yeoh and Somluck Kamsing. I hope when the DVD have release, i hope that DVD will be the original running 143 mintues not 103 mintues. How pity they have sensor.

Posted by: wong hun xeng | Feb 2, 2006 8:54:19 AM

Ronny Yu should not have done that. Michelle Yeoh is now the international actor and favourite of all. Instead of deleting her role, the whole movie should be made on her.

Posted by: chang li | Jun 11, 2006 9:16:03 AM

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