I know that some of you, like me, are somewhat influenced by the cover of CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays. It is, at times, a very important first impression. So, when I initially saw the cover of the double feature DVD “Bruce Lee – A Warrior’s Journey & In Pursuit of the Dragon,” I didn’t think much of it. In fact, my first thought was, “Oh, here’s another Bruce Lee exploitation DVD of many.” But, my God, how wrong I was! These two films are some of the best visual documents about the life of the most influential martial artist of all time, a must for any Bruce Lee fan! There is stuff in here that you won’t find anywhere else.
The first feature that I watched was “A Warrior’s Journey,” perhaps the most significant of both films. In it, we learn a little bit more about Lee’s involvement in what would be his last film, “Game of Death,” of which he was a producer, writer, choreographer, and author of the screenplay. Bruce first began filming “Game of Death,” but had to temporarily stop to make his opus “Enter the Dragon,” which made him a star around the world. Once Dragon was completed, he would resume filming “Game of Death” on September 20, 1973. However, that was not meant to be, as Lee died on July 20, 1973. The rest is history, as they say, because “Game of Dead” was completed by using a double, and only the final fight scenes, which were shot before “Enter the Dragon,” were used with the real Bruce Lee. And here is when director John Little shines, as “A Warrior’s Journey” includes additional footage that has never been seen before of that famous last scene. We are told that 100 min of footage was available (about 2/3 retakes), but only 11 min were used in the film. The rest and unused material is what we enjoy in “A Warrior’s Journey” – and how lucky we are! Of course, there are also segments on Bruce’s auditions, Yip Man & Gung-Fu, “Longstreet” TV series, “Marlowe,” as well as interviews with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Linda Lee Caldwell. Taky Kimura, and others. They all discuss aspects of the final fight scene in the Pagoda, including casting, script, fighting techniques in each level of the pagoda, and much more.
The second film, “In Pursuit of the Dragon,” is another little gem for Bruce Lee fans, and, as it title indicates, it basically tracks down the locations in which Lee made his movies – or whatever is left of them. For this purpose, a crew of six, from Canada, United States, and Germany, led by director John Little, visited sites in which “The Big Boss,” “Fist of Fury,” “The Way of the Dragon,” and “Enter the Dragon” were filmed. Some of these locations were at Bangkok, Macau, Rome, and Hong Kong. Among the many things that we learn is that the fighting scenes between Bruce and Chuck Norris in Rome’s Coliseum were done inside a studio. The filmmakers really tried their best in finding these historic places, of which few are still standing.
“Bruce Lee – A Warrior’s Journey & In Pursuit of the Dragon” is just amazing to watch and enjoy. It truly adds new information about Bruce Lee’ short, but legendary life and it is a splendid addition to his legacy and any collection. (A Warrior’s Journey – 2000, color & B&W, 100 min; In Pursuit of the Dragon – 2011, color, 62 min)
Reviewed on December 9, 2013 for MVD Visual
The first feature that I watched was “A Warrior’s Journey,” perhaps the most significant of both films. In it, we learn a little bit more about Lee’s involvement in what would be his last film, “Game of Death,” of which he was a producer, writer, choreographer, and author of the screenplay. Bruce first began filming “Game of Death,” but had to temporarily stop to make his opus “Enter the Dragon,” which made him a star around the world. Once Dragon was completed, he would resume filming “Game of Death” on September 20, 1973. However, that was not meant to be, as Lee died on July 20, 1973. The rest is history, as they say, because “Game of Dead” was completed by using a double, and only the final fight scenes, which were shot before “Enter the Dragon,” were used with the real Bruce Lee. And here is when director John Little shines, as “A Warrior’s Journey” includes additional footage that has never been seen before of that famous last scene. We are told that 100 min of footage was available (about 2/3 retakes), but only 11 min were used in the film. The rest and unused material is what we enjoy in “A Warrior’s Journey” – and how lucky we are! Of course, there are also segments on Bruce’s auditions, Yip Man & Gung-Fu, “Longstreet” TV series, “Marlowe,” as well as interviews with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Linda Lee Caldwell. Taky Kimura, and others. They all discuss aspects of the final fight scene in the Pagoda, including casting, script, fighting techniques in each level of the pagoda, and much more.
The second film, “In Pursuit of the Dragon,” is another little gem for Bruce Lee fans, and, as it title indicates, it basically tracks down the locations in which Lee made his movies – or whatever is left of them. For this purpose, a crew of six, from Canada, United States, and Germany, led by director John Little, visited sites in which “The Big Boss,” “Fist of Fury,” “The Way of the Dragon,” and “Enter the Dragon” were filmed. Some of these locations were at Bangkok, Macau, Rome, and Hong Kong. Among the many things that we learn is that the fighting scenes between Bruce and Chuck Norris in Rome’s Coliseum were done inside a studio. The filmmakers really tried their best in finding these historic places, of which few are still standing.
“Bruce Lee – A Warrior’s Journey & In Pursuit of the Dragon” is just amazing to watch and enjoy. It truly adds new information about Bruce Lee’ short, but legendary life and it is a splendid addition to his legacy and any collection. (A Warrior’s Journey – 2000, color & B&W, 100 min; In Pursuit of the Dragon – 2011, color, 62 min)
Reviewed on December 9, 2013 for MVD Visual
