`Paramui Paito (Fighter in the Wind)'' is based on the events in the life of legendary Korean martial artist Choi Bae-dal. Or more precisely, the film is based on the comic book based on the martial artist's life _ a difference that can be felt throughout this entertaining but factually suspect movie.

The first of a handful of local films about famous Koreans who lived during the Japanese occupation period, ``Fighter in the Wind'' tells of the early part of Choi's life, how he sneaked into Japan in the late 1930s in hopes of becoming a pilot, joined the martial arts community there, and after training by himself in the mountains for 18 months, came down to become the top fighter of that country.

The film offers a seemingly sentimentalized version of the same story, especially playing up the outsider aspect of Choi's experiences, of his being a Korean in Japanese society. Given the story's xenophobic elements, which include evil yakuzas exploiting Koreans, it will be interesting to see how a Japanese audience responds to the film when it gets released there as planned.

"Fighter in the Wind," is about a legendary Korean man who fought 47 bulls and defeated numerous karate experts in Japan. The plot is based largely on a famous cartoon series by Bang Hak-ki, featuring Choi Bae-dal (1922-1994), a real life figure who moved to Japan during the colonial period and established himself as a much-admired karate fighter by founding a new version of the martial arts form called "Kyokushin Karate."

In 1934, 11-year-old Bae-dal (Yang Dong-geun) watches his father's farmhand, Bum-soo, fighting with Japanese officials in the market in Gimjae, Korea. He admires Bum-soo's fighting skills and starts to learn to fight.

Seven years later, 18-year-old Bae-dal smuggles himself into Japan to enroll in an aviation school but instead finds himself being forced into the Kamikaze program. He resists and fights with the Japanese instructor, Kato, who is a karate master and captain of the program.

Bae-dal is shamefully defeated and earns Kato's scorn. His pride deeply hurt, he determines to get stronger and learn real fighting skills. He happens to meet Bum-soo again and obtains a copy of Musashi Miyamoto's "Book of Five Rings," a book detailing techniques on how to fight and survive.

The encounter with Bum-soo is a turning point for Bae-dal. He begins to wander the streets at night, saving women and others from bullies and robbers. A romance is inserted into the plot when Bum-soo rescues Youko (Aya Hirayama), a beautiful geisha, from some ill-mannered American soldiers.

However, Bae-dal can't become complacent. His master, Bum-soo, is brutally killed by a Japanese mob. Filled with anger and desire for revenge, Bae-dal goes to the mountains and commits himself to intense self-training.

Now, all the factors are in place for a numbing series of fight scenes as Bae-dal finishes his training and embarks on a journey to fight and defeat top martial arts masters across Japan.

Actor Yang, as has been widely publicized, seems to have spent much time practicing martial arts in order to make the fight scenes as authentic as possible. His performance as the action hero Bae-dal deserves some praise because he did all the fight scenes himself, without relying on special effects or a stuntman.

For all the impressive action scenes, however, the audience may find it a bit hard to understand why Bae-dal is so obsessed with fighting, and especially trying to conquer all the famous martial arts masters of Japan.