Member mpm74 Posted July 30, 2017 Member Share Posted July 30, 2017 Once again, damn yellow-washing bastards took out any sign of white people on this poster! Hollywood is racist I tell you. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Karlos Posted July 31, 2017 Moderator Share Posted July 31, 2017 the new trailer is so markedly different from the first one it makes me wonder if this has been recut or had a bunch of reshoots done after its initial reception? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member shukocarl Posted July 31, 2017 Member Share Posted July 31, 2017 Well I'm a huge fan of Bruceploitation so I guess i'll probably see it at some point...I have to admit it's a bloody good trailer and when where any of the bio-pics or speculative fiction films ever based on truth? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Karlos Posted July 31, 2017 Moderator Share Posted July 31, 2017 @shukocarlRight on. DRAGON, whilst hugely entertaining back in the day, was grade A cobblers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member AlbertV Posted July 31, 2017 Member Share Posted July 31, 2017 On 7/23/2017 at 1:14 PM, OpiumKungFuCracker said: I wanna see this so bad. When is this supposed to be out? A loosely based Bruce Lee movie where he gets to kick ass in his disco's 70s suit??? Come on, this is going to rule your mothers!!! I know it will be out in the U.S. on August 25; not sure about other areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted August 1, 2017 Administrator Share Posted August 1, 2017 On 7/22/2017 at 11:53 AM, OpiumKungFuCracker said: Early reviews are in!!! https://nextshark.com/bruce-lee-birth-of-the-dragon-2017-review/ Okay, I remain excited to see this. For those of you who are still pissed that this isn't the "real" story of Bruce Lee, I'd recommend you stop holding your breath for that. It has been made abundantly clear that his family, who control all output about him, have no interest in a "warts and all" depiction that delves into anything controversial about the man (temper, ego, drug use, extra-marital affairs, etc.). I've always wanted this too, but I've come to accept that it's not to be. Yes, he was extremely famous and in the public eye by choice, but that doesn't change the fact that a daughter and wife don't want to drag out their father's negative traits for the world to see. It's easy for us as "big fans" to say "They owe us the truth", but... they don't. If I made a biopic about my Dad (who is the best father I could ever have), despite his countless good qualities, he's made mistakes, and I wouldn't want to shine a light on anything negative about him. We need to remember that Bruce gave us a lot, but he was a human being. His family are human beings, and they have feelings. I for one, respect that. Now as far as this movie goes, okay, it's a dramatization of the event. Fine. Lets dig into that! As was mentioned above, like the stories of Fong Sai-Yuk (who never dug a half mile long tunnel underground), Wong Fei-Hung (who never dressed like a rooster and fought a giant centipede), Hung Sei-Kwan (who never fought a "poison man" that flew around in a steel shellfish), Ip Man (who didn't beat Japanese soldiers to death), and like Mas Oyama (who didn't rape multiple women, but crazily enough, DID actually fight many bulls and a bear!), Bruce Lee is now getting another largely fictional "action movie" to star in. I'm psyched to see it. On 6/21/2017 at 4:06 PM, Phantom Dreamer said: August 25 is the release date. Ugh. Hurry up and get here August 25th! On 7/23/2017 at 1:14 PM, OpiumKungFuCracker said: I wanna see this so bad. When is this supposed to be out? A loosely based Bruce Lee movie where he gets to kick ass in his disco's 70s suit??? Come on, this is going to rule your mothers!!! See above @OpiumKungFuCracker. On 7/23/2017 at 1:29 PM, DragonClaws said: You might enjoy the Making Of video, it's been posted over at CityOnFire.Com. Link- http://cityonfire.com/is-hollywood-planning-a-pseudo-sequel-to-dragon-the-bruce-lee-story/ Oh, thank you! Haven't visited the site in about a week (so damn busy), and I definitely want to see that. On 7/30/2017 at 7:31 PM, mpm74 said: Once again, damn yellow-washing bastards took out any sign of white people on this poster! Hollywood is racist I tell you. @mpm74 thanks for always bringing the laughs. On 7/31/2017 at 4:57 AM, Karlos said: the new trailer is so markedly different from the first one it makes me wonder if this has been recut or had a bunch of reshoots done after its initial reception? I heard that there was so much backlash regarding "Bruce" not being the star of the film, but instead one of his white students, that there were big changes made to adjust the film's focus. Not sure if that entailed rewrites/reshoots, or just judicious editing. Maybe @Mike Leeder can shed some light on this subject for us as he was a part of the production? On 7/31/2017 at 5:00 AM, shukocarl said: Well I'm a huge fan of Bruceploitation so I guess i'll probably see it at some point...I have to admit it's a bloody good trailer and when where any of the bio-pics or speculative fiction films ever based on truth? Right on. On 7/31/2017 at 6:54 AM, Karlos said: @shukocarlRight on. DRAGON, whilst hugely entertaining back in the day, was grade A cobblers. As full of shit as it is, I love the film. Sure, after seeing it with different people each time I went to the theater for it, I had to school them on the actual facts. Once my frustration upon the initial viewing (over the bullshit it was spewing) was out of the way, I still dug it. Bring on the Bruce!!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member mpm74 Posted August 2, 2017 Member Share Posted August 2, 2017 New Trailer... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DragonClaws Posted August 2, 2017 Member Share Posted August 2, 2017 Phillip Ng with Birth Of The Dragon fight choreographer Corey Yuen. Image from the following site/article- Link- http://www.maactioncinema.com/archives/722 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Karlos Posted August 2, 2017 Moderator Share Posted August 2, 2017 Holy shit, this really is looking more and more like some deranged fanfic - and I'm digging it, baby. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Phantom Dreamer Posted September 4, 2017 Member Share Posted September 4, 2017 Through 2 weekends at the U.S. box office, Birth of the Dragon has grossed a total of $5,889,420. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?view=&yr=2017&wknd=35a&p=.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member AlbertV Posted September 6, 2017 Member Share Posted September 6, 2017 (edited) I saw the film last Tuesday. It wasn't that Steve's character bothered me so much in terms of being the witness to the fight, but it was the angle that he was given that really irked me. However, I did like Philip Ng's take on Bruce and Xia Yu as Wong Jack Man. In addition, IMO, some of Corey Yuen's best choreography in a while. I enjoyed the film as a matter of fact, as I will be getting my MoviePass this week, I may just go see it again ASAP just for the heck of it. My full review:https://worldfilmgeek.com/2017/08/30/review-birth-of-the-dragon-2017/ Here's a review from Andy Le and Daniel Mah of Martial Club Edited September 6, 2017 by AlbertV 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member AlbertV Posted September 19, 2017 Member Share Posted September 19, 2017 Daniel Mah of Martial Club gives his thoughts on what could have really happened during the Lee-Wong fight in connection with Birth of the Dragon 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Phantom Dreamer Posted September 25, 2017 Member Share Posted September 25, 2017 After 5 weekends, Birth of the Dragon has grossed just $6,895,695. Amazingly it was still shown in 47 theaters. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member AlbertV Posted October 2, 2017 Member Share Posted October 2, 2017 Universal is releasing the film on Blu-Ray+DVD+Digital HD on November 21, 2017 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member AlbertV Posted October 17, 2017 Member Share Posted October 17, 2017 I totally missed this, but in August, Philip Ng was at Monday Night Raw backstage and in this WWE.com exclusive clip to talk about Birth of the Dragon before seeing Titus O'Neil, who made a lucrative offer... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member laagi Posted November 7, 2017 Member Share Posted November 7, 2017 Out now on iTunes. Having it just watched myself I honestly can't understand all the hate this movie gets. I was thoroughly entertained and as mentioned earlier by @AlbertV both Ng and Xia did a good job. "Steve" didn't really bother me at all. Only thing I found distracting at times was the music. And of course the hollywood happy ending but hey it's just a movie and as such it does succeed in my book. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member laagi Posted November 9, 2017 Member Share Posted November 9, 2017 (edited) Quote A great number of you have written to me with your concerns about Birth of the Dragon. I share your concerns and want to make it clear that Birth of the Dragon was made without my family’s consent or involvement. I have seen the film (out of necessity alone) and, in my opinion and the opinions of many (see link), this film is a travesty on many levels. I think this film is a step backward for Asians in film not to mention that the portrayal of Bruce Lee is inaccurate and insulting. I am disappointed that such a project would be funded and produced. Shannon Speaks for itself on many levels. Regarding Shannon and her entire enterprise, I've made up my mind years ago. Showing Bruce Lee in a different light or producing a movie without the consent of the estate is a travesty and insulting!? Really? But continously putting out BS products with Bruce's name on it isn't? I see, so basically it's OK for the estate as long as they can earn top dollar from it. Also what's up with this whole "god-like" state they try to keep Bruce in? Certainly the man hasn't been without his flaws just like anyone else. And just by showing him a bit arrogant or cocky they already feel butt-hurt! I have the deepest respect for Bruce Lee and been a huge fan of his. But what the estate is doing and what the fan boys are making him out to be isn't really to honor his legacy; at least in my opinion. Anyway, watch the damn movie and forget all this nonsense! Peace. Edited November 9, 2017 by laagi 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member thehangman Posted November 9, 2017 Member Share Posted November 9, 2017 Watched it the other night,not a bad film the the 2 main actors were good,figt cheography nothing special,not a bad way to waste a couple of hours 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member saltysam Posted November 19, 2017 Member Share Posted November 19, 2017 Just got the blu ray. Obviously it's a fictional account of events but if you accept that it's a pretty entertaining movie, good fight scenes and decent performances. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted November 27, 2017 Administrator Share Posted November 27, 2017 Missed this in theaters, but I bought the Blu-ray last Tuesday on release day. Okay, lets get this out of the way first: as any sort of accurate biographical depiction of Bruce Lee, his students, and the event it's based on, this film is a major fail. But as has been stated previously, it was never meant to be those things. It is VERY loosely based on a real event that took place- a fight between Bruce Lee and Wong Man Jack in San Francisco in 1964. Only the most basic framework and time period are accurate, and the rest is a popcorn entertainment and nothing more. I feel pretty much the same way about BIRTH OF THE DRAGON as I do about DRAGON: THE BRUCE LEE STORY (which I enjoy as pure cinema, but at the same time, when I first saw it, I was outraged by the countless inaccuracies). It's a fictional film centered on the "character" Bruce Lee, and if taken as such, it's quite enjoyable. I had to put my respect and knowledge of Bruce Lee the actual person aside, and let myself indulge in the "Bruceploitation" fun of this project. To me, this film is hardly any different than the ones based on real life martial arts masters like Ip Man, Wong Fei-Hung, and Mas Oyama. Around 10% fact, 90% fiction. Philip Ng does a commendable job at portraying "The Little Dragon", both physically and dramatically, and some of the real man's philosophies and fight strategies are peppered throughout the film. But sadly there are plenty of Americanized "fortune cookie" portrayals of Chinese people in here too. I felt about the same way watching this as I did about the American action films of the eighties and nineties and their portrayal of Asian cultures and people- that their depictions were carefully seasoned and spoon-fed to go down easy for Western audiences in a "broad portrayal" type manner. Though the filmmakers do a passable job at making things look like the early to mid '60s, I felt that they were afraid to completely commit to it, likely worried that the clothes Bruce actually wore at that time would be laughable to today's audiences (they probably would be). Despite giving a good performance, Billy Magnussen, as Bruce's student that becomes a disciple of Wong's, feels distinctly of this, current-day era. His mannerisms and way of speaking do not evoke those of someone from that time period at all. I found his relationship with a Triad "owned" woman and that entire part of the plot to be a bit eye-roll inducing, but passable. The strange fact is, that this student, who seems somewhat patterned on Steve McQueen (even named Steve McKee) with the big change that he is not an actor (let alone a huge movie star), was originally intended to be the focus of the film's story. Reportedly (as many of you have read), early screenings didn't go over well as audiences didn't want Bruce Lee and his story to be essentially a backdrop to this unknown character, and re-shoots and lots of editing moved Lee forward into the plot's focus. But what about the action? Though Wong's "Shaolin man" does NOT use Five Animal Styles as much as Tae Kwon Do, and there are some silly looking wire-fu stunt moves here and there (please, every filmmaker that does this, stop showing people jumping down from a height, moving much too slowly and in an awkward physics-defying arc as if they are floating Mary Poppins style. It doesn't work in a realistic setting. It isn't cool. We hate it. It's stupid every time. Stop it!), for the most part the fight scenes are still very exciting. That's right, they may not be authentic, but they are still pretty damn good. I was worried early on, especially in the first fight where Wong duels with a Tai Chi master, as the directing and editing of the action was not flowing at all. Instead of drawing us into the action and making the viewer a part of it (like Sammo Hung's best work), the techniques used to show the combat kept pulling us back out of it, sending us into the fray again, then back out. Instead of immersing us in the moment they were accomplishing the exact opposite, and it is completely distracting. But after this initial action scene I found the later stuff to be much better. Yu Xia (as Wong Jack Man) and Philip perform the action choreography admirably, and it's the best fisticuffs work I've seen from Corey Yuen in a very long time, with some exciting, extended shots featuring myriad techniques being traded in between cuts. For old school fu fans there's a welcome cameo by Hai Yu (THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE, 1982) as the Shaolin Abbot too. This film is sure to enrage Bruce Lee purists, likely to entertain forgiving fans that simply want to see good kung fu action, and perhaps for the uninitiated, spark interest in the most influential martial artist in the world for yet another generation. Hopefully, if this film does open the door to new Lee fans, and my fingers are crossed that they will learn more about the real story of the man and his incredible accomplishments. 6.5/10 for it's entertainment value. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted December 3, 2017 Administrator Share Posted December 3, 2017 I was looking forward to what I figured were the inevitable discussions on the various perceived merits and worthlessness of this film with everybody. No one saw it? No opinions? I figured at the very least @The Dragon would visit this thread to breath some fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DragonClaws Posted December 3, 2017 Member Share Posted December 3, 2017 1 hour ago, KUNG FU BOB said: No one saw it? No opinions? It's not high on my to buy/watch list to be honest, do you think if they had marketed it in a more honest light, it would have gotten a better reception?. At the start it looked like they were going for a more serious movie. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted December 3, 2017 Administrator Share Posted December 3, 2017 4 minutes ago, DragonClaws said: It's not high on my to buy/watch list to be honest, do you think if they had marketed it in a more honest light, it would have gotten a better reception?. At the start it looked like they were going for a more serious movie. Probably not. If they'd have said "it's going to be a highly fictionalized account", then people would've bitched and said "Why?! Here's what I want it to be..." There's really no winning as far as making everybody happy. But the fact is, they made the film that they made, and this is what exists. So I checked it out, and I had a lot of fun watching it, and will definitely watch it again. I think a lot of you guys will enjoy it simply as a kung fu movie. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member saltysam Posted December 3, 2017 Member Share Posted December 3, 2017 I feel fans should be supporting martial arts movies that actually see cinema release. I'm in the UK and i highly doubt this will make cinemas here given it pretty much flopped in the usa. Hopefully it finds an audience on Home Video because it's a solid, entertaining and fast moving actioner in my opinion. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DragonClaws Posted December 3, 2017 Member Share Posted December 3, 2017 Just now, saltysam said: I'm in the UK and i highly doubt this will make cinemas here given it pretty much flopped in the usa. It wont be hitting U.K cinemas, that said I was surprised to see a poster for Blade Of The Immortal in my local cinema yesterday. 5 minutes ago, KUNG FU BOB said: There's really no winning as far as making everybody happy. Very true, I see it as part of the new wave of Bruceploitation. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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