Game of Death
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Movie Reviews of Game of Death
Movie Review: Game of death
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my favorite Bruce Lee movie. It arrived in a fast and timely manner. I would order again.Movie Review: Nice Collectible
Summary: 5 Stars
If you like Bruce Lee, then you should buy this movie. I consider it a nice collectible.
Movie Review: A film all Bruce Lee fans must judge for themselves
Summary: 4 Stars
Game of Death is much more than a film; for this Bruce Lee fan, it is an emotional experience - both good and bad. Bruce Lee died suddenly early in the shooting of the film, yet the fight scenes that would serve as the late moments of the movie were much too good to deny all of the Bruce Lee fans and mourners in the world. Finishing this movie and releasing it to the world was a tough decision, and the film suffers from both the plot manipulation that serves to tie the pieces of the scant 10-15 minutes of Bruce Lee footage together with the radically changed storyline as well from the competent stand-in who is in no way, shape, or form the equal of Bruce Lee, but for me personally, the merits of Game of Death far outweigh the negative connotations associated with it. Many a devoted Bruce Lee fan will disagree and decry this mutated film as a travesty and insult to the legendary man, and I can understand such feelings. In the end, each Bruce Lee devotee must come to his/her own conclusion as to the merits of this film. It is important to note that Game of Death was released six full years after Bruce Lee's death, and this fact does much in my mind to offset allegations some make that Bruce's memory was exploited purely for profit here; as I see it, Game of Death is a controversial gift to Bruce Lee's fans and in some ways a tribute to the amazing man's life and career. Many fans will hold the opposite opinion.It is difficult to know the full history of this film as it evolved over time. As I understand it, much of the actual Bruce Lee footage (less than fifteen minutes of the released film) was shot in 1972, and Lee served as writer, choreographer, and even director of the film ; during production, though, he suspended filming in order to make the triumphant Enter the Dragon. After finishing that project, Lee apparently planned to rewrite and re-shoot Game of Death, but he died suddenly and tragically before his new vision could be formulated. Later, Robert Clouse decided to complete the project, using a stand-in (who is obviously not Bruce Lee) for most of the dramatic and some of the early fighting scenes, re-shooting some scenes with the original surviving actors, and pasting in some close-ups from Enter the Dragon. There is one awful shot early on showing an obviously pasted-on image of Lee's face which is just frighteningly amateurish, but the stand-in is also unimpressive. Consigned to sunglasses or a helmet in order to hide his eyes, the stand-in is most obvious in the fight scenes he takes part in; talented he may be, but he is no Bruce Lee. Some plot twists involving a faked death and plastic surgery serve as the new plot's weakest points, but perhaps the most controversial decision Clouse made was the inclusion of some shots of Bruce Lee's actual funeral.
The story really isn't that important; it is just a means to an end. The fight scenes making up the final portion of the film are what really matter, and it is here that we get to see the real Bruce Lee in action. Part of Lee's original vision of this film was a series of climactic fights showcasing different fighting styles, and we find his character working his way up through a ladder of increasingly dangerous opponents, culminating in the amazing fight between Lee and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I believe Kareem actually studied under Lee for some time, and his performance is quite amazing, especially as he absolutely towers over Bruce Lee. I feel safe in saying that Kareem was the only man to ever make Bruce Lee look small. Of course, the larger they are, the harder they fall, especially when Bruce Lee is the man doing the chopping. This fight with Kareem is something that no Bruce Lee fan should miss; skip over the rest of the movie if you want to, but you owe it to yourself to watch this fight scene.
Of course, one must also mention the uncanny parallel between this film and the future life and career of Bruce Lee's son Brandon. In this film, Bruce Lee's martial arts movie star character is shot during the filming of a scene; here it is a willful act of murderous intent, but in the case of Brandon Lee's shooting death during the filming of The Crow the ironically parallel occurrence is a mystery that has never been adequately explained. Game of Death carries a unique and unsurpassed weight of emotional baggage, and I would simply urge Bruce Lee fans not to dismiss this film out of hand; whether you come to view it as a tribute or a travesty, it is a film that should not be ignored.
Movie Review: It hurts to say it, but . . .
Summary: 4 Stars
. . . this is Bruce Lee's best film. Look, I hear the groans already, but consider the competition. Having watched all his films in order just recently, I was reminded how clunky and slow "Enter the Dragon" was. Apparently, there came a point in Bruce's approach to fight scenes where he would barely receive a punch, and instead just utterly dominate the opponent, no ebb and flow -- like his ultra brisk, almost anti-climactic demolition of Bob Wall in ETD.Now, we all know "Game of Death" simply exists to use The Footage. And the 20-ish minutes of The Footage does appear at the end, and it's a very stylish, having-fun Bruce Lee -- not the sullen, monotone Bruce of ETD. The makers of the film went with a "Bruce double" for the rest of the film, often in shadow, wearing HUGE sunglasses, keeping his face turned away, etc. Every now and again, a snippet of actual Bruce gets edited in from an earlier movie, say, upon his walking into a room, or for a reaction shot. And some of these cut-away bits are pretty awkward -- few of them flow smoothly.
But having said all that, this film -- as a kung-fu film about a star named Billy Lo trying to break away from the syndicate -- is way, way above the average for this genre. For the trio of syndicate heavies, we get Mel Novak, Hugh O'Brian and Dean Jagger -- and these guys are FAR more compelling actors than you usually get for this type of flick. Some of the exchanges, with Dean Jagger especially, are deliciously sinister. The guy (actually, there may be two of them) playing the "Bruce double," while not looking a whole lot like Bruce (hence the sunglasses) and not exactly a riveting screen presence, has the fluidity of Bruce's kicks down pat -- which is no doubt why they hired him. Moreover, some of the fight scenes end with him getting beaten down and out, an effective dramatic element which the real Bruce had seemingly discarded. The real Bruce was doing movies which were becoming more and more of an "I-am-indestructible" exercise, only offering his steady obliteration of everyone else, even against noteworthy foes. But because we're dealing with a stand-in of sorts, HE can be beat down to a pulp. This at least lends a bit of dramatic flux.
And, of course, this film has The Footage, arguably Bruce's best work, and edited together pretty well from whatever they had on hand. BUT -- before we get to The Footage, the "Bruce double" has an absolutely fantastic fight with Bob Wall -- after Bob Wall has just gotten done having a very cool fight scene with Sammo Hung for "The Martial Arts Championship of the World," complete with a stadium of screaming fans! How much campy-goodness is THAT?! People who are simply bothered by the way the studio glommed onto The Footage in order to make a profitable flick are totally overlooking the much-better-than-average elements going on. The soundtrack is beyond classic -- the triumphant yet haunting horns announcing the titles somehow mesh so strongly with the realization of Bruce's untimely death -- it becomes the perfect music for his passing, as well as for the movie itself. And lest I forget, this DVD transfer is really crystal clear -- even some of the jarring "real Bruce" cutaways are made to almost work by the fact that the DVD looks so good.
Yeah, this film really needs to be cut some slack. If people are going to call the 70's-clunky "Enter the Dragon" a timeless classic, then this one deserves much more recognition. Robert Clouse directed this one (1978) between "Enter the Dragon" (1973) and "The Big Brawl" (1980) -- so the timeline pedigree is solid as well.
Movie Review: Bruce Lee's best along with Enter the Dragon
Summary: 4 Stars
I can see why so many Bruce Lee fans are offended with Game of Death. True, it didn't fully capture Bruce Lee's work due to his untimely death; however, the film itself is a good martial arts flick. I was impressed by the fight scenes displayed by Bruce Lee himself and the plot of the movie was not too bad either. I would strongly suggest getting the ultimate platnum region 2 DVD version of Game of Death with the restored footage of Bruce Lee's battles that were not included in the original movie. If you can't find it, then get "Bruce Lee-A Warrior's Journey" because that DVD not only has the lost footage on Game of Death but also has interviews with Bruce Lee about his personal life, doing martial arts flicks, etc... Though I have never actually seen A Warior's Journey, it is good based on reviewers who are Bruce Lee fans or people who just want to see the lost footage from Game of Death.