Ha Ha Ha...Huh? This movie shows Bruce Li styling it up with the coolest 70s fashion I’ve ever seen in his films. I’m not sure why Bruce wants to look for some boss and wants to kill him. Why is he so violent? Bruce goes to a bar and drinks and another scene Li is smoking. Should a martial artist be promoting this? Just human frailty I guess. Nothing tops Bruce K. Lea getting hammered at a bar after his friend’s funeral while carrying his remains in a big box and his headshot in the streets of L.A. in 'Bruce Lee Fights Back from the Grave'. Although Bruce Li gets trashed in 'Bruce Lee, We Miss You', it’s more corny than hilarious.
Did I get off topic there? Good, cause that helps give you a sense of what Return of the Tiger was like. The head boss looks like a "what if?" scenario: what if Pavarotti chose a life of crime? It is the MOST face ever seen on screen on close ups. Serious, this is guy’s large and in charge and literally gets his way by throwing his weight around. His preferred fighting style is bonking heads, occasionally throwing people, and hurling strange objects like wooden boards
and a huge wheel! Was that wheel from the prairie carriage manufacturing plant? His henchman played by goofy big goon who appears in 30% of Li’s films is supposed to be an expert fighter but comes off as an expert feeder. There was a sense of ill dread seeing Bruce Li oil himself up (way to give up the secret of movie ‘body glistening’ away!) and see 'Tom' struggling in a desperate attempt to get Bruce in his clutches. Or maybe he thought Bruce looked like a
Butterball turkey. Tom also likes to wear his name logo and it just looks just really lame. Remember when everyone bought the TOM sweatshirts? Oh, don’t forget the motorcycle fight scene where I must point out that going through wicker baskets and empty cardboard boxes tends not to hurt too much. Bruce responds by warding off the bikers with his suit jacket (they were just doing a bike stunt show: another example of Li’s random violent rampages).
Too many double crosses, lots of guys getting choked, a greedy hired thug who really wants some yayo, and really bad locations where it’s so dark, the actors fade into obscurity. Toward the end, where Bruce is searching for a baddie, it looks like he didn’t know the camera was rolling as he wanders aimlessly. The final fight is another highlight in how poorly staged it is, but very unintentionally funny moments. If I were having a battle in a burned out stereotypical run
down factory, I would never take my shirt off fighting bare chested against someone who could swallow me in one gulp or squash me with his immense girth. By the way, nice finishing move Bruce Li! Con Ed is going to have something to say about that. Angela Mao shows up
for very few cameos which gives the film a little credit, but not much. Watch 'Hapkido' or 'When
Taekwondo Strikes' for vintage Angela. Watch Return of the Tiger for REM stage 3.
Review by Lester.