Das Spiel des Todes

Thrillingly helmed by noted Brucesploitation avatar, Lee Tso-nam, and starring one of the micro-genres greatest exponents of bellicose Bruce Lee battery, Bruce Le! This furiously fight-packed 70s 'fu fest is still an exciting watch for vintage Martial arts addicts! Bolo Yeung fans will also appreciate the rewarding fact that the great man is featured prominently in the exhilaratingly punch-packed Enter the Game of Death. This bravura Brucesplotation banger has a WW2 espionage plot that doen't overstay its welcome, and the director cannily stuffs his dazzling action-fest with crisply choreographed combat! Bruce joins the Blue Robe undergound resistance organisation and proceeds to take on all comers with his signiture salvo of rapid-fire fists, annhilating Nunchuku flicks, and killer KO kicks, courageously confronting each increasingly deadly Kung Fu master in this towering Game of Death.

Yeah, it's a little cheesy, it's a typical Bruce Lee Clone Movie and the story isn't really mentionable (although it's there and even kind of logical.. in the most part). The quality is OK for this time even if there are some bad cuts..

But if it comes to fighting this one is one of my favorite movies.. I like this "defeat the Master of one Stage after another" thing, there are many different fighting styles and one arrogant master after the other plus there's good old Bolo Yeung in his prime role as Executioner of the bad guy - what do you want more ?

So if you get a Copy and like just plain fighting - enjoy it.

After the death of Bruce Lee, there were many lookalike actors who made Bruce Lee rip off movies.

This one starring Bruce Le is a remake of what the Game of Death intended to be before Lee's demise.

Set just before the start of World War 2. Chang (Le) has been hired to recover a secret document from the Japanese.

He has to enter a tower with some fiendish opponents who practise different style of martial arts.

The most familiar face is actor Bolo Yeung. As in Game of Death, Chang has to fight a tall black guy. The most laughable scene is the snake type kung fu which seems to involve throwing snakes at Chang.

Le actually is a rather good Lee type fighter. It is an entertaining movie if you are into 1970s low budget Hong Kong martial arts with bad dubbing.

As its clumsily concatenated title suggests, this film is 100% Brucesploitation, with a role for Enter the Dragon baddie Bolo Yueng and a finale that takes place on the many levels of a tower, as in Game of Death. Star Bruce Le (just the one 'e') even dons a Game of Death yellow and black tracksuit while doing his best impression of Bruce Lee (two 'e's).

But even though this is derivative stuff designed to cash in on Lee's fame, it's not without merit: Le's martial arts are impressive, his many Lee mannerisms (high pitched squeals, shuffling footwork, brushing his nose etc.) are fun to watch, and there's just enough silliness to ensure that things don't become too monotonous.

The film quickly gets the plot out of the way in order to concentrate on the plentiful fighting: Chang (Le) accepts a mission to find a secret document before it falls into the hands of the enemy. This leads him to battle a variety of foes, with the highlight being his ascent of a pagoda, each floor guarded by a different fighter.

Particularly amusing is Chang's battle with a white-haired old man in a room full of snakes, who not only does snake style kung fu, but also does kung fu with snakes ie., he uses the reptiles as weapons, throwing them at Chang and using them like nunchakus. At one point, he bites the head off one of his snakes, spits it out, and sprays blood from the stump at his foe.

Also rather entertaining are a tussle with a guy who can only fight in red light, the level four fight with Hagrid, several very short altercations with assorted black dudes and Westerners (non-Chinese are clearly inferior warriors), and the inevitable showdown with burly Bolo. In the end, Chang saves the day for China, with a little help from a couple of sidekicks and plucky beauty Lisa.

While Le certainly isn't on a par with Lee, the almost non-stop fighting from start to finish means that the film should delight martial arts fans, most of whom were probably expecting something far less enjoyable.

A martial artist, Mr. Ang (Bruce Le), must battle spies and assassins while infiltrating a Japanese multi-level tower stronghold to recover secret documents.

Directed by Lee Tso-nam (Exit the Dragon, Enter the Tiger, Fist of Fury II), the film blends espionage, revenge, and pulpy, comic book-style action. The solid opening stick fight impresses, but the talky midsection drags, worsened by an uncomfortable rape scene. The World War II plot, with China suspecting an invasion from Germany and Japan, adds historical interest. The soundtrack, oddly featuring music lifted from James Bond, King Kong (1976), and other films, adds to the film's bizarre charm.

Borrowing from Bruce Lee's original Game of Death (1972) concept, the film replaces the missing artifact with stolen documents. The Game of Death-style tower is the highlight, with each floor featuring a unique guardian: a Shaolin monk with metal balls and butterfly swords, a snake-style master using live snakes and venom, a nunchaku expert skilled in karate, a Tiger-style fighter who attacks under red light, an elderly Shaolin master, and a brute using Bear-style kung fu. Despite their cartoonish nature, their distinct styles make for engaging fights.

Though Bruce Le's mannerisms border on parody, he has more charisma and screen presence than many Bruce Lee clones. His martial arts skills shine every time he dons the iconic yellow jumpsuit.

Bolo Yeung, best known for Enter the Dragon and The Chinese Connection (Fist of Fury), delivers a standout sword-wielding duel. Yeo Su Jin (Lisa) makes an impression in an otherwise exaggerated action spectacle.

Despite uneven pacing, bad dubbing and odd choices, Enter the Game of Death delivers thrilling tower fights, making it a worthwhile Bruceploitation entry.