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Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story

List Price: $14.98
Your Price: $11.98
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Bruce's life finally brought where it belongs, the movies.
Review: There are things here about Bruce's life that are fictional (Bruce's book "The Tao of Jeet Kune Do" wasn't published until AFTER his death) and some of the facts the filmmakers did get right were somewhat out of order (Bruce's father died in 1965, not 1970, and Bruce also didn't put his Jeet Kune Do philosophy on paper until 1970), but this movie wasn't hurt on bit by all that. It's an absolute blast to watch Bruce's long, rigorous journey from being just another Chinaman to the legend that he is today. Of the facts of Bruce's life that are true in this movie, my favorite is when he is teaching Martial Arts to non-chinese. This upsets much of the Chinese community, who order Bruce to stop teaching anyone but Chinese. When he refuses, they issue he a challenge to a match, to which, if Bruce is defeated, he must close his school. Bruce accepts, and faces his opponent in one of my favorite fights ever. It's not going to be spoiling anything, because we all know Bruce smacked that guy around like an inflatable doll. All in all, this movie is about 80% faithful to Bruce's life story, and fans of trivia will no doubt know that Bruce's son, Brandon Lee (who himself became a kung fu star)was originally considered for the part of his father. Jason Scott Lee (no relation) is fantastic as both an actor and a Martial Arts master in his own right. It's just a cool movie. If only Bruce could see it now.....

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: My Hero
Review: I've been a fan of Bruce Lee for years and I've collected all his movies except for the incomplete "Game of Death". I remember watching the trailer for "Dragon:The Bruce Lee Story" and couldn't wait to see the movie. However the actual movie came under a lot of criticism for not being authentic in it's portrayal of Bruce Lee's life that I didn't bother to see it. Now ten years later I decided to see it and I'm happy I did for several reasons. As far as I can see based on other materials out there about Bruce Lee...the movie did a fair job of showing us the many sides of the man, the myth and the legend. They couldn't have chosen a better actor than Jason Scott Lee to do the part. He seemed to have captured the essence of Bruce Lee in all his glory. You don't have to be a martial arts enthusiast to enjoy the movie. It tells of a man who used his very short life to overcome many obstacles and personal demons during the process became a star that shone brightly for all the world to see. He paved the way for persons of different cultures to learn or view what was only known to person who lived in places where martial arts originated. He broke into the closed up world of Hollywood and created a portal for other actors/martial artists like Jet Li and Jackie Chan. Yet he was only a man but a special one though who became a hero to many and through his accomplishments........his memory will live on forever.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: dubious transfer
Review: Just a note of warning: the DVD transfer originates from the same shoddy source as the laserdisc special edition. The image is marred by pixelation and high contrast.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Man, the Myth, the Legend....
Review: I actually reviewed this movie for a junior high school newspaper when it first premiered, and all I could say was "Wow". Prior to seeing the movie, I knew very little about Bruce Lee, and thought of him only as a movie actor. This film helped educate me to the fact that he was far more than that, even if the film was rarely accurate. Although it would have been nice if the movie focused more on his teachings of JKD and less on the hokey "inner demon" sequences, this film proved that Bruce was easily the martial artist of the century, revolutionizing how we see the fighting arts, their practicality, and the movies that follow. I heard somewhere that Jason Scott Lee had no prior experience in martial arts and trained for about 6 months in preparation for the movie; I can say that he did a damn good job. Lauren Holly was excellent in her portrayal as Bruce's wife Linda, and at times (physically) closely resembled her (I know this; I met Linda a couple of years ago at a JKD convention). The orchestral soundtrack is top-notch and several of the tracks have been used to promote subsequent epic films.
Again, while not entirely following true to the details of his life, this movie will make a Bruce Lee fan out of even the most die-hard critic. And if you think Jet Li, Jackie Chan or even Donnie Yen are better martial artists, try to find a copy of Bruce's demonstration at Ed Parker's competition in Long Beach :)

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good action, not-so-good Bio-pic
Review:


While containing some great action scenes, and good characters, this isn't a really accurate movie about Bruce Lee's life. Having said that, this is a very entertaining movie.


Good fight scenes are mixed with an uplifting movie that has strong morale messages. Good family viewing, since the movie brings up a few subjects, like perseverence, tolerance of others, etc.


-- JJ Timmins

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Bruce Didn't Eat Baloney....And Neither Should You!
Review: Another reviewer commented that this movie is a decent action flick, but as a bio-picture, it's actually very poor. And guess what....that reviewer was right!

I'm a big Bruce Lee fan & maybe it's just me, but if I'm going to see a movie that purports to feature the life of a particular person, I expect to see just that, no baloney, no b.s.!

I understand that some things have to be condensed & changed for dramatic purposes, because of the time frame of the movie format.

But, c'mon! Most of this picture is just innacurate & a lot of it is pure fantasy!

Check out the two Biography Specials on Bruce Lee from A & E if you want to know what the life of this late, great innovater & genius was really like!

If you want action, watch a Jackie Chan or an old Shaw Brothers flick.

But if you're expecting a reasonably accurate portrayal of Lee's life, avoid this mess like the plague!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: a decent action movie;a work of fiction
Review: DRAGON is a good action movie as far as action movies go,but it is NOT the Bruce Lee story.The movie is a purely fictional account of the life of Bruce Lee.The only thing somewhat true to life is the timeline regarding Hong Kong.Just a few problems:1.very little of the fighting looked anything like Wing Chun or Jeetkunedo, 2.Lee hurt his back LIFTING WEIGHTS,repeat,lifting weights,around 1970.Wong Jak Man did not injure Lee's back!In real life,Wong was too busy running away from Lee to hurt Lee's back.Lee's match with Wong took place at lee's school,not before some council of old men in San Fran. 3.The movie portrayal of Yip Man was pure fiction; 4.The TAO was published from Lee's notes after his death in 1973,not during the mid-60s;5.Lee fought the Thai boxer in the ring according to Thai rules,not on the set of a movie,throwing bricks;6.the DRAGON movie did nothing to portray Lee's friendships in America:those he shared with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,Dan INosanto,Jimmy Lee,Leo Fong,Taky Kimura,Jhoon Rhee,Joe Lewis, Chuck Norris,Master mark,or a dozen other people.Too bad that people see this junk and think it is an accurate bio.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Spectacular Film
Review: This is my favorite movie of all time. Emphasis on the word movie. This is an instrument of entertainment, loosely based on actual events, not a documentary. This is a fact appearently lost on those who did not enjoy this film. It is a love story, an action flick, and a social commentary all in one. The film is incredibly inspiring, and moves along at a brisk enough pace to keep the viewer's attention throughout. The acting is sufficient, except for the lead, which is simply incredible. Jason Scott Lee turns in an exceptional performance in an extremely demanding role. The score is very well done, and works especially well with the inspirational theme. Overall, a great movie on multiple levels, and my personal favorite.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Superb Film
Review: This movie is inspirational above all things. To see where Bruce Lee started, where he took his life as well as the challenges he over came; WOW! When you need to pick yourself up by the bootstraps and become inspired, watch this movie!

We all have our inner demons. The movie displays a metaphorical inner demon of Bruce Lee's. Whatever it is that holds you back, you can fight it and overcome it!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Enter The Dragon
Review: A stellar cinema biography of the short but memorable life of Bruce Lee (played by newcomer Jason Scott Lee). Lauren Holly plays his wife, met during his years in school, and together they experience the ups and downs of marital life against the backdrop of racism, classism, and mysticism. The narrative is highlighted by dream sequences that allegedly plagued Bruce Lee throughout his life, and the fight sequences are extraordinarily choreographed. The film has heart and humor, and it is nothing short of a celebration of Lee's spirit.


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