Who is the best Xiao Feng?

[kidd]

Among all the actors that have potrayed Xiao Feng before, who potrayed this role best? Whose Xiao Feng most resembles the XF in the book? Not only in looks but personality, bearing etc.


P.S. - Dear moderators, please don't move post to series section. I would like to read the opinions of book readers as well. Thanks.

[Extremer88]

Not very sure about the rest, but the Hu Jun in DGSD 2004 was very cool and resemblances Xiao Feng very much.

[HuangYushi]

Xiao Feng is introduced in Chap 14 of TLBB/DGSD. From Duan Yu's point of view, Xiao Feng looked: "(a)身材甚是魁伟，(b)三十来岁年纪，身穿灰色旧布袍，已微有破烂，(c)浓眉大眼，(d)高鼻阔口，一张(e)四方的国字脸，(f)颇有风霜之色，(g)顾盼之际，极有威势。"

I've seen only Leung Ka Yan (1982) and Hu Jun (2004), so comparing the two (with the above criteria translated):

Pix: Leung Ka Yan (1982)
http://image2.sina.com.cn/ent/pc/200...1112104300.jpg

Pix: Hu Jun (2004)
http://gb.chinabroadcast.cn/mmsource...o050715903.jpg

(a) considerably big and tall / of great height and powerful build
LKY: Could have been bigger/taller, or at least, given costumes that provided some bulk.
HJ: Looked way much bigger/taller than LKY (probably is, in real life). Costumes added to the impression of bulk, height and power.

(b) thirty-odd years of age
LKY: Seemed to fit the age bracket, but looked slightly older than HJ.
HJ: Seemed to fit the age bracket.

(c) thick eyebrows, big eyes
LKY: thinner eyebrows than HJ.
HJ: thicker eyebrows than LKY.
Question: What's the definition of "big" anyway when it comes to eyes? In the same vein, what exactly does JY mean when he writes "thick eyebrows"? Guo Jing and (the grownup) Zhang Wuji were also described as having "thick eyebrows" too.

(d) high nose, wide mouth
LKY: from the pix, he seemed to have a more narrow and pointy nose than HJ.
HJ: from the pix, he seemed to have a wider and more rounded nose than LKY.
Both LKY and HJ's mouths look similar. Perhaps I should have looked for pictures showing their mouths open!

(e) square face
LKY: his face looks squarer than HJ's.
HJ: his face looks a bit rounded at the jaws.

(f) weather-beaten appearance (on the face)
LKY: seemed more unkempt in general than weather-beaten.
HJ: seemed more stressed-out in general than weather-beaten.

(g) appears impressive when he looks around him
LKY: misses out on this because of his build.
HJ: his size/build (or the appearance of it), the costume and the hair-do add to the "impressiveness".


The Conclusion: In terms of physical appearance, HJ seems to match JY's description of Xiao Feng in Chap 14, but given that LKY and HJ acted in productions that were made more than 20 years apart, LKY can be considered as good as HJ in view of the production values of their respective eras.


***

Politically correct, huh?
Actually, procrastinating....

[kidd]

Very detailed analysis, HuangYushi.

So, physically, Hu Jun is closer to the book's description. What about their respective potrayal?

[Extremer88]

Who is Leung Ka Yan? Arenowed actor, I haven't watch the 82' series.

[kidd]

Who is Leung Ka Yan? Arenowed actor, I haven't watch the 82' series.

He was a pretty well-known action star in the 70's and early 80's. He also played Guo Jing in the ROCH83.

[shanghai girls are hot]

i think Leung Ka Yan is the best Kiu Fung
he looks rough and manlier than Hu Jun

[Versace]

Leung Ka Yan (DGSD 1982)

[Allen D]

i personally favor felix

[danshu_]

i like hu jun's portrayal

[K2Grey]

While I only saw the last one the characters really look exactly like I imagined them, and I didn't find it hard to believe that Xiao Feng was himself at all.

[Loke-Gao-Zhu]

they should hire arnold schwarzenegger to be XF........jk...a moustache chinese muscle man will be fine

[0-0-0]

i've only seen the 82, 97 and 04 versions... and personally, i thought both felix and Hu Jun had some good parts in their portrayals...

[soeprijo]

Liang Cia Ren (1982) is the best
To Loke Gao Zhu : u may consider Bolo Yeung as Xiao Feng then

[kidd]

Seems like opinions in english forums and chinese forums is a bit different. In a chinese messageboard I recently visited, many complained that Hu Jun potrayed Xiao Feng badly, that he looks/acts more like a gangster than a hero. Most of them supported Felix Wong. Of course there were also some who thing Hu Jun did well, but there were more detractors than supporters. Leung Ka Yan didn't get any critisism but less supporters than Felix. Maybe less people have watched that version.

[CC]

Felix gets points for best acting. Its just a pity he doesn't have the physique. His XF really brought out the tragicness of the character.

HJ had better physique but his acting was nowhere near. His facial expression can't match Felix.


Bolo Yeung isn't tall enough and his face! Uck! I think he would make a crappy XF.

I can't think of an Asian actor which can make a perfect XF.

[Exodus]

Felix gets points for best acting. Its just a pity he doesn't have the physique. His XF really brought out the tragicness of the character.

HJ had better physique but his acting was nowhere near. His facial expression can't match Felix.


Bolo Yeung isn't tall enough and his face! Uck! I think he would make a crappy XF.

I can't think of an Asian actor which can make a perfect XF.

maybe HXM? I think that he could be a good XF when he gets a little bit older

[chickenfeet]

Out of the choices I above, I think Hu Jun is the overall best, with Leung Ka Yan comes second and Felix Wong comes third. Felix looked tense and serious throughout the entire series --- he did not portray Xiao Feng correctly.

If we discount height requirement, I think Donnie Yen would have a chance to make a perfect Xiao Feng. Donnie has the attitude and the fierce/brutal mentality. He can kick real asses and he looks like he's really pissed when he fights.

Now in the perfect world, I have always imagine Stephen Chow as Duan Yu, either Jang Dong Gun (the Korean Superstar) or Woo SungJung (the slave with spear in Musa, Korean movie with Zhang Ziyi) and a shaved head Shawn Yu as Xu Zhu.

[shanghai girls are hot]

um donnie yen doesn't exactly look heroic lol

i like your other casting. stephew chow as duan yu and shawn yu as xu zhu.

i agree, felix wong doesn't have the physique (height?, build?) to be XF. plus he looks too happy all the time. i like Leung Ka Yan's seriousness more.

[ChronoReverse]

Felix looked tense and serious throughout the entire series --- he did not portray Xiao Feng correctly.

felix wong doesn't have the physique (height?, build?) to be XF. plus he looks too happy all the time.

This struck me as ticklishly funny.