Description: A Chinese Kung Fu instructor, Wong Han decides to visit his friend Go Hok Han, who emigrated to Los Angeles three years ago and has since become a successful businessman. But when Wong arrives, he finds out that his friend has just died under mysterious circumstances. Keeping with the old Kung Fu tradition, Wong sets out to find the men responsible for his friend's death. His search takes him through the LOs Angeles underworld where he finds that his friend had many enemies, including a gang of drug smugglers. The closer he gets to solving the mystery the more danger his life is in.
Comments/Critique: This film is mainly set in Los Angeles. The film starts of with (what I personally think is) a great starting sequence showing Bruce (or a guy blacked up in jeans) emerging from his own grave amid, what seems to be a violent storm. Apparently this film was originally more distanced from the whole Bruceploitation legacy and was originally entitled 'The Stranger'. However, distributors must have seen profit in the bruceploitation film franchise.
New footage was therefore filmed for the beginning prologue and the theatrical trailer of the film to tie in with Bruceploitation. Both the film's beginning prologue and trailer had nothing to do with the film's actual plot. The trailer showed Bruce making a deal with 'the Angel Of Death'!
And so, we can see this film is surrounded with myth, theory and opinion. Which leads me on to the issue of the identity of the director. There are many sources that claim that the director of this film is actually an Italian director named Umberto Lenzi who admired Kung Fu movies and so saw this film as a chance to cash in on the Kung Fu franchise. Therefore, Lenzi changed his crew's name to more Japanese/Chinese sounding names and chose the alias 'Doo Yong Lee' for himself.
I am personally inclined to agree with other sources, and believe that Doo Yong Lee directed the majority of the film and Umberto Lenzi was drafted in to direct the prologue sequence and the theatrical trailer for the film. Indeed, imdb.com says Doo Yong Lee is a genuine director.
The quality of my DVD's picture wasn't that good in quite a couple of places, and the English dubs were hilarious. However, I thought the cinematography was surprisingly good in places e.g. choice of camera angles, mise en scene etc
Bruce K. L. Lea often reminds me more of Jet Li and is no Bruce Li let alone Bruce Lee however he seems in good physical shape for the part. The film's plot outline is quite interesting. It features a gang of evil strangers which is a concept used in various other Kung Fu films and more recently Tarantino’s Kill Bill. In fact, when the 'cowboy' emerges from the motor home/caravan with his gun it seems quite similar to Michael Madsen's character (Budd) in Kill Bill. Perhaps the lowest point in the storyline is when Bruce beats up the cab driver, but the driver continues to take Bruce to his destination and has been mysteriously patched up.
Some of the films ideas are quite good such as the use of acupuncture to heal Susan. There is a classic 'David and Goliath' type 'Bruce Lee vs. Kareem Abdul Jabbar' fight sequence when; Bruce K. L. Lea has it out in the ring with Welby. This fight also includes an element of Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris's monumental 'Coliseum fight' in Way Of The Dragon when Bruce K. L. Lea rips hair from Welby.
In this film we also bizarrely get to see Sho Kosugi's (seminal 80's ninja movie star) actual real life business card that's supposedly found in a wallet that Bruce takes. Kosugi's business card is held up to the camera for the viewing audience to see.
This film is surrounded by myth with a few hints of confusion. I sometimes think it would be brilliant if someone came along and re-released all these Bruceploitation movies on a cleared up range of DVDs containing cleared up facts concerning the movies and more extras (as the Wu-Tang Clan did for many Kung Fu movies). Some reviews actually credit Bruce Li as starring in the film. Whilst on many a VHS or DVD cover for the film has Bruce Le on the front!
Review by: Tame.
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