FISTS OF BRUCE LEE

Don't you find that certain people do some very strange things when their idol passes away. Some people morn. Some people cry. Whilst some other people will make an exploitative 92 minute movie devised in 1978. Yeah. You know. Something like this one Directed by and Starring: Bruce Li; with Lieh Lo, Yuan Chuan, plus Ping-Ao Wei.


The Fists of Bruce Lee


THE STORY:

Picture the scene. Two Chinese men are working out 'kung-fu style' in front of a brightly colored background. When suddenly, the background fades, the titles rolls, and then... sigh... you are presented with this...

Tut-tut-tut! Oh, dear. He shouldn't have done it, should he? The so-called electronics expert named Lee Min-Chin (Bruce Li) shouldn't have agreed to install a brand new surveillance system in Boss Lo's grand abode.

But hey! Don't get ahead of yourself, pal. I'm not saying this because Lo's second in command is a right fruit, or that his daughter is a bloody psychotic. I'm saying this because, one at a time, two rival gangsters then try to force Lee to help them get back at Lo, by either kidnapping his daughter, or alternately, penetrating his posh mansion. 

Of course, Lee being a Lee in nature as well as in name, doesn't want to aide any gangster at all. Right, folks! He'd rather kick the living cr*p out of anyone who attempts to break down his rigid resolve. Despite looking rather smug and fetching in a tight-fitting polo-neck sweater. 

Yet again, that's most probably why what next transpires all goes to Wok when two rival gangsters decide to team-up. As a killing is hard to swallow - this section was confusing to follow - kung-fu finally gets the chops - and, oh no, look out, here comes the cops!

THE REVIEW:

If you've already read my silly summation up above, folks, you most probably guessed by now that I wasn't too keen on watching 'Fists of Bruce Lee'. Now I say this for quite a few reasons really. Some of them to do with the exploitative title used. Some of them to do with the overall b-movie nature of this piece. And some of them to do with quite a few observations I took note of whilst watching this f*cked-up flick.

Here. These are my observations. They include such incites as: (1) A mumbled plot-line that was so mumbled in execution, even Albert Einstein his good self would need some time to sit down and figure out what the hell was really going on. (2) Camera-work so shoddy, I wouldn't be surprised if the camera man in question was on some sort of pain relief medication. (3) A really strange set of gangsters comprising of a John Lennon look-a-like, plus a couple of Village People rejects. (4) Dubbing -- for use of a better word -- that must have been read by a couple of foreign exchange students, new to the English language. (5) Some kind of bowling ball bomb that was as explosive as the film itself [i.e. not very]. (6) Numerous fight scenes that weren't properly framed, because the lens was either in too close, or looking off into the distance somewhere else. (7) Acting that would've made any piece of cardboard very proud indeed. (8) A conclusion that didn't made any sense, even though I didn't mind watching the final-fight battle.

Yep. That is correct, dear reader. I wasn't a happy bunny whilst watching this film. Granted, like I always do, I didn't mind Bruce Li's and Ping-Ao Wei's performances. You could tell they both felt very at ease with themselves throughout this entire film. Furthermore, I kind of dug the nice Chinese lady who played his love interest as well. She was very pleasing on the eye, and had a rather sassy Hollywood starlet way of holding herself.

As for the rest of 'Fists of Bruce Lee' on the other hand -- no -- no comment. I'd rather present you with these filmic-facts than slander its bad name anymore. (1) 'Lucky Star' first released this production in America on the very same month Neil Diamond & Barbra Striesand topped the charts with, 'You Don't Bring Me Flowers'. It was in December, 1978. (2) Loosely translated, this project was entitled 'International Police' in Spain; 'The Message of Bruce Lee' in France; and originally it was called, 'Fu Ji', meaning, 'man of a certain status'. (3) Ching Kang Yao, who penned this flick, also wrote such notable works as 'Superdragon Vs Superman', 'Hello Dracula', 'Child of Peach', 'The 3-D Army', and 'Dragonball Z: The Magic Begins'. (4) I'm sure you noticed that this film used songs originally heard in 'Live and Let Die', 'The Man with the Golden Gun', 'The Spy Who Loved Me', 'Enter the Dragon', and many-many more I care not to mention. (5) If you look very closely at the 'archery scene', you'll notice that the victim isn't shot. Oh no. Instead, he's holding the arrow up to his chest and making funny faces. Ha! (6) One of the taglines used to promote this picture, was, 'The SOUL of THE DRAGON Lives On!'. (7) The director / main star of this movie, Bruce Li, was in the business from 1973 to 1990, and has used the pseudonyms: Siu-lung, Ho Chung-tao, James Ho, Shao-lung Li, Hsiao-lung Li, Lee Roy Lung, Ho Tsung-tao, and Ho Chung-dao. (8) After this flick kicked its wick, Bruce Li starred in 'Return of the Tiger'; Lieh Lo starred in 'Enlightened Buddhist Named Mok-ryeon'; and Yuan Chuan' starred in 'The Eighteen Jade Arhats'.

Overall I'd say that 'Fists of Bruce Lee' is for die-hard Bruceploitation fans only. The story was a mumbled one. The choreography was nth rate at best. And all in all, it reminded me of a depressed drug addict that's just heard the dreadful news he's only got one hour to live. Dieing to be put out of his misery.

Nuff said.

THE RATING: C-