La Vengeance aux poings d'acier

FIST OF FURY III is the third and final entry in the series of films that started with the Bruce Lee hit. This one features my favourite Bruce Lee impersonator, Bruce Li, in a storyline which basically copies that of the original with a few twists. Li is an upstanding young character who falls foul of some Japanese thugs when his family members and in particular his girlfriend are threatened by them.

The makers of this one deserve kudos for bringing back the hateful Japanese translator from the original film as one of the top villains, as he's as slimy as ever. Otherwise, the film is a bit on the ordinary side. There are plenty of fight scenes here, which keep you watching but are far from memorable or even that exciting. Li has the moves but it seems the director is more interested in making his film on both the cheap and in a hurry, so there's little in the way of slickness or professionalism here.

Things only pick up for the climax which makes great use of some 'dark and stormy night' atmosphere and made me realise how few martial arts films actually utilise rain and bad weather to their advantage. Li brings out the "fingers of death" method from THE BIG BOSS at one point, but otherwise the film is quite tame and predictable, the sort you'd watch once but never go back to.

it can hold its own, the plot isn't water tight and the editing on the version i have leaves alot to be desired. Its got a bit of everything really, romance (although gone with the wind it ain't), its got family tragedies stemming from the previous 2 films and its got all the action you'd want. Obviously the man character isn't bruce lee so people judge the film on that, but to be honest he does just a good a job as bruce. The fight scenes are fluent and its an allround good film just don't expect any sort of amazing plot and it is a bit on the dark side at times just sit back and watch a good fight film.

Fist Of Fury III stars Bruce Li as the brother of Bruce Lee's character who after accomplishing revenge on the Japanese fighters that killed his brother, returns to take care of his mother and live in the country. Determined to live a peaceful life he finds himself forced into action as Japanese thugs follow him and make his life miserable. Fist Of Fury III is way better than Fist Of Fury II, but (of course) not up to the standard of Bruce Lee's original. This one is a standard kung fu cheapie in all arenas, except that the fights are better handled, the story develops the vengeance angle fairly well and in fact has a great climax involving a thunderstorm that basically adds to the action's overall mood. Once again it's no great masterpiece and Bruce Li, while charismatic, is not Bruce Lee but as far as kung fu movies go this is as good as these things get. Another nice touch is bringing back the English Intrepeter from Bruce Lee's Return Of The Dragon, as well as crisp directing during the action in the style of Bruce Lee's original. It's nothing worth going out of your way to locate, but if found in the bargain bin or in a Kung Fu movie collection, it's worth picking up.

* * Out of 4-(Fair)

If you are tired of Hollywoods sub-standard claptrap remakes, even more tired of the TV-teen movie of the weak, and even tireder yet of the pg rated watered down remakes of r rated classics.. then this is the movie for you.. skulls are crushed, heads split open, and blood sprays like geysers.. much more killing and maiming.. enough to make you misty eyed for Hollywoods golden years.. when they weren't to PC to make Deathwish, Vigilante, and Exterminator movies... Ahh the good old days.. enjoy the mayhem!! Ah the love story... he loves Killing CHIN-LEE... the main bad guys are gutted and hung on pikes, the flunkies are devoured by lions and hungry bears.. the extreme content of the uncensored version makes it definitely worth the trouble to seek it out..