Fists of Fury

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.

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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: Fists of Fury...
Review: Fists of Fury was Bruce Lee's first movie in which he had a starring role. This is pretty apparent from the start. The movie is low budget, but the fights are cool. Don't buy this movie for high quality special effects, or great acting. Fists of Fury is for action fans only.

Rating:
Summary: A great introduction to Bruce Lee
Review: For a first effort, Fists of Fury was fabulous..it had a decent story, and great action sequences. It gave us our first view into the phenomenom that was Bruce Lee movies.

Rating:
Summary: BRUCE LEE's BEST! -
Review: He doesn't fight at the beginning because he's taken a vow and he's arrived at his cousins and they work at the ice factory owned by Thai people selling drugs, but the scene when his pendant (the symbol of his promise not to fight) breaks and he takes out the entire enterouge on his own is classic, but that's not it. The movie is brutal, and Lee is actually an excellent actor, what an amazing face, and what amazing expression. Of course the dialogue and stuff sound a little corny because of the translation, but when he gets back to the ice factory later, and he's not just trying to beat people up anymore, but rather leaving people killed with their mouths open, WHAT? Plus there's nudity! (okay, that's not what gives it points, but it doesn't detract). Furthermore, its got a funky soundtrack. The Chinese, unlike Americans, don't need happy endings, and this is one of the most sublime, not just going down in a blaze, he is the hero, but it's futile. Don't sleep on this movie, its amazing. Chinese Connection and Enter the Dragon (the only complete Hollywood film he made, where you get to hear his voice) are also great.

Rating:
Summary: Is it supposed to be this funny?
Review: I ask you once again, Is Bruce Lee's first starring role in THE BIG BOSS (titled FISTS OF FURY for it's U.S. audience) suuposed to be this,ph Ha Ha Ha, Hil- Ha Ha Ha- Hilarious? I really don't know. This has got to be one of the cheesiest hong kong films ever, but with good old Bruce Lee around, who cares?

The fighting is cool when Bruce Lee bursts with FURY, breaking a sacred promise to his mother to avoid fights. Most of the acting is fairly mediocre, with Bruce as an exception, of course. Boy, when he starts kickin', it's awesome, and even when he's just got that look in his eye, that he knows that he's in control of the fight and no matter how badly they beat him, he will always rise to the occasion and kick some [booty].

Bruce not only displays his martial arts skills, the finesse of his ossified physique, and his abilty to act, he even shows a few of his legendary punchlines, things like cracking his knuckles simply by making a FIST, or licking the blood off and open wound and screaming before retaliating.

Of course, Bruce was a pretty good actor, but even he couldn't always deal with dialouge as bad as this. The movies most memorable line was "They stole my rice cakes and kicked me." and wasn't even throw out there by Bruce. Nope, they left and innocent child with that responsibilty. Here's another pseudo semi-descent quote from the movie:
"Why hasn't my son come back. Go to the factory and see if you can locate him."
Bruce got all the best lines, and all of those are evidence that the writers just went through the motions for the dialouge. Didn't they know that the hero in any action film should have something clever to say. Nope, they gave Bruce childish dialouge.

Of course, that's 5 times what can be said for the dubbing. Everytime a punch or kick is throw in the movie, it somehow sounds like someone's blowing with great force into a microphone. And the cinematography is on par with your average camcorder. The martial arts scenes are terrifc, nonetheless. Bruce just had that ability to take any bad film, toss in his patented Jeet Kune Do, and voila! We have an enjoyable movie.

Bottom line, to Bruce Lee fans(of whom there are many)and non-fans (of whom there are very few) alike. Watch this film. Forget the dubbing, the dialouge, and sub-standard acting, and just watch and learn from the master.

Rating:
Summary: GREAT FILM
Review: I have this one on dvd there are minor changes from the U.S. release but its worth seeing Lee stab his Boss with his fingers.

Rating:
Summary: disappointed
Review: I must say I rented this movie with high expectations, perhaps too high which was what led me to not enjoy this movie. I felt "Enter the Dragon" was much better, even though Bruce Lee movies aren't really too great. The acting in this movie is pretty bad, the story line very corny and generic, and the fights seem so fake. The movements are slow and not graceful and when contact is made it doesn't even look real. The murders with knives is very cheap looking as is the entire film. I suggest you not watch this movie with high expectations at least..."Fist of Legend" is infinitely better, it is impossible to describe how much. I don't understand though, how is that movie a remake of this? They are not correlated in any apparent way. P.S. Since when does blood glow in the dark brightly?

Rating:
Summary: Worst Transfer of All Time
Review: I was very anxious to buy this DVD cause Bruce Lee was one of my childhood heroes, but the image and sound quality is so bad that I might as well just use it for a coaster. It's like watching one of those old 8mm films.

I hope that the owners of the film get smart and restore it. I'll be willing to buy it again if it was cleaned up.

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.