Game of Death

Game of Death
by Bruce Lee, Robert Clouse, Sammo Hung Kam-Bo

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DVD Reviews of Game of Death

DVD Review: A film all Bruce Lee fans must judge for themselves
Summary: 4 Stars

It is difficult to know the full history of this film as it evolved over time. As I understand it, much of the actual Bruce Lee footage (less than fifteen minutes of the released film) was shot in 1972, and Lee served as writer, choreographer, and even director of the film ; during production, though, he suspended filming in order to make the triumphant Enter the Dragon. After finishing that project, Lee apparently planned to rewrite and re-shoot Game of Death, but he died suddenly and tragically before his new vision could be formulated. Later, Robert Clouse decided to complete the project, using a stand-in (who is obviously not Bruce Lee) for most of the dramatic and some of the early fighting scenes, re-shooting some scenes with the original surviving actors, and pasting in some close-ups from Enter the Dragon. There is one awful shot early on showing an obviously pasted-on image of Lee's face which is just frighteningly amateurish, but the stand-in is also unimpressive. Consigned to sunglasses or a helmet in order to hide his eyes, the stand-in is most obvious in the fight scenes he takes part in; talented he may be, but he is no Bruce Lee. Some plot twists involving a faked death and plastic surgery serve as the new plot's weakest points, but perhaps the most controversial decision Clouse made was the inclusion of some shots of Bruce Lee's actual funeral.

The story really isn't that important; it is just a means to an end. The fight scenes making up the final portion of the film are what really matter, and it is here that we get to see the real Bruce Lee in action. Part of Lee's original vision of this film was a series of climactic fights showcasing different fighting styles, and we find his character working his way up through a ladder of increasingly dangerous opponents, culminating in the amazing fight between Lee and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I believe Kareem actually studied under Lee for some time, and his performance is quite amazing, especially as he absolutely towers over Bruce Lee. I feel safe in saying that Kareem was the only man to ever make Bruce Lee look small. Of course, the larger they are, the harder they fall, especially when Bruce Lee is the man doing the chopping. This fight with Kareem is something that no Bruce Lee fan should miss; skip over the rest of the movie if you want to, but you owe it to yourself to watch this fight scene.

Of course, one must also mention the uncanny parallel between this film and the future life and career of Bruce Lee's son Brandon. In this film, Bruce Lee's martial arts movie star character is shot during the filming of a scene; here it is a willful act of murderous intent, but in the case of Brandon Lee's shooting death during the filming of The Crow the ironically parallel occurrence is a mystery that has never been adequately explained. Game of Death carries a unique and unsurpassed weight of emotional baggage, and I would simply urge Bruce Lee fans not to dismiss this film out of hand; whether you come to view it as a tribute or a travesty, it is a film that should not be ignored.