Fists of Fury

Rating:
Summary: ALWAYS stay with ORIGINAL
Review: Being a big Bruce lee fan I love this film.Despite its thin plot and low budget it was a groundbreaking film in many respects.It takes a while for bruce get into action but when he does he doesn,t let us done.It his first big fight scene in the ice factory you will Bruce kick a knife from a thugs hand and before it hits the gound he kicks the guy a second time! brillant!.The speed of the guy was unreal.
He goes on to kill all the thugs util he reaches "THE BIG BOSS".this fight is very good and You will see a lot of devices thta lee wopuld later use in his other films.
Despite its inadequces The Big Boss is a very good film in terms of martial arts.Lets not forget that this was just a vechicle to show the audieces what the then UNKNOWN Bruce Lee could do

Rating:
Summary: Bruce Lee's best on DVD,but sound could' ve been better.
Review: FISTS OF FURY is Bruce Lee's first starring feature film role as a ice worker who ends up with the local drug-dealing gang members.Originally titled THE BIG BOSS and made in 1971,this film showcases Bruce Lee's finest hour and moments that are worth watching such as the spectacular fight sequence in the factory's shed with the gang members and its leader.This DVD release (by Front Row) is beautifully presented in its original widescreen version (2.35.1) and picture quality is so-so,but the only downfall is the sound which could've been a lot better so you might need to turn the volume up.I got rid of my Madacy DVD copy (as part of the 2-pack DVD set w/THE CHINESE CONNECTION),because both the picture and sound quality were so shoddy and poor that it's barely watchable.So I would recommend getting this version and throw away Madacy's,because this is perhaps the best availible version of the film that's out there by a low-budget distributor like Front Row.Sit back,relax,and watch Bruce Lee in action with FISTS OF FURY.

Rating:
Summary: The one that started them all........
Review: Fists Of Fury represents Bruce Lee's introduction into the martial arts movie genre. After getting shunned by Hollywood, he went back to Hong Kong and teamed with Raymond Chow (a movie producer). This first film in the Bruce Lee collection is much more raw and low budget than the others. It's also quite cheesy watching it 23 years later. But it has Bruce Lee in it. And he kicks ass. What else do you need to know?

The story goes that Bruce comes to a small town that some of his cousins live in. He moved there to escape the fights and problems he was having in his old town. Of course, he will find some trouble in his new surroundings soon enough. He spends the first half of the movie NOT fighting, due to a promise he once made his mother. He gets a job at a Thailand ice factory. He and his mates find that it is a front for a drug smuggling operation. Once his friends start disappearing, he investigates. And that is where the movie really kicks in.

I must admit, the movie is quite low budget and cheesy. Once Bruce starts beating everyone in sight, however, it gets really good. The acting is terrible. The dialogue is even worse. You will also notice some Hong Kong movie staples that could never happen in real life. Like the bad guy lightly tossing a birdcage up in the air and it hooking itself on to a tree branch. Then Bruce chucks a knife up and hits the cage, it falls and breaks and the birds escape. When you see this, it will make you wonder how the hell this cheesy movie made money. Then when Bruce's fists and feet start flying, you will know. This film is built around Bruce and Bruce alone. If you can get past the fact that it's quite dated looking, poorly acted, and has a terrible script, you will enjoy it. Kick back and watch Bruce in his first role that would make him a god in many people's eyes for years to come.

The DVD has no extras whatsoever. If you get the Master Collection set, it comes with a 5th disc containing a documentary. Which makes the lack of extras on the movie discs acceptable.

Rating:
Summary: Actually an interesting film
Review: I'd say this is one of Lee's best. Sure the production values are not what we are used to, almost more like a student film than an action movie. But the story is actually - dare I say it? - deep. It's about the plight of the outsider, in this case immigrant Chinese laborers, in a society without the rule of law. Stuff to think about for us happy Americans with our lawyers and ACLU and legal trade unions and - hey - elections. The interesting thing about this movie is that it ISNT some cheesy flic about private islands and crazed monastics and secret societies. The hero of this film, though he'd do pretty well on a private island run by crazed monastics, has NO CHANCE as an immigrant laborer in modern Thailand. He wins the final battle, but he still loses in the end.

Rating:
Summary: Bruce takes care of business in his first starring role
Review: I'm by no means a martial arts enthusiast, and I know almost nothing about Asian cinema, but there is just nothing better than a Bruce Lee movie. Fists of Fury marks the point in which Bruce finally sheds the silly mask of the Green Hornet's sidekick Kato and becomes a full-fledged star in his own right. Certainly, Fists of Fury is not Bruce's best film, and I don't believe he even choreographed the fight scenes himself, but to me this is a vastly underrated film.

The film opens with Cheng Chao-an (Bruce Lee) arriving wherever it is this story takes place to live and work alongside some of his cousins. His uncle as well as the locket he wears around his neck are constant reminders of the pledge he made to his mother that he would never fight anyone again. I have to tell you, it's pretty hard not to fight in this environment. Before he even gets to his new home, he has to watch a gang of thugs intimidate a poor young lady and kick a little kid around. He holds himself back, but his cousin does not; he takes on all comers and walks away smiling. Cheng's new life is turbulent from the start; the foreman at the ice shipping factory where all the men work is a brute of a man, some guy gives him a knuckle sandwich for no good reason on his first day, and the business itself turns out to be beyond crooked, but the real problem is even more insidious. Cheng's friends and relatives slowly begin disappearing, usually after having a talk with the manager or the nebulous Big Boss. When the men revolt and start an all-out fight at the plant, Cheng hangs back- until, that is, someone cuts him. This marks the first appearance of the Bruce Lee so many of us know and love; the look in Cheng's eyes right after he is slashed foretells the imminent demise of his oath of peace, and the fight ends rather quickly once he joins the fray. He wanders off the path somewhat after this, taken in by a promotion and the frills that come his way as a result, but his destiny is to face the dope-smuggling, preternaturally cruel Big Boss mano a mano.

Bruce Lee's acting talents are easily apparent in this first of his feature films. Starting as a country bumpkin of sorts, Cheng's shyness and feelings for the lovely lass Chow Mei (Maria Yi) are expressed both subtly and convincingly. His face also bears clearly the inner turmoil he feels early on as his oath keeps him from joining a fight that is morally justified. His expressions when the decision to fight is basically made for him are priceless, but he really comes into his own during the fight scenes. No one will ever come close to matching Lee's fighting performances, and while the fights in Fists of Fury aren't as elaborate as those of later films, they are plenty impressive to me. Who else but Bruce Lee could take on the ultimate bad guy and his minions while purposefully eating a bag of crackers?

Fists of Fury is a dark film; let there be no mistake about that. You won't come away from this movie feeling happy or light of heart. It has a pretty high body count, and while none of the deaths are shown in gruesome detail, there can be little doubt about the levels of blood and pain that surely coincide with a good many final breaths. Evil and cruelty run rampant on the streets, and even the brotherhood of the good guys is greatly diminished at one critical juncture of the story. I doubt that the American public had ever really seen a movie such as this Hong Kong production back in 1971, but two things are certain: Fists of Fury played a very important part in making Bruce Lee the super-human legend he is and always will be, and it also helped make martial arts films a hearty new staple to be enjoyed by untold numbers of people across America and much of the rest of the non-Asian world.

Rating:
Summary: Stupid But Fun
Review: In terms of proper filmmaking, "Fists of Fury" falls flat on its face. The story follows Bruce Lee who is working in an ice factory in Thailand. He eventually discovers the factory is being used as a cover for a drug-running operation. Soon enough his cousins, who also found out, begin to go missing and Lee is convinced that the owner is responsible. He's held back from doing anything about it at first because of a promise he has made to mother to not fight, but evetually he goes back on his word and sets out to exact justice. I have to say that I'm not exactly a Bruce Lee fan, so I couldn't take this movie too seriously, especially because it's so cheesy. It's badly acted for one thing, and the plot is just too thin. And the dubbing? Well, lets just say that it's typically of an early 70's Hong Kong film. However if you don't take this film seriously (who can but fans of Lee) you might still enjoy it because it's so laughable, for the most part. During some of the early fighting scenes I was spliting a gut. Whenever someone took a puch or kick, it sounded like a firecracker was going off! That was so funny! Although "Fists of Fury" is a dumb film, it does have one good thing: Bruce Lee. This was his first movie and he certainly shows why he's consider one of the best martial artists in history; once he gets into the fighting, the results are great to watch. If you are a Lee fan, this is definitley worth a look if you want to see where it all began for him. If you aren't, then either watch this for laughs or just forget it.

Rating:
Summary: BRUCE MAKES HIS FIRST STARRING ROLE
Review: IN THIS ONE, BRUCE LEE PLAYS A MAN WHO WORKS AT AN ICE FACTORY. SOON, FAMILY MEMBERS BEGIN TO DISSAPEAR AND HE LATER FINDS OUT THAT HIS BOSS IS A DRUG PUSHER. OK MOVIE, BUT IT'S JUST NOT AS POWERFUL AS HIS LATER FILMS WOULD GO ON TO BE. THE LAST 20 MINUTES OF THE FILM ARE FANTASTIC, THEY REALLY SHOWCASE LEE'S UNCANNY ABILITIES. THE DUBBING'S NOT AS BAD AS PEOPLE SAY IT IS, BUT THIS MOVIE ISN'T ALL THAT WHEN IT COMES TO BEIN COMPARED TO BRUCE'S OTHER MOVIES. BUT STILL, IF YOU'RE A FAN OF THE LEGENDARY BRUCE LEE, THIS MOVIE IS GAURANTEED TO BRING YOU ENTERTAINMENT FOR A LONG TIME.

Rating:
Summary: Bruce Lee's first starring role
Review: The movie is pretty cheesy. I was hoping for a little more fighting scenes given the fact Lee is in it. The fighting that does occur isn't coreographed all that great.
Since this is Lee's first movie with him as the main character I should cut it some slack, but I'm not.
For the casual Bruce Lee fan I'd say this movie can be skipped.

Rating:
Summary: Cool Kung Fu ... !
Review: This is Lee's first and best film. Though Bruce does not direct the fight scenes like he does in the other films, the martial arts battles are realistic and don't contain impossible jumps and superhuman 'flying' that is often seen in martial arts movies.

The film does a great job of mixing furious fights and successful comedy. The plot revolves around the fact that a champion martial artist (Bruce Lee) has made a promise to his mother that he would stop fighting and causing trouble. To remind him of this agreement, Lee wears a pendant around his neck. He refuses to fight when a gang lead by the notorious criminal 'The Big Boss' starts bullying his co-workers at his ice factory. The film changes when the pendant comes off accidentally. It is then that the fighting starts...

The highlight of the movie is the battle in which Lee takes on the Big Boss. The fight sequence lasts a dramatic ten minutes on screen and takes place in an open courtyard. In addition to battling gansters, Bruce has to take on the three alsations which are strictly loyal to the Big Boss.

This movie is a worthy memorial to the martial arts master, and is worth watching if you like either Bruce Lee or martial arts in general.

Rating:
Summary: Bruce's breakthrough movie...
Review: This is, in my opinion, the weakest of Bruce's three HK action films (I don't count "Game Of Death" as a REAL Bruce Lee flick). But the man only starred in four movies his entire life, and it's always a kick to see the guy in action, so as his legend deepens, the more his fans will salivate and gobble up whatever's served up on the WA-TAAH! plate.

The production value is almost laughable, and the English dubbing (in regards to the Fox DVD) is absolutely abysmal, but there's only one reason to ever watch a Bruce Lee movie: Bruce Lee. No matter how amateur the film is, or how frickin' lame the plot is, it doesn't take away from his lightning-fast talent. God, if only he'd have lived longer. One can only imagine what he'd have done.

"Enter The Dragon" is his best, but if you've already seen it a dozen times and want to try out his earlier stuff, first check out "The Chinese Connection," "Way (or Return) Of The Dragon" and then this one.