Bruce Lee Best Film

[Smokey]

Although Bruce Lee had many cameo TV appearances in US (including Iron Side), he did not became an international sesnation untill he moved to Hong Kong to star in string of martial art movies. Sadly he only completed four movies before he died.

So which one of the movie would you consider his best.

The Big Boss (1971): At an Ice factory, Bruce find out the boss is trading more than ice.


Fist of Fury (1972): A war erupt between Chinese and Japanese martial art students.


Way Of Dragon (1972): Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris face off


Enter The Dragon (1973): First Chinese martial arts film to have been produced by a major Hollywood studio.


Of all of his movies, my favorite have to be Fist of Fury. In one scene he jump and kick a sign that must have been 10 feet high, and it crumbled to pieces. That scene made the whole move for me. Jacki Chan also have a small role in that movie.

[poppachubby]

Here's a poll a guy can get into. I actually had to think for 10 minutes before I could answer. Bruce Lee was a big reason that people over here began digging kung fu. I chose Enter the Dragon for its cinematic significance on audiences, particularily in North America. This movie didn't depict an Asian man as weak, less than or funny. Rather, Hollywood produced a movie where an Asian man kicked the azzes of everyone in sight.

Also, Bruce's moves were extremely well developed. The noises he would make while fighting were primo on this one also. They tried for years to recreate Bruce lee after his death.

There can only be one.

BTW Smokey, you get a greenie for NOT including Game of Death.

[Smokey]

I chose Enter the Dragon for its cinematic significance on audiences, particularily in North America. This movie didn't depict an Asian man as weak, less than or funny. Rather, Hollywood produced a movie where an Asian man kicked the azzes of everyone in sight.

That is pretty much true, and historically it deserve so. But on the same note, there are other market in the world other than North America that cater to Kong Fu movies.

Hollywood attempt at a kong fu genre is commendable, but IMO it did not cater to hard-core Kong Fu fans where intense raw action is front and center-along with crazy dubbed soundtrack. And how long do you think John Saxon would last in a real kung Fu movie with swords flying everywhere

That is why IMO Fist of Fury is superior film than Enter The Dragon in term authenticity.

[Woochifer]

Greenie for using the proper titles for Lee's movies, not the bastardized ones used in the original U.S. theatrical releases.

I chose Fist of Fury (aka The Chinese Connection) because that was probably Lee's most iconic role as the ultimate bad***. His fight scene at the karate school is about as great as it gets. Way of the Dragon (aka Return of the Dragon) might be a more accomplished film because that was Lee's debut as a director. But, I didn't like the fish-out-of-water/country bumpkin storyline quite as much as the pure revenge angle of Fist of Fury.

Enter the Dragon has the highest production values and is easily the most polished of Lee's movies. But, as a movie, it was definitely a step down from his two previous releases. I think a big part of this is Warner going with an American director.

Say what you will, but in general American directors just don't know how to film martial arts movies. Robert Clouse's direction in this movie was hackneyed and the fight scenes looked nowhere near as good as they as they would have with a more competent martial arts director. Clouse is the same director that botched Jackie Chan's American movie debut (The Big Brawl). Experiences like that soured Chan on Hollywood, and he went back to Hong Kong for more than a decade, making movies his way, before he took another shot with Hollywood. No telling if Lee would have done the same thing had he not passed away as his star was rising. Game of Death was actually going to be directed by Lee (Clouse's directing credit only includes the footage shot after Lee's death).

The problem is that American directors are used to working with stunt doubles, and doing a lot of quick edits and close up shots to mask the martial arts shortcomings of the actors and stuntmen. Just look at a typical American action pic -- the fight scenes are almost always done this way. Skilled martial arts practitioners like Lee and Chan don't need the director to resort to camera and editing tricks. That's why for the movies that they direct themselves, Lee and Chan use long takes and wideangle shots. Other martial arts directors in Hong Kong take a similar approach and insist that the actors and stunt people get brought up to a certain skill level before filming begins. They do all of the prep work in the rehearsals and choreography, not in the editing room.

[Smokey]

Thanks for comments Wooch. Looks like we're on the same page on Fist Of Fury, although Pappa's comment regarding Enter the Dragon was a break thru in North America also stand true.

Also like to see the restored verion of these movies as the copy I have is from one tier studio that is not the best quality. I see Amazon have Fox box set of Lee's movies for $10, which looks lika an awesome deal.

[Worf101]

My choice isn't on there!!!! I know it wasn't "completed" but I love the fight sequences from Bruce's "Game of Death". Bruce Lee, replete in Yellow Jumpsuit, must reach the top of a pagoda like building. On each floor he faces a different martial arts style, Japanse Karate, Filipino fist fighting, Korean Hapkido, and finally "freestyle mash-up" in the person of Kareem Abdul Jabbar who's size gives Lee fits for a long time. The 100 minutes of combat footage is exquisite, worth finding unedited. Of the one's list, Fists of Fury would be my pick. This was the film that started it all in my neck of the woods.

Worf

[poppachubby]

My choice isn't on there!!!! I know it wasn't "completed" but I love the fight sequences from Bruce's "Game of Death". Bruce Lee, replete in Yellow Jumpsuit, must reach the top of a pagoda like building. On each floor he faces a different martial arts style, Japanse Karate, Filipino fist fighting, Korean Hapkido, and finally "freestyle mash-up" in the person of Kareem Abdul Jabbar who's size gives Lee fits for a long time. The 100 minutes of combat footage is exquisite, worth finding unedited. Of the one's list, Fists of Fury would be my pick. This was the film that started it all in my neck of the woods.

Worf

Yes, Game of Death was shaping up to be one of his finest. Read up on what was done to finish the movie, and you may feel differently about it. The director used doubles and edited footage to create the final cut.

Why didn't he use Bruce Lee you might ask? Oh ya, he was tied up being dead.

Anyhow Worf, not trying to be fecetious. I just can't get behind this one. The Abdul-Jabar scene does infact kick azz though...

[Woochifer]

My choice isn't on there!!!! I know it wasn't "completed" but I love the fight sequences from Bruce's "Game of Death". Bruce Lee, replete in Yellow Jumpsuit, must reach the top of a pagoda like building. On each floor he faces a different martial arts style, Japanse Karate, Filipino fist fighting, Korean Hapkido, and finally "freestyle mash-up" in the person of Kareem Abdul Jabbar who's size gives Lee fits for a long time. The 100 minutes of combat footage is exquisite, worth finding unedited. Of the one's list, Fists of Fury would be my pick. This was the film that started it all in my neck of the woods.

Worf

I'll agree that the fight footage for Game of Death looks great. The nunchaku fight with Dan Inosanto is amazing. But, it never made its way into a coherent movie (the 1978 posthumous release is simply horrible and should be permanently deleted from the record). The pure revenge context is what makes Fist of Fury so great. You understand the man's anger there.

I'm sure you've seen it, but for those who don't know, more of the original Game of Death footage is included in the bonus features for Enter the Dragon. It's basically a narrated storyboard mockup of the original concept with more of the fight footage spliced in. That previously unreleased fight footage alone makes Enter the Dragon worth buying.

Also like to see the restored verion of these movies as the copy I have is from one tier studio that is not the best quality. I see Amazon have Fox box set of Lee's movies for $10, which looks lika an awesome deal.

I checked, and that's definitely the one you want. Avoid the earlier bastardized version at all costs. Those are the ones without the original language tracks. ANY set that includes The Chinese Connection or Return of the Dragon is the one to avoid.

[Smokey]

ANY set that includes The Chinese Connection or Return of the Dragon is the one to avoid.

That is the set I have

[poppachubby]

Do you own any other kung fu Smoke-doggy?

[Ajani]

Fist of Fury was just classic... Bruce Lee playing a deranged psychopath with a thirst for vengeance, was just brilliant...

I even loved Jet Li's remake of that film...

[Smokey]

Do you own any other kung fu Smoke-doggy?

Not worth mentioning.

I am big fan of old Kong Fu movies from 70s and 80s, especially with swords and other fighting weapons. But locally, those titles are hard to come by as I usually don't buy online.

I have seen some memeorable kung fu movies on cable (UAS network) and premium channels (Starz Action), but I be damn if I remember the titles

[poppachubby]

You like sword fighting? My man!! Me too!

A really fun movie I watched recently was The White Dragon. Excellent humour, in the style of Iron Monkey, assuming you've seen it.

The sword fighting is spectacular. What's more incredible is the audio. Better sword fight audio than even Crouching Tiger...



Another fun watch is the most recent Zatoichi. Of course, in the great tradition of this legendary character, many limbs are lost...