Member Drunken Monk Posted May 4, 2020 Member Share Posted May 4, 2020 Dragon Lives Again - I’ve finally done it! I have discovered my most hated kung fu movie. I despised this from start to finish. I understand how some might watch it for that “so crazy it’s good” appeal but even that was lost on me here. It’s certainly a wacky ride but it just isn’t remotely fun. And even the fights are largely garbage. The whole thing feels like someone took a really shitty porno and edited out the sex scenes. It’s just nonsense punctuated with a few kicks here and there. This film is as close to zero out of ten as they come. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted May 4, 2020 Member Share Posted May 4, 2020 (edited) 10 minutes ago, Drunken Monk said: Dragon Lives Again - I’ve finally done it! I have discovered my most hated kung fu movie. I despised this from start to finish. I understand how some might watch it for that “so crazy it’s good” appeal but even that was lost on me here. It’s certainly a wacky ride but it just isn’t remotely fun. And even the fights are largely garbage. The whole thing feels like someone took a really shitty porno and edited out the sex scenes. It’s just nonsense punctuated with a few kicks here and there. This film is as close to zero out of ten as they come. It just goes to show that as great of a martial artist as Bruce Leung Siu-Lung is/was, he had no business in the Brucesploitation racket. And NOTE TO VILLAINS: If you're going to hire Emmanuelle to blow the good guy into compliance with your evil scheme, don't stand on the sideline as she does it. It'll probably give away that it's all a trap. Edited May 4, 2020 by DrNgor 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted May 5, 2020 Member Share Posted May 5, 2020 Clones of Bruce Lee - Where Dragon Lives Again aims for goofy fun and ends up being a pile of shit, this one's actually great. Well, not great...but good. Silly as hell but there's a fight every six seconds. It knows what it wants to be and it executes it well, albeit in a batshit kind of way. I can't say I'm a fan of Bruce Lai (who looks nothing like Bruce) but Bruce Le and Dragon Lee aren't too shabby here. Dragon Lee even breaks out the animal style shapes towards the end! You're not going to find anything new as far as fight choreography goes but it's certainly not terrible. Yes, a bunch of pot-bellied bronze men die by being force-fed grass but hey, that bit is original. Bolo turns up for two fight scenes but he's not as menacing as he is in some other Bruceploitation movies. He's a welcome face though because this one isn't exactly star-studded. In my limited knowledge of this sub genre anyway. Fun times were had. It didn't blow my socks off but it's certainly worth a watch. Onto Edge of Fury. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted May 5, 2020 Member Share Posted May 5, 2020 6 minutes ago, Drunken Monk said: Clones of Bruce Lee - Where Dragon Lives Again aims for goofy fun and ends up being a pile of shit, this one's actually great. Well, not great...but good. Silly as hell but there's a fight every six seconds. It knows what it wants to be and it executes it well, albeit in a batshit kind of way. I can't say I'm a fan of Bruce Lai (who looks nothing like Bruce) but Bruce Le and Dragon Lee aren't too shabby here. Dragon Lee even breaks out the animal style shapes towards the end! You're not going to find anything new as far as fight choreography goes but it's certainly not terrible. Yes, a bunch of pot-bellied bronze men die by being force-fed grass but hey, that bit is original. Bolo turns up for two fight scenes but he's not as menacing as he is in some other Bruceploitation movies. He's a welcome face though because this one isn't exactly star-studded. In my limited knowledge of this sub genre anyway. Fun times were had. It didn't blow my socks off but it's certainly worth a watch. Onto Edge of Fury. How many Brucesploitation films do you plan on watching? I'm really enjoying this. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted May 5, 2020 Member Share Posted May 5, 2020 1 hour ago, DrNgor said: How many Brucesploitation films do you plan on watching? I'm really enjoying this. I really don't know. I'm slowly running out of widely available Bruce Li movies so I'll probably be moving on Bruce Le next. Then Dragon Lee. To be honest, I'm having a great time watching these films. They've really injected some jet fuel into my already strong love of kung fu cinema. I think I have Enter the Panther to watch but I believe that's an early Li film. I'm a little on the fence about visiting his pre-1975 stuff. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted May 5, 2020 Member Share Posted May 5, 2020 Edge of Fury - Sadly, I had to have this one playing in the background as I was knee deep in work. I can tell you, this is not a film to not give your undivided attention to. Something about drugs (which they constantly refer to as "the goods") and an annoying kid? Oh...and a will. Bruce Li plays a driver who gets entangled in it all and is forced to kick a few people to make his way out. I was a bit frustrated by this one because it's overly serious and there are too few fight scenes. I loved what little there were though. It all culminates in Li versus Yasuaki Kurata and I'm never going to turn my nose up at that. I can see why some might like this one. I thought it was fine. I just wanted a little more. As a side question, does EVERY Bruce Li film have to feature a night club scene shrouded in red light? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted May 5, 2020 Member Share Posted May 5, 2020 3 hours ago, Drunken Monk said: Edge of Fury - Sadly, I had to have this one playing in the background as I was knee deep in work. I can tell you, this is not a film to not give your undivided attention to. Something about drugs (which they constantly refer to as "the goods") and an annoying kid? Oh...and a will. Bruce Li plays a driver who gets entangled in it all and is forced to kick a few people to make his way out. I was a bit frustrated by this one because it's overly serious and there are too few fight scenes. I loved what little there were though. It all culminates in Li versus Yasuaki Kurata and I'm never going to turn my nose up at that. I can see why some might like this one. I thought it was fine. I just wanted a little more. As a side question, does EVERY Bruce Li film have to feature a night club scene shrouded in red light? Dana was in this too, right? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted May 6, 2020 Member Share Posted May 6, 2020 1 hour ago, DrNgor said: Dana was in this too, right? Indeed she was. I regret to inform everyone, however, that she keeps her clothes on. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted May 6, 2020 Member Share Posted May 6, 2020 14 minutes ago, Drunken Monk said: Indeed she was. I regret to inform everyone, however, that she keeps her clothes on. You'd have to wait for the following year with WORLDLY FOURSOME for that to be remedied. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator One Armed Boxer Posted May 6, 2020 Moderator Share Posted May 6, 2020 17 hours ago, Drunken Monk said: Clones of Bruce Lee - Where Dragon Lives Again aims for goofy fun and ends up being a pile of shit, this one's actually great. Well, not great...but good. Silly as hell but there's a fight every six seconds. It knows what it wants to be and it executes it well, albeit in a batshit kind of way. On 4/29/2020 at 4:25 AM, Drunken Monk said: @DragonClaws and @saltysam did warn me that Iron Dragon Strikes Back was more serious but I thought I'd give it a go. Yeah...not really my cup of tea. It's not terrible but it's not what I'm looking for. This has crossed a line for me. I mean, not being fussed on 'Iron Dragon Strikes Back' but enjoying 'Clones of Bruce Lee'!? That's like saying "Yeah, 'Police Story' really didn't cut it, but 'Fearless Hyena 2', now that's more like it!" Jokes aside, in terms of your recent watches (which are all highly entertaining to read your comments on!) I've seen 'Bruce and the Iron Finger' and also 'Clones of Bruce Lee'. For me 'Bruce and the Iron Finger' is one of the best Bruceploitation flicks out there, but Clones is one of the worst, I could hardly get to the end of it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted May 6, 2020 Member Share Posted May 6, 2020 @Drunken Monk - Don't forget to watch Blind Fist of Bruce, which is probably public domain at this point. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted May 6, 2020 Member Share Posted May 6, 2020 2 hours ago, DrNgor said: @Drunken Monk - Don't forget to watch Blind Fist of Bruce, which is probably public domain at this point. It’s funny you should mention this one as this morning I watched... Blind Fist of Bruce! I think this deserves the label of at least “semi-classic.” The plot is wonderfully simple and the fights are these amazing shapes/usual Bruce Li style hybrids. I enjoyed the hell out of this one . It keeps the goofy comedy to a minimum and keeps the fight scenes and training scenes coming. i also found it hilarious that the bad guy doesn’t just rob a bank. He literally STEALS a bank. If that’s not evil, I don’t know what is. Yuen Siu Tien plays a blind kung fu master who forgets to close his eyes a lot and at one point he claims the chief villain knows snake kung fu...which he never actually uses. He does use magic sleeve chain smoke though (???). Loved this one. It even has an annoying kid I could tolerate. That’s rare. Also, a random henchman with a chain whip? Nice. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted May 6, 2020 Member Share Posted May 6, 2020 2 hours ago, One Armed Boxer said: This has crossed a line for me. I mean, not being fussed on 'Iron Dragon Strikes Back' but enjoying 'Clones of Bruce Lee'!? That's like saying "Yeah, 'Police Story' really didn't cut it, but 'Fearless Hyena 2', now that's more like it!" Jokes aside, in terms of your recent watches (which are all highly entertaining to read your comments on!) I've seen 'Bruce and the Iron Finger' and also 'Clones of Bruce Lee'. For me 'Bruce and the Iron Finger' is one of the best Bruceploitation flicks out there, but Clones is one of the worst, I could hardly get to the end of it. I perfectly understand your view. Really I do. Clones... is objectively bad. Awful, even. And usually I wouldn’t give it the time of day. But despite its terribleness, it was an easy watch that held some charm. I agree with you on Bruce and the Iron Finger. It’s one of the best I’ve seen so far. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted May 6, 2020 Member Share Posted May 6, 2020 40 minutes ago, Drunken Monk said: It’s funny you should mention this one as this morning I watched... Blind Fist of Bruce! Great work. Now if you want very unconventional Bruce Li, you can watch Ming Patriots. It's one of his only period pieces (re: set in the Qing Dynasty or earlier). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted May 6, 2020 Member Share Posted May 6, 2020 Great Hero aka Bruce Lee’s Magnum Fist - I don’t know what this is but it’s not a kung fu movie. It’s a “Japanese hate” movie with about three minutes of fighting, total. There’s some comedic ghost stuff but mostly, it’s a boring...drama? Historical drama? Put simply, this movie’s a fucking nightmare. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted May 6, 2020 Member Share Posted May 6, 2020 18 minutes ago, Drunken Monk said: Great Hero aka Bruce Lee’s Magnum Fist - I don’t know what this is but it’s not a kung fu movie. It’s a “Japanese hate” movie with about three minutes of fighting, total. There’s some comedic ghost stuff but mostly, it’s a boring...drama? Historical drama? Put simply, this movie’s a fucking nightmare. Is this the worst of the Bruce Li films up to this point? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member saltysam Posted May 6, 2020 Member Share Posted May 6, 2020 (edited) For later Bruce Li don't forget Dragon Force, even i haven't seen Magnum Fist yet. Edited May 6, 2020 by saltysam 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted May 6, 2020 Member Share Posted May 6, 2020 30 minutes ago, DrNgor said: Is this the worst of the Bruce Li films up to this point? Yes, probably. Li is hardly in it and while he pops up for a few ten second bouts of fisticuffs here and there, it really isn’t worth the watch. It’s not just that I didn’t like it, I didn’t get what they were going for. It’s a painful journey of boredom. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted May 6, 2020 Member Share Posted May 6, 2020 24 minutes ago, saltysam said: For later Bruce Li don't forget Dragon Force, even i haven't seen Magnum Fist yet. Ah yes! There’s a terrible (VHS?) rip on YouTube I might take a swing at tomorrow morning. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted May 6, 2020 Member Share Posted May 6, 2020 7 minutes ago, Drunken Monk said: Ah yes! There’s a terrible (VHS?) rip on YouTube I might take a swing at tomorrow morning. There's also an unsubbed (I believe) copy of PINK TRAP on Youtube if you really want to be a completist. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted May 6, 2020 Member Share Posted May 6, 2020 1 hour ago, DrNgor said: There's also an unsubbed (I believe) copy of PINK TRAP on Youtube if you really want to be a completist. Pink Trap sounds like a softcore porno but I think I might have my watchlist for tomorrow now! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted May 7, 2020 Member Share Posted May 7, 2020 15 hours ago, Drunken Monk said: Pink Trap sounds like a softcore porno but I think I might have my watchlist for tomorrow now! When you finish your Bruce Li/Ho Chung-Tao marathon, I'd like to see you post your top 5 films with him here, so we all know which films of his you feel are better than the Bruce Lee Filmography. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted May 7, 2020 Member Share Posted May 7, 2020 Sadly, I couldn’t quite stomach Dragon Force and without subs, Pink Trap wasn’t ideal. And so, it is with great sadness that my Bruce Li journey ends. Unless there are hidden gems I haven’t gotten to. Pink Trap certainly looked great! This morning I went for Bruce Le’s Greatest Revenge (also know as Way of the Dragon 2, I believe). I found this one to be a bit frustrating as it’s horrifically paced. Basically, it’s your standard “Chinese vs Japanese” movie with a smattering of action here and there. But certainly not enough. It’s only in the last thirty minutes where it really kicks up a notch. Personally, I thought the last half hour was fantastic. Sure, it’s awful how much the Bruce Lee sounds are overdone but Le is a competent fighter and there are some great sequences squeezed in to such a short time. Ku Feng is phenomenal and Bolo is once again great as a Mongolian fighter with an oversized earring. Li Yi Min who gets opening credits stardom is sadly underused and kicks the bucket after a brief three sectioned staff fight. I’m not sure I’ll love Bruce Le more than Bruce Li (highly unlikely) but in this film, he was far better than I expected. A new journey begins!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted May 7, 2020 Member Share Posted May 7, 2020 2 hours ago, DrNgor said: When you finish your Bruce Li/Ho Chung-Tao marathon, I'd like to see you post your top 5 films with him here, so we all know which films of his you feel are better than the Bruce Lee Filmography. In no particular order... Bruce Lee - The Man, the Myth The Lama Avenger Dynamo Bruce vs Iron Hand Blind Fist of Bruce Special mention: Soul Brothers of Kung Fu Super special mention: Fist of Fury 3 for having a better final fight than Fist of Fury. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted May 7, 2020 Member Share Posted May 7, 2020 7 minutes ago, Drunken Monk said: This morning I went for Bruce Le’s Greatest Revenge (also know as Way of the Dragon 2, I believe). I found this one to be a bit frustrating as it’s horrifically paced. Basically, it’s your standard “Chinese vs Japanese” movie with a smattering of action here and there. But certainly not enough. It’s only in the last thirty minutes where it really kicks up a notch. Personally, I thought the last half hour was fantastic. Sure, it’s awful how much the Bruce Lee sounds are overdone but Le is a competent fighter and there are some great sequences squeezed in to such a short time. Ku Feng is phenomenal and Bolo is once again great as a Mongolian fighter with an oversized earring. Li Yi Min who gets opening credits stardom is sadly underused and kicks the bucket after a brief three sectioned staff fight. I’m not sure I’ll love Bruce Le more than Bruce Li (highly unlikely) but in this film, he was far better than I expected. A new journey begins!! I'm really looking forward to this journey. My experience with Bruce Le is a bit more limited. He's a decent choreographer (he usually choreographs himself), but I think someone more talented could've done more varied things with his skills. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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