I Am Bruce Lee

In "I Am Bruce Lee" there is a famous interview where Bruce distinguishes his philosophy: "Empty your mind. Be formless like water... If you pour water into a cup, it becomes the cup. If you pour water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be like water, my friend." Bruce eloquently relates Tao Te Ching. Amazingly, these were the words of Stirling Silliphant ("In the Heat of the Night") from an episode of "Longstreet" back in the 1970's starring James Franciscus. Silliphant was a student of Bruce Lee, and the episode was called "Way of the Intercepting Fist" which many know is Bruce's creation, Jeet Kune Do. I remember watching Lee in the TV series. This was before he became the martial arts icon—he was magnetic and compelling. In the interview Bruce said he got to play himself, not some character. What struck me was that Bruce Lee was the awesomely gifted martial artist, who was also an amazing teacher. That is a rarity. I think had Bruce lived, he would have become the great martial arts teacher and transformed the distinction martial arts.

Silliphant went on to write the TV series "Kung Fu" from Bruce's original concept. But instead of the casting Chinese Lee as the lead Warner Brothers went with David Carradine. Lee eventually made "Enter the Dragon" for Warner Brothers, he tragically died before the release of the movie. I know this is a lot of history, and Director Pete McCormack brilliantly connects the dots in this refreshing and compelling documentary of Bruce Lee's life and death. There is an undercurrent of racism and fighting the establishment in this story which Bruce lived with. McCormack blends a captivating mix of interviews with celebrity fans, and those close to Bruce. Kobe Bryant is captioned as NBA All-Star/ Martial Artist. I wondered what he trains in. Did not know Ed O'Neil ("Modern Family") was a black belt in Brazilian Jujitsu—which is awesome. UFC Champion Jon Jones is very cool in his admiration of his hero Lee. However, McCormack goes sideways with some of his guys including skateboarder Paul Rodriguez and some dude from the Black Eyed Peas. Cantankerous Judo expert Gene LeBelle comes across as a weird skeptic of the Bruce Lee prowess, though it turns out Bruce trained with him.

Bruce Lee is an icon and iconoclast. Linda Lee Caldwell, Lee's widow, amazingly tells the story of how Bruce defeated a fighter from China, because Bruce chose to teach Wing Chun which he learned from the legendary Yip Man to anyone, not just Chinese. Linda tells how Lee made the fighter submit within 3 minutes. After the fight Lee lamented that he should have been able to end the fight sooner—Wing Chun alone was not it. Thus, Bruce began the evolution of Jeet Kune Do-- all styles and no style. His first students Dan Inosanto and Richard Bustillio convey their love and awe for their fallen friend. Bruce Lee transcended race and even martial arts. "I Am Bruce Lee" in its own unique way captures that feeling: Everyone wanted to be Bruce Lee. Bruce taught Steve McQueen, James Coburn, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Linda Lee Caldwell tells how Bruce wished Steve could be more like James and James could be more like Steve. Linda says that Bruce was her strength, but you get that she was his rock. This is particularly evident in the story surrounding Lee's death.

Poignantly, Kobe Bryant talks about the downside of celebrity. Bruce Lee may have been seduced by fame. His friend and "Enter the Dragon" co-star Bob Wall talks about Bruce's phenomenal prowess. But he also talks about Lee having an allergic reaction to medication, and being found in another woman's apartment. Caldwell is gracious in that she has made peace with that, and to this day finds joy in seeing him on screen. Lee's daughter Shannon Lee, also the movie's Producer, fondly remembers her father and the spectacle of the funeral. Bruce was a man with an upside and a downside. Most importantly, he is still loved to this day.

The footage of the Bruce Lee movies reminds us of the icon, who was total genius in his body. He was 5'7" and 135 lb, and so fast and so strong. The clips of his "one-inch punch" are astounding. He was beautiful and immortal. His goddaughter Diana Lee Inosanto says, "He put balls on Chinese men." Provocative. More to the point: Bruce had the perfect body, was charismatic, and sexy. MMA Champion Gina Carano ("Haywire") vehemently agrees. It is interesting that there have not been any crossover Asian stars as compelling as Bruce. Then again, how often does Bruce Lee come along in a lifetime? What landed for me was Linda talking about Bruce's legacy even today. She said she is touched by the fact that Bruce inspired generations to be great. As a kid watching his movies, he inspired me to pursue the martial arts. Now I am a Sensei, and have the opportunity to give something back to others. Bruce made us dare to be great. And that is an amazing legacy.

I am Bruce Lee tells the amazing story of one of the most famous human beings, I entered the public consciousness. Voted one of the most important of the 20 100 Time magazine, People magazine, one of the biggest pop culture icon, Bruce Lee continues to be honored and recognized for his inheritance. Revolutionary thinking and sometimes controversial, often inspired by Bruce Lee in a wide range of devices and philosophers, actors, filmmakers and has become a source of debate for a generation of athletes. Bruce films, the visual impact on the discovery of surprising and interesting life, and his martial arts, entertainment and the world beyond it is a legacy, and his untimely and tragic death at the age of 32 years.

To be honest anything about Bruce Lee and I am going to watch it. It was interesting seeing the mix of people some of who actually knew Bruce and some who are fans talk about him. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that Judo fool who said Bruce was more entertainer than fighter just made himself look silly. And Ed O'Neil ( who I liked on Married with Children ) also got it wrong saying that today's fighters would have beaten Bruce easily. He is missing a very important fact, that is, that Bruce 'adapted' to whoever he fought. That is the essence of JKD. As Bruce got older he got better and better and bigger men would be no match for his skill and speed. I have never seen another martial artist as fast as Bruce or as adaptable. And I am talking about the real Bruce fighting, not what we see in his films. ( although much of that is pretty impressive ) Bruce once said that the most dangerous opponent was someone determined to do something regardless of the consequences, so if they were determined to bite your nose they probably would. Bruce was like that, he did whatever was needed to win. That is why he grew to hate styles because they restricted the mind. By the way this is what is behind the 'honestly express YOURSELF' speech. Linda Lee and Shanon and Dan Inosanto stood out for me as they were talking first hand and with such obvious affection. Could have done with more clips of Bruce fighting but apart from that I liked this documentary.

Review: What a great documentary about a unique man who will never be forgotten. I've seen many documentaries about Bruce Lee which haven't been that professional but this is a very well put together movie which shows different people's views about what they feel about this martial arts genius. I have seen a lot of the footage in this documentary before but you get to hear from his wife and his children how it was to be around Bruce Lee and how he dealt with certain matters. His death on the 23rd of July, 1973 at the young age of 32, has always been questionable, especially as he was such an active man who didn't show any symptoms of having any problems, so when he was diagnosed with cerebral edema, people started to put together there own stories about what caused his death. After many years of his passing, there hasn't been anyone who has come close to his unique style of Kung Fu and his philosophy behind his art form. This documentary really does show that he lived and breathed his own style of martial arts which is a combination of many different styles. It's hard to believe that a man, who only made 4 full movies in his career, made such a big impact in cinema today and I doubt that were going to see anyone like Bruce Lee again. Well, not in my lifetime! Great Watch!

Round-Up: This documentary was directed by Peter McCormack who brought you other documentaries like Facing Ali, Hope In The Time Of AIDS, The Marijuana Wars and Uganda Rising, so he's known for his deep and emotional dramas about delicate matters. He was lucky to get so many people on board for this documentary, which includes stars from the movie, sports, UFC and martial arts world and the emotional interviews with the family members, close friends and his wife, made this movie a joy to watch. This is definitely a "Must Watch" for all of the Bruce Lee fans!

I recommend this movie to people who are into their documentary/biographies about Bruce Lee's amazing life, with interviews with Linda Lee Cadwell, Kobe Bryant, Mickey Rourke, Dana White and Gina Carano. 7/10

Here we have it, folks! The Ultimate Bruce Lee documentary! I AM BRUCE LEE celebrates the legend of martial arts cinema like never before. Featuring a whole host of fascinating interviews from Lee's widow, daughter, Dan Inosanto, kick boxing champion Bob Wall, Mickey Rourke, Ed O'Neill, Kobe Bryant and several other important names. Along with some extremely rare footage including interviews, this documentary leads us on a journey through Lee's past to his tragic and untimely death. His undeniable influence can still be seen today and this documentary captures and explores this incredible man to the full. The extras included here are also superb, consisting of several personal home videos and a look at Bruce Lee's phenomenal influence around the globe.

This is, without a shadow of a doubt, the only Bruce Lee documentary you'll ever need to see. The documentary is such an in-depth tribute that even the most knowledgeable of fans will find plenty here to entertain and educate them.

A must have!