Story of the Dragon (1976)

Film Reviews and Release Comparisons
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Killer Meteor
Hail the Judge!
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Joined: 16 Mar 2005, 23:05

Story of the Dragon (1976)

Post by Killer Meteor »

STORY OF THE DRAGON (1976)

AKA BRUCE LEE'S SECRET AKA BRUCE'S DEADLY KUNG FU AKA BRUCE LEE THE TRUE STORY

Director: Chan Wa, Cheung Kei

Starring: Bruce Li, Carter Huang, Hwang Jang-Lee, Dan Schwarz, Roy Horan, Robert Kerver, Wei Ping-Ao


In a change of pace for Bruce bio-pics, this focuses on his early years in San Francisco where he gets fired from his restraunt job (and I'm sure Bruce's former boss Ruby Chow was delighted with how she's depicted here: as a kowtowing fat cow) and starts up a kung fu school on the wharf, defending his fellow Chinese from evil Western gangsters (one of whom is clearly a Chinese actor in black face).

More comedic than its predecessors, taking a fair few cues from WAY OF THE DRAGON, this is silly stuff but very entertaining. Bruce Li is at his physical peak, as to be expected, but it's also pleasantly surpring to see dAnd ecent fighting (if not acting) performances from the Westerners, among them Roy Horan (later of Seasonal Films) and Robert Kerver, who looks a skinny blonde hippie kid trying to impersonate Bruce Lee!

Bruce's notorious and controversial opponent Wong Jak-Man is here split into two antagonists: Carter Huang as a traditional kung fu master who loses to Bruce and becomes his pupil, and Hwang Jang-Lee as a martial arts champion working for the villians. Hwang, in one of his first Chinese films, is physically impressive as always, but looks downright goofy in his Captain Hook wig, Dracula cap and stick on moustache!

Further hilarity comes from the English dub, where Bruce, presumbly for legal reasons, is now called "Bob"...except for where one dubber forgets herself and calls him "Bruce". Oops!

And that little kid beating up people with a nunchaku must have given James Ferman a hissy fit!

Great fun!

6/10
bradavon wrote:
but I guess you're more intelligence than me.
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