Todesgrüße aus Shanghai

What's not to love about Bruce Lee? Simple answer, nothing. Bruce Lee is the man who made Hong Kong and martial art films the way they are way today. This despite he only be able to do four films.

Set in the early twentieth century in the Japanese section of Shanghai, Fist of Fury tells the story Chen Zhen (Bruce Lee). He returns to the city to marry his fiancé but finds out that his master had died. He questions the official reason about how he was killed and the Japanese Bushidō school seek to close Chen's school. The Japanese plan to arrest Chen, learn the secret of the Fist of Fury and arrest every member of the school. Chen goes on a mission of vengeance, beating up and killing anyone who was involved in the Master's murder. But he has only three days to do it and uses his resourcefulness to avoid being arrested.

The story is skeleton thin, but who cares, it's Bruce Lee. And compared to most previous efforts in Hong Kong, Fist of Fury is pretty much Oscar worthy. Bruce Lee in trying to give Hong Kong films some story, and not just focus on the swordplay. The acting isn't exactly good. Bruce Lee and Nora Miao are the strongest performs. This film's winning feature (and the whole point of watching this type of film) is the martial arts sequence. Bruce Lee is obviously the best at what he does, beating up a lot of people on the way. The camera work is extremely well done, there is no shaky cam or over-editing that is a massive problem in today's cinema. Bruce Lee also uses his nunchakus which is always fun to see. Excellent viewing.

The film also has a couple of themes. There is the themes of vengeance and actions have consequence for everyone involved. There is also a major theme about Chinese and Japanese racism and the hatred the two nations have to each other. It was a nationalistic piece for the Chinese and show that they should be strong against the Japanese. This film was made when memories of World War II was still raw in the collective Chinese conscious.

A film for Bruce Lee fans.

This film is a classic but then all of Bruce's completed films are classics. There are strong anti-Japanese messeges (including one Japanese guy having a tash similar to a certain German dictator) in the film but it has been over 33 years since the film was made and so this can be put down to it being dated. Ultimately it is a film about injustice and Revenge. The Bushido School's general evilness, the injustice against the Chinese in Shanghai and Bruce's (called Chen in this one) hot headedness create a circle of violence which escalates completely out of control. This is an intensely gritty Kung Fu film unlike Bruce's later films which were more escapist in nature and Fist Of Fury has the highest body count in terms of Bruce actually killing people with those fists. The legendary 'Sick Man Of Asia' scene is amazing and the end of Kill Bill clearly homage's this so any Tarentino fan's will get an added joy out of watching this beautiful sequence. DO get the uncut version.

Chen Chen (Bruce Lee choreographed his own fight scenes) returns to the international compound of China to find his girlfriend (Nora Miao) and old friends , only to learn of his intimate teacher's death . This is compounded by the continual racist harassment by the Japanese population in the area . As he seeks vengeance for the death of his teacher and infiltrates Japanese territory to investigate the strange events . As he sets out to avenge the death of his teacher Huo Yuanjia (Fok Yuen Gap) and at one point during the film, the Chinese Wushu students are called "sick men of Asia" by their rivals . Unlike his friends, he confronts it head on with his mastery of martial arts while investigating his teacher's murder . Chen dispatches numerous thugs and hundreds of Karate experts before a violent slug-fest with Petrov , a baddie Russian (Robert Baker, in the Cantonese and Mandarin versions of the film, his voice is dubbed by 'Bruce Lee') . Chen Chen accepted the challenge of a Russian fighter who called all Chinese people "sick men of Asia" . According to certain historical sources in China , the real-life Chen escaped from Shanghai successfully .

This violent Chop-Socky displays action-packed , thrills , fast-paced and wild fighting images . The international title of this film was "Fist of Fury" , in the United States the English dubbed version was released under the title "The Chinese Connection" to avoid confusion with "Fists of Fury" or ¨The big boss¨ , the title for the U.S. release of Bruce Lee's previous film . Packs violent combats sequences including Karate , Judo, Tae Kwon do , Hapkido and Wushu . Exciting and rousing struggles , though Bruce Lee was doubled in the fight scene between Chen and Yoshida where Chen does a somersault, while Jackie Chan doubled for the villain Suzuki when he is kicked back through the large paper windows . And impressive final fighting , the key fight sequence between Lee and Robert Baker is a mixture of punishing action and dry humor, as at one point Lee bites Baker on his leg to escape an arm lock , plus Lee boxes with Baker, jabbing him repeatedly in the face whilst wearing a cheeky grin! ; the fight comes to a dramatic conclusion as Lee side kicks Baker in the head, knocking him senseless, and then Lee delivers a lethal karate chop to Baker's windpipe, terminating his bigger opponent.

The motion picture was well directed by Lo Wei , because of the movie's racial content and personal disagreements, Bruce Lee quit working with Lo Wei after this movie . Lo Wei also directed the successful ¨Fists of fury¨ and various Jackie Chan vehicles as ¨New fist of fury¨ and ¨Spiritual Kung Fu¨.

This is a top-notch Kung-Fu movie with the unforgettable Bruce Lee . Bruce Lee one of the biggest international hit smashes , ¨Fist of Fury¨ was previously realized to his American box office ¨Enter the dragon¨. This one was made later but released before ¨Lee's Return of dragon¨ with Chuck Norris as contender , and Lee had formerly starred ¨Fists of fury¨ or ¨The big boss¨. ¨Enter the dragon¨ is his last complete movie character but his next film ¨ Game of death¨ was absurdly edited after his death , this Kung-Fu actioner was realized by Robert Clouse , an expert on Chop-Socky movies and he directed Bruce Lee's last film . ¨Fist of fury¨ is indispensable and essential seeing for Lee fans and Karate enthusiastic.

Written & directed by Wei Lo (who also plays the role of The Inspector), "The Chinese Connection" is simply a classic Bruce Lee martial arts film. It of course serves its purpose of dishing out lots of great combat (complete with hilarious over use of "impact" sounds). But there's more here going on than that. This also features some funny comedy, and some particularly potent drama. It's a tale of bigotry, as the Japanese in Shanghai treat their Chinese counterparts with contempt, and demean them.

Taking place at the turn of the 20th century, it stars Bruce as Chen Zhen, a student who returns to his school to learn that the beloved "Master" has died. Not only that, but he just might have been murdered, to boot. Naturally, Chen swears to solve the crime and get some revenge. He takes on all comers, while the carnage mounts.

There's some pretty delicious gore in this lively affair, which goes on a bit long at one hour and 47 minutes, but it still has much to recommend it. Lo and Bruce get your attention and keep it with their many intense fight sequences. It also offers a little dose of romance, as Chen hopes to marry the girl whom he loves (Nora Miao). The villains are wonderfully despicable; you love to hate them, and eagerly anticipate the inevitable showdown between Bruce and characters such as Petrov (Robert Baker), a massive Russian who shows off his superhuman strength in one amusing segment.

The acting is just fine from everybody concerned. Bruce is indeed at his best, proving his physical prowess at every turn and displaying that memorable screen presence.

Good, solid action entertainment, a must for martial arts fans.

Eight out of 10.

The second of the Bruce Lee-starring movies is in terms of plot a lot less interesting than the first. Here, we have the 'student sets out to avenge his master's death' which was already the major storyline of most martial arts films. However, it is handled in a more realistic way then usual and technically it is far superior. Lee was allowed to choreograph his own fights and his battle with Japanese martial artists in their school and climactic duels with a Russian boxer and a Japanese swordsman remains classic fight scenes.

The film drags somewhat in the middle although the lengthy dialogue scene between Lee and his girlfriend was another step forward for the Hong Kong martial arts movie, vivid proof that Lee was a pretty good ACTOR. By contrast, Lee's final farewell to his girlfriend is all the more powerful for being done completely without dialogue at all. The ending is the most powerful and moving of all the Lee films, the final freeze frame managing to encapsulate Lee's grace and power in a single shot.

Many mock Lee's films as being silly and just consisting of fighting. Both accusations are completely untrue. They have far less fights than most films of this kind and, at least in the three Hong Kong films he made, there is a clear message that violence does not solve anything. They may not have the polish of the more recent works of Jackie Chan and Jet Lee but their power remains undiminished, as long as of course one does not watch the awful dubbed versions!