Way of the Dragon: The Best of Bruce

 

  

Directed, written, produced by and starring Bruce Lee

Produced by   
    Raymond Chow

     Starring   
    Nora Miao
    Paul Wei
    Huang Chung-hsin
    Tony Liu
    Unicorn Chan
    Chuck Norris
    Malisa Longo
    Robert Wall
    Hwang In-shik
    Jon T. Benn

Cinematography by Tadashi Nishimoto
Edited by Peter Cheung
Music by  Joseph Koo
Distributed by Golden Harvest

Release date (Australia): October 1974

Synopsis

Tang Lung visits his relatives at their restaurant in Italy and has to help them defend against brutal gangsters harassing them. 

Review 

The Way of the Dragon. Hmmm. Not exactly his most popular, but definetly MY FAVOURITE!

 First of all, you can see this film was supposed to be a comedy. Tan Lung asks to use the bathroom in all the first 3 scenes in the movie after he is asked 'anything you'd like?' and I have no idea why but that is too funny to me.Secondly, the casting choice is amazing. All the young boys in the movie play restaurant workers who practice karate. Their line delivery and everything they say feels realistic and natural. This movie is all Lee. He produced it, wrote it, directed & starred in it all perfectly. His character is brave & heroic and that's why he is my favourite in this movie. Thirdly, the action in the movie is like no other. Forget Enter the Dragon, this is way better then this. This movie was the second to have Lee use nunchucks and he does it perfectly in this movie. The fight scenes are clearly choreographed, especially the one with Chuck Norris. Crazy how a man with only 3 words to say and a LOT of chest hair can be intimidating. Lee vs Norris was basically the 1970s alternative to Jackie vs. Urquidez in "Wheels on Meals", except this is less better. But we aren't talking about Wheels on Meals, we're reviewing Way of The Dragon! This film is the best Bruce Lee film I've watched. It might not be THAT realistic, but it ends goodly and doesn't disappoint.

If you have the time or the money, watch this movie ASAP!!

Edit February 2: while enter the Dragon is better, this comes in a close second

Rating: 10/10

 

 

WATCH

 THE WAY OF THE DRAGON

AT

https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/movie/way-of-the-dragon/489513539845

 

The Big Boss: A Fistful of Reasons to Watch

 This review is the first one to be written in 2024, first written Jan 01.

Directed by 

Lo Wei
Wu Chia Hsiang
Produced by    Raymond Chow

STARRING

Bruce Lee
Maria Yi
James Tien
Han Ying-chieh
Cinematography  Chen Ching-chu
Edited by  Sung Ming
Music by  Wang Fu-ling
Distributed by  Golden Harvest
Release date (Australia): April 1974

 Synopsis

Cheng is a city boy who moves with his cousins to work at a ice factory. He does this with a family promise never to get involved in any fight. However, when members of his family begin disappearing after meeting the management of the factor, the resulting mystery and pressures forces him to break that vow and take on the villainy of the Big Boss.

 

Review 

This movie is unrealistic. Cheng Chao An gets arrested for defeating the Big Boss, police officers are beat up and nothing is done about it, Cheng gets drunk and sees a woman at a dinner as his crush, and one of the Big Boss' men are killed with a saw put in their head. 

Regardless this movie is awesome.

This movie has tons of violence, which is what I was looking for. Sometimes it's really really bloody and violent, but not enough to get it banned in May 1973, but too much to get an M rating.Cheng is a can of whup-butt the whole way through the movie. Thank god he broke the oath he sweared to his mother.  Before watching The Big Boss / Fists of Fury, I would defend Jackie Chan and say he was a million times better then Bruce Lee. And while Chan is still my favourite action star, Lee is amazing too and they both are in their both ways. I highly recommend this movie, no matter which version of it you have. 

Hopefully I get to see more Lo Wei films. I have a way of watching Fist of Fury, Shaolin Wooden Men and Fearless Hyena now!

Rating: 7/10 

 

 Watch the 1983 Cantonese dub of "The Big Boss" at SBS On Demand