Li’s legacy approaches Lee’s

I paid full price to see “Lethal Weapon 4” (1998) in the theater.

There, I said it.

Of course, at that point the good cop/crazy cop antics displayed by Danny Glover and Mel Gibson had worn out its welcome, and even Chris Rock’s comic genius couldn’t save the day.

But my interest in “Sequel Weapon 4” wasn’t about the well-known lead actors.

It was about this relatively new-to-Hollywood Chinese Superman being touted as the next Bruce Lee.

In his first featured role in the states, Jet Li was the only thing memorable about “Lethal Weapon 4” (save for Danny Glover doing the chicken dance in his underwear, but that’s an image we’d rather not remember).

And since then, the bulk of the movies made in America starring Li – “Romeo Must Die” (2000), “Kiss of the Dragon” (2001), “The One” (2001), and “Cradle 2 the Grave” (2003) – hardly live up to even that standard. Great action was always guaranteed, but little else. And Li’s transition to American-style movies has been as bumpy as Jackie Chan’s in terms of dialogue.

But many of the films Li has appeared in overseas, such as “My Father Hero” (1995) and “Fist of Legend” (2001), help set a new standard for martial arts movies, and breathe new life into the genre on an international scale.

My close friend ‘Naldo has been hassling me about one such movie, “Hero,” all summer long: “Som, you gotta see this, you just gotta see this.”

Every time I linked up with him, he was carrying a bootleg copy in his backpack like it was the Bible, and he was always ready to spread his new gospel. My attitude was tainted by the junk Li has been associated with, so I was in no hurry to be disappointed yet again.

After weeks of ‘Naldo’s nagging and “Hero” finally opening in theaters, I decided to take him up on the offer.

I can’t believe I waited this long to watch a movie most fans of the genre have been salivating over for months. (I paid to see “Lethal Weapon 4.”)

‘Naldo was right. “Hero” makes everything else Li has acted in look like something out of Kung Fu Theater.

What separates director Zhang Yimou’s “Hero” (see story on page 22) from other films Li has been a part of is an enthralling story, artistic cinematography, a beautiful color scheme and a spellbinding soundtrack.

Also, “Hero” pairs Li with another one of China’s most reputable martial artists, Donnie Yen, who plays the part of Sky, one of the assassins Li’s character, Nameless, sets out to kill.

There is light CGI and bullet-time (think “Matrix Revolutions” fight finale in the rain), and the tons of wire-work in “Hero” still isn’t perfected or even fully convincing.

But before the first sword is drawn, the audience is already left to theorize on arousing whodunits and time shifts, more like “The Usual Suspects” than the usual action excursion.

With death-defying acrobatics and a story worth a second thought, “Hero” more than makes up for having to suffer through another “Lethal Weapon” installment to see Li in action.

Alexie, Boyd bring ‘Smoke Signals’ to The Shop

Author and filmmaker Sherman Alexie, born and raised on the Spokane Indian Reservation, is joined by frequent collaborator and Native American pop singer Jim Boyd to introduce Alexie’s film “Smoke Signals” (1998) for the final movie night on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at The Shop, 924 S. Perry. Donations suggested.