Bruce Lee: The Legacy Collection Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Review
“Bruce Lee: The Legacy Collection” is a treasure trove of Bruce Lee gems.
After Warner Brothers put out a Blu-ray release of Bruce Lee’s finest work (“Enter The Dragon,” questions began to arise about a hi-def release of Lee’s other 4 films. That question has now been answered as the good folks at Shout! Factory have packaged together “The Big Boss,” “Fist of Fury,” “The Way of the Dragon,” and “Game of Death” in a massive boxed set.
First up on this set is Lee’s first major film “The Big Boss” (AKA “Fists of Fury” as it’s sometimes known in the U.S.). The story of ‘Boss’ finds Cheng Chao-an moving from the city to the country to work with his cousins at a shady ice factory (which is owned by the Big Boss Hsiao Mi). Despite being sworn to a no violence oath, Cheng can’t seem to escape the fact that trouble is finding him when some of his cousins go missing. Is the ice factory a cover for a larger criminal business? Will Cheng break his oath? Will Cheng fall for Chiao Mei (who is also desired by Hisiao Mi)? Tune in to see!
While some fans may get impatient by the fact that Lee sits out a few early fights due to his character’s oath, I actually think was a clever move on writers Lo Wei and Bruce Lee’s part. Not only does it add character to Cheng, but it also makes Cheng’s inevitable oath break that much more anticipated. When Cheng/Bruce Lee does eventually go all out, it is absolutely worth the wait. From the stabbing of henchmen to Lee kicking butt while eating, there’s never a dull moment when Lee is fighting. In fact, there’s never a dull moment when Lee is on screen. When it comes to action and martial arts movie stars, this movie shows why Bruce Lee is and always will be one of the most highly regarded stars. He can handle drama and humor, and, of course, he absolutely excels at action. Simply put, Lee can do it all.
Lee’s second film “Fist of Fury” (also called “The Chinese Connection”) is a much darker movie. The story: After a Chinese dojo teacher (Huo Yuanjia) is mysteriously poisoned, an angry and heartbroken pupil (Chen Zhen) decides to look into his death. His investigation reveals that a Japanese dojo (the Hongkou dojo run by Master Suzuki) is behind this tragedy and, well… I’m sure you can guess what happens next.
While the story may be light, ‘Fist’ is easily the best Lee film alongside “Enter The Dragon.” Lee certainly brings the fury here as the character of Chen is completely and utterly pissed off from start to finish. It’s definitely a departure from the other characters he played in that he displays little to no humor. Yes, Chen does expose a soft side to his would be fiancé, but Chen is mostly consumed by rage here as he punches people to death and beats up an entire dojo with nunchucks.
On the subject of the action, Bruce Lee’s lightning fast action talents are on full display. From Chen’s brutal revenge plans to his intense fights with the two big bads in the climax, fans will be floored by what Lee does in this movie.
The story of “The Way of the Dragon” (AKA “Return of the Dragon”) is about a Chinese boxer named Tang Long who travels to Rome in order to aid his Uncle and niece. You see, his two family members own a restaurant, but they are being bullied by a local crime syndicate who want to obtain the land where the restaurant is. The thugs are trying to close down the restaurant by driving customers away and they are initially successful in doing so. That all changes, however, when Tang begins beating up the criminals with his powerful Chinese boxing skills. Can Tang save the restaurant and drive off the criminals or will the criminal organization pull out a secret weapon?
In the first half or so, ‘Way’ is an incredibly goofy movie. The film is loaded with cheesy music, slapsticky sight gags at an airport and plenty of silly “fish out of water” scenes with Bruce Lee adjusting to life in Rome. Thankfully, the movie’s tone shifts to a more serious level when Tang begins to take matters in his own hands. From a story perspective, ‘Way’ is very simplistic. Most of the action takes place in two locations (the restaurant and an apartment) which limits the story. Thankfully, the movie ends on a high note with THE best sequence in the entire film- a showdown between Tang (Bruce Lee) and a fighter for hire named Colt (Chuck Norris). I’m not exaggerating when I say that this is one of the best one on one fights in cinema history. It’s worth watching the movie just to see Lee face off against Norris.
The fourth and final film on this set is the 1978 “Game of Death.” As some of you may know, Bruce Lee passed away before filming was completed on the original version of “Game of Death” (which featured a much different story than what we got here). Several sequences where completed and portions of them have been spliced into this movie. The story of this version of “Game of Death” involves an actor named Billy Lo who is being targeted for death by a greedy crime syndicate. After nearly being killed by them, Billy fakes his death and vows to get revenge on those who wronged him.
The majority of ‘Game’ does not have Bruce Lee at all but rather stunt doubles, stand-ins, stock footage, and, yes, even a cardboard cutout face. Most of the time, the character of Billy Lo is wearing sunglasses, being filmed from the back, or sporting a wacky disguise in order to hide the fact that it’s not Bruce Lee. While it’s admirable that they managed to make a mostly coherent movie around the surviving footage, it’s just not very interesting without Lee on screen. Thankfully, there are 3 REAL sequences with Lee (in his famous yellow jump suit) fighting 3 baddies in the Red Pepper Restaurant. The highlight here, of course, is Bruce Lee’s showdown with the 7 ft 2 in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (yes, the NBA player). While that match-up may boggle the mind, it is absolutely riveting to watch on screen.
Last, but not least, this set contains 3 DVD only documentaries titled “Bruce Lee: The Man, The Legend,” “Bruce Lee: The Legend,” and “I Am Bruce Lee.” ‘The Legend’ is a loving tribute to Bruce Lee courtesy of Golden Harvest productions. This 86 minute docu includes film clips, archival footage and photographs, facts about his childhood, behind-the-scenes stories about the making of his films, and information about his passing. While not the most comprehensive documentary, it’s a solid tribute to the late star. “The Man, The Legend” is another Golden Harvest documentary. This 82 minute doc takes a much more emotional approach as it covers his funeral, his belongings, his family, and his career. 2011’s 94 minute documentary “I Am Bruce Lee” is definitely the most entertaining docu on this set. Everyone from Kobe Bryant and Manny Pacquiao to Shannon Lee and Linda Lee is interviewed here giving viewers a much more wide ranged perspective of not only his life, but of the impact he had on others.
Note: As far as the packaging goes, it’s somewhat of a mixed bag. While the coffee table book design is inspired, it is also somewhat problematic. I have no problem with the inclusion of the thick color booklet, but the cardboard disc sleeves are a nightmare. The discs are not at all easy to pull out and you could easily wind up scratching a disc and or multiple discs if you aren’t careful. Still, I have to give credit to Shout! Factory for a unique set design. It is certainly more visually appealing than the usual packaged sets that we see.
Video/Audio:
There has been a lot of controversy about the 4 films not having true HD transfers and that better Blu-ray prints may actually exist. Even if this is true, I’m willing to bet many fans will still be impressed by the picture quality of these 4 films. First and foremost, these are MUCH more than upgraded DVDs as some folks are claiming. I have seen some truly horrendous prints of these films and this is far and away the best the films have ever looked on home video. Yes, there’s some minimal grain, dirt specs and some wavy lines, but there’s no denying that these prints have been cleaned up. The crisp colors and picture clarity is impressive (especially on “The Big Boss”).
If you love audio track options, you’re going to love this set. Between the 4 films, there’s a total of 23 audio tracks (yes, you read that right). “The Big Boss” disc contains the following 6 tracks: English DTS-HD MA 5.1, English DTS-HD Mono, Original Mandarin Mono, Mandarin DTS-HD MA 5.1, Cantonese Mono, and a Rare never before heard English Dub. Of the lot, your best bets are the English DTS-HD Mono, the Cantonese Mono, and the Mandarin DTS-HD MA 5.1 track.
“Fist of Fury” contains 6 tracks as well. They are as follows: English DTS-HD MA 5.1, English Mono, Cantonese DTS-HD MA 5.1, Cantonese Mono and Original Mandarin Mono, and Mandarin DTS-HD MA 5.1. Of this bunch, the Original Mandarin and Cantonese Mono tracks and the impressive Mandarin DTS-HD MA 5.1 track are the ones to go with.
“The Way of the Dragon” contains a whopping 7 tracks which include: English Mono (Japanese Theatrical), English Mono (U.S. Dub), English DTS-HD MA 5.1, Cantonese Mono, Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1, Mandarin Mono, and Mandarin DTS-HD MA 5.1. One would think that the DTS-HD tracks would be the best, but they suffer from some major issues. The best quality tracks here are the Mandarin Mono and the Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks.
Lastly, there are 4 tracks for “Game of Death” which include English DTS-HD MA 5.1, English DTS-HD MA 2.0, English Mono, and English Mono (Theatrical). The 2.0 track is flat, the 5.1 track is fantastic, and both Mono tracks are solid choices.
Extras:
* DVD copies of “The Big Boss,” “Fist Of Fury,” “Way of the Dragon,” and “Game of Death.”
* Trailers, a still gallery, and U.S. TV spots for “The Big Boss.”
* An alternate title sequence, rare scene extensions, and an alternate ending for “The Big Boss.”
* “Bruce Lee Vs. Peter Thomas”- A short feature about German film composer Peter Thomas’ score for “The Big Boss.”
* An interview with director Tung Wai in which he talks about Bruce Lee.
* “Return To Pak Chong: The Big Boss Revisited”- Martial artist Daniel Whyte chats about Pak Chong and Bruce Lee.
* “Bruce Lee: The Early Years”- An interview with martial artist and stuntmen Gene Lebell who provides some truly fascinating stories.
* Commentary on “The Big Boss,” “Fist of Fury,” “The Way of the Dragon,” and “Game of Death” by Hong Kong film expert Mike Leeder. While there’s plenty of factoids about Lee’s life and career, the sound quality is not the best on these tracks
* 11 still galleries titled “Bruce Lee Gallery,” “Bruce Lee The Legend,” “Enter The Dragon,” “EP Covers,” “Fist Of Fury,” “Game of Death,” “The Green Hornet,” “Marlowe,” “The Big Boss,” “Way of the Dragon,” and “Various Stills.”
* “Fist Of Fury Interviews”- Nora Miao (Yuan Le-Erh) Riki Hashimoto (Hiroshi Suzuki), and Jun Katsumura (a Suzuki bodyguard). The three chat about everything from careers, casting, Golden Harvest, set experiences, acting, background information, etc.
* “Return of the Dragon In 60 Seconds”- A fan film recap.
* “Way of the Dragon” and “Game of Death Revised”- Actor Bob Wall chats about his experiences in working on both films, working with Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris,
* “Master of the Game”- Martial arts instructor Dan Inosanto talks about Bruce Lee, martial arts, and more.
* “Legacy of the Dragon”- A comprehensive 45 minute British documentary on Bruce Lee featuring film clips, info about his life, death and career, archival footage, interviews with co-workers and friends, and more.
* “The Grandmaster and the Dragon: William Cheung and Bruce Lee”- Another near hour long documentary. This one covers Wing Chun Grandmaster William Cheung who was both a friend and a teacher to Bruce Lee. Rare in depth interviews with Cheung himself are included here.
* “Bruce Lee Remembered”- Everyone from Dustin Nguyen (“21 Jump Street” actor) to Gareth Evans (“The Raid: Redemption” director) talk about Bruce Lee’s legacy, skills, and films. The interviewees also talk about what Lee meant to them and recall memories from seeing him on the small and big screen.
* Trailers, a still gallery, and U.S. TV spot for “Fist of Fury.”
* An alternate title sequence and an alternate ending for “Fist of Fury.”
* An interview with actor Yuen Wah (who appears in “Fist of Fury”). He chats about acting, working with Bruce Lee on multiple films, Bruce Lee’s skills, etc.
* “Remembering Fist of Fury”- An interview with actor Jason Tobin who is best known for being in “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” and action director Isaac Florentine who directed a lot of “Power Rangers” episodes.
* Trailers, a still gallery, an alternative title sequence, and a U.S. TV spot for “The Way of the Dragon.”
* “Kung Fu? Jon Benn Remembers The Shooting Of The Film”- The title for this “The Way of the Dragon” feature says it all.
* “Celebrity Interviews Including Sammo Hung, Simon Yam and Wong Jing.”
* Trailers, still gallery, bloopers, outtake montage, alternate opening and ending, deleted scenes, and an HD Japanese print ad for “Game of Death.”
* A then and now look at the locations of “Game of Death.”
* “Game of Death Revisited” features several complete scenes of cutting room floor footage from Lee’s work on “Game of Death.” Honestly, it’s better to watch this than the actual movie because there’s no sign of any stunt doubles or a tacked on plot.
* A theatrical trailer for “I Am Bruce Lee.”
* “Backyard Training: Bruce Lee’s Personal Films,” “Inspiration: Bruce Lee’s Global Impact,” “Bruce Lee In Action” and “Bruce Lee’s Hollywood Audition” all feature film clips as well as additional footage and segments for “I Am Bruce Lee.”
Overall Thoughts: Despite a hefty price tag, the impressive “Bruce Lee: The Legacy Collection” is absolutely worth purchasing if you’re a fan of the late cinematic icon.
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