Themes: Rags To Riches, Actor's Life, Ladder to the Top
Main Cast: Jason Scott Lee, Lauren Holly, Robert Wagner, Michael Learned, Nancy Kwan
Release Year: 1993
Country: US
Run Time: 121 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
The brief but eventful life of actor and martial arts trailblazer Bruce Lee is portrayed in this drama, based on a biography written by his widow Linda Lee Caldwell. Lee is introduced to the study of martial arts as a child living in Hong Kong by his father (Ric Young); the father dreamed that a demonic armored dragon would take his son from him, and wanted young Bruce to be able to protect himself. Bruce continues his training as he grows to adulthood, and after the cocky teenaged Lee (Jason Scott Lee, no relation to Bruce) seriously injures a prominent British citizen while fighting a gang of troublemakers at a dance, he's sent to San Francisco. While working as a dishwasher, Bruce begins to study philosophy, and in time develops a personal martial arts discipline, Jeet Kune-Do, which blends Kung Fu fighting techniques with lessons gained from his philosophical research. Bruce decides to open a martial arts academy on the advice of his fiancée Linda (Lauren Holly); Linda and Bruce encounter resistance as a mixed-race couple, especially from Linda's mother Vivian (Michael Learned), and Bruce earns the enmity of traditional Chinese martial arts experts for his new style. But after a strong showing in several public tournaments, Bruce's fighting skill and charisma attracts the attention of TV producer Bill Krieger (Robert Wagner). Bruce is cast as Kato, the karate-trained sidekick on the series The Green Hornet, and while the show is short-lived in America, it's a huge success in Asia, leading to a series of films based around Bruce's remarkable fighting skills. Sadly, shortly before the release of the film that would make him a major screen star in the United States, Enter The Dragon, a mysterious brain disorder sends Lee into a coma that soon kills him. In a tragedy with eerie timing, Bruce Lee's real-life son Brandon Lee died shortly before this film was released, the result of an accidental shooting while completing the picture The Crow. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Lim Kay Tong - Philip Tan; Sterling Macer - Jerome Sprout; Ric Young - Bruce's Father; Sven Ole Thorsen - The Demon; Aki Aleong - Principal Elder; Calvin Bartlett - Stunt Coordinator; Eric Bruskotter - Joe Henderson; Chao Li Chi - Elder; Clyde Kusatsu - History Teacher; Michael Cudlitz - Tad Overton; Mireille Franchino - Report hite's woman; Paul Mantee - Doctor; Philippe Morier-Genoud - Mr Clarke; Jonathan Penner - Studio Executive; Paul Raci - Bad Guy; Lala Sloatman - Sherry Schnell; Forry Smith - Green Hornet; Jan Solomita - Heckler; Harry Stanback - Benny Sayles; Louis Turenne - Maitre D'; John Cheung - Johnny Sun; Rob Cohen - "Enter the Dragon" Director; Robert Garrett - Kreiger's Butler; John Lacy - Nunnemacher; Jean Lescto - Raoul's father; Jane Jenkins; Janet Hirshenson; Julien Collet - Raoul; Marion Cotillard - Mathilde; Helene Medigue - Isabelle; Marie Pailhes - Virginie; Sean Faro - Assistant Director; Van Williams - Green Hornet Director; Wang Luoyong
Credit
Hester Hargett - Associate Producer, Dr. Charles Wang - Associate Producer, Rick Nathanson - Co-producer, Carol Ramsey - Costume Designer, Herbert W. Gains - First Assistant Director, Rob Cohen - Director, Peter Amundson - Editor, Dan York - Executive Producer, Randy Edelman - Composer (Music Score), Popol Vuh - Composer (Music Score), James Ryder - Makeup, Bob Ziembicki - Production Designer, David Eggby - Cinematographer, Raffaella de Laurentiis - Producer, Dayna Lee - Set Designer, William H. Schirmer - Special Effects, John Cheung - Stunts, Rob Cohen - Screenwriter, Edward Khmara - Screenwriter, John Raffo - Screenwriter, Masakazu Yoshizawa - Musical Performer, Linda Lee Cadwell - Book Author
Martial arts guru Bruce Lee died when he was 33-years-old, 21 years before this game was released. Based on the marginally well-received biographical film, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story for the Super NES is a fighting game in the tradition of Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter II.
You can choose from the one- or two-player story modes, which are a progression of fights that follow the film's storyline, or the one-, two-, or three-player (if you have a multi-tap controller) match modes, which are simply head to head battles. In each of the modes of play the computer controls the villains, which include a chain-wielding sailor, a chef armed with a meat cleaver, a kickboxer named Scott, a staff-wielding female acrobat, a pair of muscle-bound brothers, the appropriately named Claw Man, and The Phantom, whose Kwondon can be lethal.
You and your friends must play the game as Bruce Lee. Bruce is capable of pulling off a variety of fighting moves such as flying kicks, roundhouse kicks, shin kicks, somersaults, flying chops, throws, and forearm smashes. When he has acquired enough Chi (by connecting on a certain number of hits and kicks), he will acquire and lose some fighting moves and gain access to a pair of nunchukas.
In a bonus round you can beat up on Pete the Dummy to acquire extra Chi and extra points. Other options and features in this game include movie sequences, game speed variations, difficulty levels, and fighter handicaps. Unlike most other fighting games of this type, often times you'll face multiple opponents simultaneously.
~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Roots & Influences
Based on the 1973 movie Enter the Dragon, starring Bruce Lee and directed by Robert Clouse. All fighting games of this type owe a lot to the arcade game Street Fighter.
~ All Game Guide
Review: Overall
Although it fits into the storyline of the film, the biggest problem with Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story is that you can only play Bruce. He's got a nice variety of close, medium, and long range attacks and plenty of defensive moves, but that doesn't mean you won't get tired of the same old thing, especially when nearly every other fighting game on the market lets you play at least six different characters. Another problem with this game is that the fights last too long. You don't have to have a short attention span to appreciate the fact that one fight shouldn't last as long as two or three rounds in Mortal Kombat.
As fighting games go, this one is a notch beneath average. The special moves aren't so special, and the controls are a tad sluggish at times, especially when you're trying to fight and Bruce is in the middle of one of his interminable somersaults. Also, the inclusion of Chi, while a good idea, doesn't really add much to the enjoyment of the game. Bruce gains (and loses) a few extra moves when he builds up his Chi to a certain level, but it hardly seems worth the effort.
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story doesn't do justice to the legend of Bruce Lee. While he was an original, this game is nothing more than another inferior two-dimensional 16-bit fighting game, of which there are too many to begin with. It's a fairly hard-hitting game with a cool cinematic storyline, but I'm curious how it would've turned out if, at the time of its creation, the fighting genre had yet to become so formulaic. There's no telling what kind of interesting, innovative game the talented folks at Virgin Interactive might've come up with.
~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Review: Enjoyment
Diehard Bruce Lee fans may get a kick out of this game, but beginners and veterans alike will stick with Street Fighter II: Turbo.
~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Review: Graphics
The backgrounds do a good job of giving the illusion of depth. Bruce looks good, but his opponents are kind of dull.
~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Review: Sound
Although Bruce's yell sounds pitiful, the rest of the sound effects and music are varied, mildly interesting, and fairly well done.
~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Review: Replay Value
You'll get tired of always playing the same character.
~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Review: Documentation
The instruction booklet explains all the fighting moves and gives tips on playing well.
This plot summary may be too long or overly detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (February 2009)
The film begins with a nightmarish dream of Bruce Lee's father. The father sees a demon in medieval armor that hunts the young Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee is shown as a child receiving instruction in the traditional Chinese martial arts in a montage that passes quickly through his teenage years in Hong Kong.
At a formal dance, Bruce sees a group of drunken British sailors harassing a young Chinese woman. Bruce easily dispatches the entire group of sailors despite being outnumbered. He walks off with the woman when police sirens are heard. As Bruce returns home, his father says that the police are looking for him. One of the sailors was the nephew of a powerful political figure in Hong Kong. His father says that Bruce must leave Hong Kong. He suggests that Bruce go to America. When Bruce questions this choice, his father explains that Bruce was actually born in San Francisco when his father was on a tour there. Bruce sees his birth certificate for the first time. Bruce should have no problems entering the United States since he is officially an American citizen. His father provides plenty of money, money that he had saved up for a day such as this. His father asks Bruce to become a success, so big a success that his name will be famous even back in Hong Kong.
Instead, Bruce Lee ends up as a dishwasher at a modest Chinese restaurant in America. He lives in a small apartment where he reads books by Ernest Hemingway, among other authors. One of the female workers at the restaurant takes an interest in Bruce. They spend the night in Bruce's apartment. When the two speak and laugh together at the restaurant the next day, an older cook becomes jealous and attacks Bruce with a meat cleaver. Bruce throws him onto the stove where the man's shirt catches fire. The other workers put out the fire and throw Bruce into the back alley. Several of the workers head out after Bruce, armed with more meat cleavers.
Bruce fends off the jealous cook and the other kitchen workers until the restaurant owner (played by Nancy Kwan) arrives and tells everyone to get inside.
Bruce loses his job over the altercation but the owner grants him an all purpose loan and convinces him to use the money to get himself an education.
Upon enrolling in a University, Bruce faces racial intolerance from fellow students due to the Korean war. An altercation in the gym allows Bruce to gain the respect of some of the students, who follow him and ask him to teach them his fighting style.
It is during these classes that Bruce meets an attractive woman called Linda Caldwell who joins the class, and eventually the two begin dating. Linda suggests that Bruce open up a martial arts training school. After Bruce opens the school there is a dream sequence of the demon finding Bruce and attacking him.
After the school becomes successful, some other Chinese martial arts schools have a dispute with Bruce over whether he should train non-Chinese people the traditional Chinese martial arts. Bruce still wants to train non-Chinese people and the other Chinese men set up a fight with Johnny Sun. Bruce wins the fight but Sun delivers a cheap shot and Bruce ends up with a back injury. While immobilized and recovering Bruce and Linda writes "The Tao of Jeet Kune Do." Linda also tell him that she is pregnant. Later Bruce in a wheelchair, goes to another hospital room where Linda has given birth to their first child, a son whom Linda wants to name Brandon.
Later at Ed Parker's martial arts tournament Bruce has a face off with Johnny Sun, in a 60 second demonstration of his new fighting style. After the match Bruce meets Bill Krieger and they come up with the "Green Hornet" TV show. Bruce and Bill work together and create the idea for Kung Fu. At a cast party, Linda says she is now pregnant with their second child and quickly afterwards there is an announcement for the cancellation of the "Green Hornet". The show "Kung Fu" makes it onto television, but starring David Carradine instead of Bruce (implying that Bill sold Bruce out because of his skin color).
Bruce travels back home for his father's funeral and whilst in the country is soon approached by Philip Tan, a Hong Kong movie producer. He says that Bruce is well-known in Hong Kong and that the "Green Hornet" show is called "The Kato Show" there.
Bruce begins work on "The Big Boss." In the filming of the final scene, set in an ice factory, he is prepared to fight other actors. Instead, the brother of Johnny Sun steps out of the van, an attacks Bruce, who defends himself against the impromptu assailant.
Bill Krieger shows up in the editing room as Bruce is working on edits. Krieger knows that Bruce is angry with him but he offers Bruce a chance to work on a big-budget Hollywood movie.
Bruce misses out on a planned outing with Brandon to the zoo. Later on in the bedroom, Linda tells Bruce that she is going back to America with Brandon and Shannon, which angers Bruce after the treatment he received at the hands of the American people compared to his homeland. Reluctantly, he returns to America to try again.
On the 32nd day of shooting "Enter the Dragon" Bruce is once more embroiled in a battle with his demon. At the end of which he decides to walk off the set and home to see his family.
The last we see of him is whilst filming the final shot of "Enter the Dragon", with a voice-over by his wife informing us of his death before the movie was released.
Both lead actors Jason Scott Lee and Lauren Holly trained in Bruce Lee's Martial Art Jeet Kune Do for months under former Lee student-turned-instructor Jerry Poteet. Jason Scott Lee has continued to train in Jeet Kune Do under Poteet since 1993. Poteet also portrays himself in the film. He can be seen in the background of many scenes.
The tombstone that Bruce (Jason Scott Lee) is forced to see when confronting his demon towards the end of movie is the actual tombstone of Bruce Lee. The picture on it is different from the one that is actually on the real one but the date of birth, date of death and the epitaph are the same.
The role for Bruce Lee was first offered to his real-life son Brandon Lee, who declined. Brandon Lee died in a fatal shooting accident while filming for the movie The Crow in March 1993, less than two months before this film's release. The film is dedicated to his memory at the end credits. In the film Brandon was portrayed as a child by Iain M. Parker.
Bruce Lee's daughter Shannon Lee has a cameo appearance as a singer in the party scene (singing "California Dreamin'"), at which Linda tells Bruce she is pregnant for the second time - carrying Shannon.
Van Williams, who played The Green Hornet in the 1960s TV series of the same name appears as the director of The Green Hornet in this film. Contrary, however, to what is depicted in the film, Williams actively petitioned the studio in support of equal screentime for his non-white co-star. Williams pleas' to the studio fell on deaf ears.
Wong Jack Man did not kick Bruce Lee in the back while Lee was walking away from the fight. The fight did in fact take place but it was at Lee's own school, not at the strange temple seen in the film. Bruce won successfully, but his fighting style was very limited at the time. This fight was the reason that Lee would develop his own style, Jeet Kune do. Lee later injured his back while lifting weights.
There was no rematch between Lee and Wong Jack Man or a fight against Wong Jack Man's brother while making The Big Boss. However, a challenge match did take place between the real Bruce Lee and a local Thai boxer while filming The Big Boss.
In real life, Brandon Lee was born with blond hair. The film shows him with black hair.
Bruce was already an actor before he became a martial artist, according to his screen test he was in Hong Kong films since he was 6 years old. The film only shows him working on The Green Hornet, pitching the idea for Kung Fu, and his martial arts action films.
There were absolutely no problems between Bruce's film making and spending time with his family. In fact according to the documentary Bruce Lee: Warrior Within, production stills of Game of Death shows that Bruce invited Linda, Brandon, and Shannon to the set during filming. The film shows Bruce nearly isolating himself from his family, even arguing with Linda on two separate occasions
It is well known that Brandon Lee has been taught martial arts by his father at a young age, and that during a demonstration in Hong Kong, Brandon was shown breaking a board. The film never indulges on Brandon learning Martial Arts or the demonstration.
Johnny Sun nor his kin ever existed. Sun was based on Wong Jack Man, who challenged Bruce to a no holds barred match. The match was over the disapproval of Bruce teaching non-Chinese students Kung Fu. Bruce won the match in real life and in the film. However unlike the film, Wong Jack Man left whereas Johnny Sun in the film broke Bruce's back. Bruce did break his back in real life, but from excessive weightlifting. Sun's brother is based on reports of extras on the set of martial arts films that have challenged Bruce to a fight insisting that Bruce was only an actor. Like the extras, Bruce beat Sun's brother.
The Tao of Jeet Kune Do was published after Bruce Lee died. In the film it is published before he died.
On the set of Enter the Dragon, Bruce collapsed. In the film, he had a vision of a demon fighting him; after the fight, Bruce is back on the set of enter the dragon, confused but unfazed.
Although Bruce Lee did work and live in Ruby Chow's restaurant, he had no confrontations against the other workers. However there are old pictures showing Bruce teaching others martial arts in the back lot of the restaurant.
In the film, after the success of The Big Boss, it is showing Bruce working in the editing room on Way of the Dragon. In real life, Fist of Fury was made after The Big Boss. Although it is possible that the scene in the film was time lapsed.
Reception
The film received generally positive reviews, with a rating of 81% on RottenTomatoes, based on 19 reviews counted.[1]
The film had a domestic gross of $35,113,743, with an additional $28,400,000 earned in foreign territories. The film grossed $63,513,743 worldwide.[2]
