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Fists of Fury

Fists of Fury

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Rating: 5 stars
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: 5 stars
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: 5 stars
Summary: All-Time Kung Fu Classic
Review: I've always felt that this film captures Bruce Lee at his best -- not the more famous American-made "Enter the Dragon." Bruce Lee plays a country boy who, through his uncanny fighting skills, defends the downtrodden workers from an unscrupulous boss -- a slimy "Mr. Big" type. OK - the plot is not complex. It's classic, corny and simple. But the issues at stake make Lee's fight scenes all the more electrifying -- far more so (for me) than the stylized James Bond-type antics of "Enter the Dragon." This film has a certain poignance -- its hero is taken away at the end... Similarly, Lee dies at the end of "The Chinese Connection." For me, the greatest of all kung fu films (closely seconded by Lee's other films and maybe a "Drunken Master" or two).

Rating: 4 stars
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: 3 stars
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: 1 stars
Summary: Don't even think of buying this DVD
Review: Interesting film, but terrible transfer - full screen, no language/subtitle options, grainy transfer from video tape complete with interference where the tape was worn (including most of the famous fight scenes). There's a real collection coming out: get that instead.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: THE ULTIMATE MARTIAL ARTS FILM!!!!!!!!!!
Review: It is not always true when they say "First is the worst!". I think that this was Lee's GREATEST film, and possibly just the greatest martial arts film of all time!!!!! If you have not seen this, GET IT! GET IT NOW!!!!! And if you have a DVD player, YOU HAVE TO BUY THE HONG KONG DVD VERSION!!!!! That is the ultimate version!!!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: a timeless movie with a timeless actor
Review: not only was Bruce good at martial arts but he was great at helping out with scenes in alot of the movies he starred in
he will be in our hearts forever
great movie this is. have it on dvd. watched it 8 times already. lives up to its name. it really is a fists of fury movie. deep moving plot and storyline. great cast of characters. you can get a few laughs in this movie and a few shocks too due to some of the violence. but this is a great movie and I'd recommend it to any B.L. fan. a great role for him to play in his first movie.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: not what I expected
Review: People have told me that Fist of Fury was Bruce Lee's first and best film. I don't see how that is. First of all, there was not very much martial arts in this movie to begin with. Secondly, I know that a good bit of martial arts films don't focus much on good story plots but this movie really suffered from not having a good plot. I have seen better Bruce Lee films.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: do not buy this DVD
Review: Please do not buy this poor quality dvd. You will be wasting your time and money...


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