Oh man, this movie is the reason beer was invented! Seriously, although it is a total cheap cash-in on the death of a true legend, it nevertheless entertains, and at times, fascinates. The early section of the film, featuring clips of Bruce Lee as a child actor, in several different, very rare films, should be a great treat for fans of Lee. There is even a scene from his first film, "The Kid" where he acts with his real-life father. These obscure, shadowy black and white images provide proof that Bruce had the star quality and acting skills, even at age 5, and up, where he portrays a mean bully, a scared orphan, a silly carnival performer, all with amazing ability; he was a natural from the beginning. These are followed by a short look into his life, beginning with his journey to California, and showing him working in the school he opened there. The film noticeably skims over his iconic films, as they probably didn't have the rights to use clips from them. The shots of his huge funeral in Hong Kong are sad and moving, but the solemn feeling shifts gears quickly, when the film takes a look at the Bruce imitators. some brief shots of Bruce Li segue into a FULL-ON CRAPFEST FEATURE starring an imitator called Dragon Lee. to Dragon Lee's credit, the man had the moves, as well as an amazingly chiseled physique, but he did lack the physical beauty/grace of the original Bruce Lee, and the fact that while Bruce could act, Dragon really can't, makes this surreal film a disorienting freak show of riotous proportions. you'll be reaching for the remote control to replay the scene where the old man thrown across the cardboard room by Dragon, is plainly NOT the stunt double who goes flying, and is about 30 years younger and 40 pounds heavier. You will be wondering why most of the guys that Dragon fights are fat old slobs that were probably found under a bridge and paid in moonshine to perform. The sets and costumes are adequate, and Dragon Lee has a frenetic energy and there are some great fight scenes. nice touches and small details make this one stand out though, and this (un-named) film somehow possesses a noble and nostalgic quality all it's own. I have to admit that i enjoyed it from start to finish. Between the fits of laughter and the jarring visuals, this is a fascinating time capsule. Finally available in a decent print in an awesome box set called "Martial Arts Masters" This strange film is actually presented in widescreen! I just have to wonder how many suckers were duped into seeing this movie in the theater, lured in by the name of Bruce Lee. This kind of exploitation is a bit sad, but morbidly fascinating, like a train wreck...
15 Reviews
Japanese bad guy with a Hitler mustache.
synsen-4033424 April 2020
If your painting your house, and don't want to watch it dry, then this is the movie for you. It is so bad, it's good. The English dubbing and the fighting sound effects are the best things about the movie. It's a classic diamond in the rough, the way they use to make them.....bad. The Japanese bad guy with the Hitler mustache is a must see.
Fascinating.... but be careful
Schlockmeister7 May 2001
This movie has all the looks of a quickie movie that was made to capitalize on the death of Bruce Lee in Hong Kong in 1973. I am sure there were many , many movies like this made back then. Luckily for us, this one survives and is dubbed in English. The high points of this 2 hour film which is really a half-hour documentary about Bruce, followed by a full-length Kung Fu feature supposedly called " The Ultimate Lee" and is claimed to be the next scheduled movie was to have done ( yeah, right...). The first half-hour is where this feature shines as we see selected clips from Bruce's first four films made while he was a youngster in China. We see clips from "The Little Dragon", "The Bad Boy", "Carnival" and "Orphan Sam". Included is the only scene Bruce ever did with his father. We see scenes of Bruce behind the camera and casual. We also see scenes of Bruce's funeral. This is all very good and the collector would love to get his hands on footage like this. I will offer a caveat though when seeking this documentary out. Beware of inferior dubs. There is a video copy of this being sold that has Bruce on the cover with no shirt and with the pattern of a rising sun Japanese flag behind him ( strangely enough...), this is an inferior copy that looks like it was copied by a handheld camera with the movie being shown on a flapping sheet. The picture is out of focus a lot of the time and is very frustrating to watch, especially the rarities when you would like to see clearly. But if you can find the clear version, it is worth seeing for the Bruce Lee fan.
Pretty worthless even if you're a Bruce Lee completist...
InjunNose5 November 2005
There's very little of the "real Bruce Lee" in this film, its title notwithstanding. The brief clips of four of the movies he made as a Hong Kong child star ("Kid Cheung", "Bad Boy", "Carnival", and "Orphan Sam") are mildly interesting, but they don't really have anything to do with Lee's later career as a martial arts practitioner/teacher/writer and kung-fu film luminary. The rest of "The Real Bruce Lee" consists of a handful of clips of Bruce Li, the first and most watchable Lee impersonator, followed by a (way too) long mini-feature which the narrator calls 'The Ultimate Lee'. Said mini-feature stars Dragon Lee, a rather graceless Korean martial artist who was by far the LEAST adept of the three major Bruce Lee imitators! There are no credits for 'The Ultimate Lee', and I suspect that it is an edit of a longer film which has never been seen in its complete form in the United States. It appears to have been shot in Korea, rather than Hong Kong or Taiwan, and the fight choreography is--as in most Dragon Lee films--very clunky. The dubbing and sound effects are standard (which is to say terrible) for a low-budget chopsocky movie. The most laughable thing about 'The Ultimate Lee' is the narrator's claim that it was Bruce Lee's next scheduled project, and that Dragon Lee had to be brought in to replace him! Bruce Lee had already starred in "The Chinese Connection"; he wouldn't have gone anywhere near this sordid, clumsy little ripoff of his own classic film. Avoid.
Dreadful pseudo documentary
Leofwine_draca30 August 2016
I saw this dodgy pseudo documentary under the title YOUNG BRUCE LEE: THE LITTLE DRAGON. I see that it's variously called THE REAL BRUCE LEE as well as about half a dozen repackaged titles. The year of release wasn't 1973 but rather the late '70s, either 1977 or 1979, although the finished product is so low budget and obscure that it's difficult to tell much about it.
In any case, this is an ultimate 'Bruceploitation' movie; a look behind the scenes at Bruce Lee's life which basically consists of two elements: footage from movies that Lee made as a child actor, and clips from films featuring Bruce Lee imitators which pretend to be the real deal. Both elements are uninteresting; I've seen the clips of Bruce as a child actor in other, better documentaries (you know, ones that actually had narration and context) while the other bits simply consist of Bruce Li or Dragon Lee training in gardens and beating up random people. It's a pointless, plot less affair, and one I found that tested the patience to the ultimate.
In any case, this is an ultimate 'Bruceploitation' movie; a look behind the scenes at Bruce Lee's life which basically consists of two elements: footage from movies that Lee made as a child actor, and clips from films featuring Bruce Lee imitators which pretend to be the real deal. Both elements are uninteresting; I've seen the clips of Bruce as a child actor in other, better documentaries (you know, ones that actually had narration and context) while the other bits simply consist of Bruce Li or Dragon Lee training in gardens and beating up random people. It's a pointless, plot less affair, and one I found that tested the patience to the ultimate.
A misleading title to say the least.
MousseTR16 January 2007
I received this as a Christmas gift, and though I know that the person who gave it to me meant well I can't help but feel jipped for both them and myself. The Real Bruce Lee promises "his life, loves, triumphs, tragedies" and of course "the development of Jeet Kune Do" (this is from the back of the DVD) and doesn't deliver any of that. The real Bruce Lee is in the movie for a good half hour, as a child actor, and although it was fascinating to see these early films of his it was NOT what I expected. After clips from four of his earliest films the "docudrama" moves into the direction I was looking forward to watching; the life of Bruce Lee. That portion lasted a good 10 minutes, the rest of the film (about an hour or so) is just Bruce Lee imitators in terrible 70's bruceploitation films. I wanted to give this a chance, but as I watched Dragon Lee kick the crap out of overweight slobs in a dojo where the sign in the back reads "Jeek Kune Do" I pushed the fast forwarded button. I didn't want a Dragon Lee film or a Bruce Li film, but I guess with a title like "The Real Bruce Lee" what can you assume but someone else pretending to be Bruce Lee. I'm a huge Bruce Lee fan, and I can safely say that the "rare" footage is not nearly worth the IQ points YOU WILL LOOSE as you watch this. If you see this in a store somewhere, throw it on the ground and leap on it angrily, since Lee can't do it himself.
Sqeezing every last ounce of blood out of Bruce Lee's corpse.
planktonrules30 April 2019
Following the untimely death of Bruce Lee, lots of ultra-cheap and shady films came out with his name in the title. Why? Because there was a huge hunger for his movies and he only made a few movies. So, these hucksters did things like renaming martial arts actors 'Bruce Li' and the like....and often CLAIMED that they were new and undiscovered Bruce Lee films. Well, this isn't exactly what the makers of "The Real Bruce Lee" did...but it's along the same vein. Instead, they cobbled together some very early childhood appearances of Lee and also showed clips of Bruce Li and Dragon Lee....two Lee knockoffs. Additionally, it did NOT pretend these were Bruce Lee....and was more a documentary in style....albeit a very cheap one.
So why do I only give this one a 3? Well, the clips of the early films of Bruce Lee were as a child and were NOT martial arts films...and they bored me. Additionally, while not exactly lying like many other film producers, including Dragon Lee and Bruce Li in a film with Bruce Lee's name in the title just seemed a bit sleazy.
So why do I only give this one a 3? Well, the clips of the early films of Bruce Lee were as a child and were NOT martial arts films...and they bored me. Additionally, while not exactly lying like many other film producers, including Dragon Lee and Bruce Li in a film with Bruce Lee's name in the title just seemed a bit sleazy.
A Year 10 Film Project
borhank14 February 2024
Even though this is classified as a documentary its more like a mockumentary and it starts off well enough but after 30mins it turns into a mock action flick with Bruce Lee impersinators that are no where at the same level as Bruce Lee and never will be.
However the narator does state this is done as a fan and with respect but honestly its not respectful nor does it do The Real Bruce Lee justice and it doesnot represent Bruce Lee's legacy.
If your a fan like me and want to watch everything Bruce Lee related this one can be missed.
If you want to respect Bruce Lee's legacy get interviews from the people that knew him and do not just do a 30min puff piece and then add your own not even B grade movie to this poor film.
Its a mix of a documentary and an action flick with some comic themes that you really cannot take serious.
90mins I wont get back!
However the narator does state this is done as a fan and with respect but honestly its not respectful nor does it do The Real Bruce Lee justice and it doesnot represent Bruce Lee's legacy.
If your a fan like me and want to watch everything Bruce Lee related this one can be missed.
If you want to respect Bruce Lee's legacy get interviews from the people that knew him and do not just do a 30min puff piece and then add your own not even B grade movie to this poor film.
Its a mix of a documentary and an action flick with some comic themes that you really cannot take serious.
90mins I wont get back!
The "Dragon Lee" film is what this DVD is all about
ithearod3 January 2008
Sure, there are several vintage clips of Bruce as a child on this DVD. I may be mistaken but I believe these are available elsewhere and in better form. There are also some essentially worthless clips of Bruce Lee doing Kato, and some Bruce Li clips.
Skip through all that if you like. Get to the "Dragon Lee" film, which begins near a waterfall with "Dragon" practicing. This begins one of the most surreal and satisfying bad kung fu movies you will ever have the joy to watch.
There is so much to describe, I couldn't possibly contain it all here. The plot is the standard baddie doing the usual "control all the local kung fu schools" routine, but here it is being done by some *really* fake-looking Japanese characters, who mostly all sport Hitler-style mini-moustaches. Wonderful! Later in the film they bring in their "champion" who is of mixed Japanese-German descent. Perfect! There's a lot of Japan-bashing going on here.
The real enjoyment of the film comes from this kind of thing:
Someone in another comment here said this was a Korean production, which would suit me just fine. The film *completely* lacks that Hong Kong or even mainland-China feel to it, and it is certainly not Japanese! Looking at a film like this, made in Korea in the early 1970's, is like finding a time capsule - you see things you didn't know existed, shown in ways you couldn't have possibly imagined.
The movie is like a fever dream that you just can't wake up from, and I mean that in a good way! Small, sweaty, illogical, and lots of unnecessary closeups.
Skip through all that if you like. Get to the "Dragon Lee" film, which begins near a waterfall with "Dragon" practicing. This begins one of the most surreal and satisfying bad kung fu movies you will ever have the joy to watch.
There is so much to describe, I couldn't possibly contain it all here. The plot is the standard baddie doing the usual "control all the local kung fu schools" routine, but here it is being done by some *really* fake-looking Japanese characters, who mostly all sport Hitler-style mini-moustaches. Wonderful! Later in the film they bring in their "champion" who is of mixed Japanese-German descent. Perfect! There's a lot of Japan-bashing going on here.
The real enjoyment of the film comes from this kind of thing:
- The wonderfully awful dubbing, some of the worst I've ever heard. Over the top evil giggling from the bad guys; WAY excessively long grunts and groans from injured thugs; and of course, plenty of squeals and whoops and "bucocks!" from the Bruce imitator. (Did Bruce ever really make that chicken sound? I wonder).
- The sets and costumes. Sets are horribly claustrophobic. There seems to be no space in the movie larger than an 8 x 12 foot sound stage, and most are even smaller. Costumes are painfully dowdy, raggedy, and crudely made, like cheap Halloween costumes.
- The kind of wire-work you only see in your dreams. You just have to see it to believe it.
- The almost total lack of back-story, or any attempt at providing a story of any kind. This movie plays out like a great Nintendo 8-bit game from the 1980's (if you know what I mean) - just tons of action. It jumps from action sequence to plot contrivance and back again, with the barest whisper of dialogue and characterization in between. There are actually one or two characters we see several times, who are important to the plot, but whom we never get formally introduced to! We know almost nothing about them, and so feel nothing at their involvement or passing. It's great, one-dimensional fun - never preachy, always entertaining.
Someone in another comment here said this was a Korean production, which would suit me just fine. The film *completely* lacks that Hong Kong or even mainland-China feel to it, and it is certainly not Japanese! Looking at a film like this, made in Korea in the early 1970's, is like finding a time capsule - you see things you didn't know existed, shown in ways you couldn't have possibly imagined.
The movie is like a fever dream that you just can't wake up from, and I mean that in a good way! Small, sweaty, illogical, and lots of unnecessary closeups.
For buck its worth it
dbborroughs29 December 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Clips from Bruce Lee's films he made as a child are followed by a knock off kung fu story without Lee that really isn't very good.
I picked this up in the dollar bin and for a buck it was worth it. The opening stuff of Bruce Lee as a child is interesting since you see Lee's charisma even at an early age. Unfortunately the effort to stretch the film into something more falls flat since the non-archival stuff is really dreadful. I found myself scanning through the material hoping for something more that was good but it never came. I paid a buck. It was worth the buck to see the early films. It's not worth any more than that since after the early films is a good deal of really bad material.
I picked this up in the dollar bin and for a buck it was worth it. The opening stuff of Bruce Lee as a child is interesting since you see Lee's charisma even at an early age. Unfortunately the effort to stretch the film into something more falls flat since the non-archival stuff is really dreadful. I found myself scanning through the material hoping for something more that was good but it never came. I paid a buck. It was worth the buck to see the early films. It's not worth any more than that since after the early films is a good deal of really bad material.
Great film-documentary about BRUCE LEE
CooperCom30 November 1999
An exciting and interesting documentary about Bruce Lee for about a 1/2 hour + a whole movie (unknown title) with a promising new fighter named Dragon Lee as the main attraction. (where is he today ?) The movie-part, as the documentary-part is a bit naive, like many of the martial art-movies was in the 70's, but it's real fun to watch. The effects in the movie is sometimes unrealistic, but you can see some real good martial arts here. I remember I saw this on video in 1984, when I was 15 years old, so I don't recommend this movie to audience who are over 20.
'Young Bruce Lee and the Last Fist of Fury' remains some epic kung Foolishness, dude!
Weirdling_Wolf23 January 2014
The Real Bruce Lee? Mmm, well, not quite, unless you are a vastly forgiving sort, or chronically myopic! In vino veritas, this is in actuality the three, 'not-quite' Bruce Lee's!: Bruce Li, Dragon Lee and some scratchily spliced-in archival footage of the immortal one! Admittedly, the more ardent aficionados of 'Enter the Dragon' may care to look elsewhere for their authentic Bruce kicks; but, should anyone share my lurid yen for crass, cash-in Brucesploitation, they will most certainly dig on the kinetic high-kicking lunacy of 'The Real Bruce Lee'. A delirious squall of gloriously old school Kung Fu is generously unleashed, with nary a shred of cogent plot to impede all the relentlessly ridiculous, strangely edifying chop-socking action! Personally, I can't get enough of this much-maligned martial arts micro-genre, and spurious titles aside, the dynamic duo OF Dragon Lee & Bruce Li were ALWAYS eminently watchable pugilists, and their bravura performances in this hysterically 'Ham Fisted Fury' are certainly not without merit to avid Kung Fu freaks. 'Young Bruce Lee and the Last Fist of Fury' remains some epic kung Foolishness, dude!
Tedious and exploitative 'documentary' about Bruce Lee
Red-Barracuda18 August 2016
After Bruce Lee died in 1973 and as a way of exploiting his international fame, there seems to have been several south-east Asian films released with his name emblazoned in their titles. The Spirit of Bruce Lee (1973) and The Image of Bruce Lee (1978) being a couple of infamous examples, the films themselves had nothing to do with Lee whatsoever and were merely cashing in on his name. The Real Bruce Lee is yet another in this ilk, except that it justifies the use of the Bruce Lee name in its title by actually featuring him and being about him. Sort of.
It compromises of three sections. Rare footage from the first four Lee screen appearances, a short documentary section and finally a look at the Bruce Lee imitators. The only part that was vaguely interesting was the documentary part and that only lasted ten minutes tops. The rest of it just compromises of very lengthy clips from those old Lee films and newer copycat features featuring Dragon Lee and Bruce Li. Sometimes it is bad enough watching cheap old chopsocky movies in their full versions but to watch extended , long sections but minus any context is almost unbearable. This film is only for the most committed Lee aficionados but even they might struggle with this one.
It compromises of three sections. Rare footage from the first four Lee screen appearances, a short documentary section and finally a look at the Bruce Lee imitators. The only part that was vaguely interesting was the documentary part and that only lasted ten minutes tops. The rest of it just compromises of very lengthy clips from those old Lee films and newer copycat features featuring Dragon Lee and Bruce Li. Sometimes it is bad enough watching cheap old chopsocky movies in their full versions but to watch extended , long sections but minus any context is almost unbearable. This film is only for the most committed Lee aficionados but even they might struggle with this one.
Fancrapstic
gbenson2022 December 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Got the 9 movie pack with Bruce Lee and Sonny Chiba at the local Wal-Mart for $5 and how can you wrong? Looks like the company that released it cleaned up the quality somewhat from what I have seen other reviewers say about bad copies. But what was funny was they put the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen to make it appear as though it is a widescreen version but for the footage of the Bruce Lee movies he made when he was a kid, it was a full screen copy so most of the actors heads were cut off. Nice. So this "documentary" was pure crap. The bad production values aside, the editing was truly abysmal. First thing the narrator says is that they took time and care to make sure the facts were correct ( or really they just pieced some junk together and put Bruce Lee's name on it.) Then he states that they have authentic film of... nothing the sound is cut and no explanation. Oh well. So the 4 films of Lee when he was a kid is about 10 minutes of footage from each film. That's fine, but the narrator states in "Carnival" that they will show Lee doing some kung fu moves as a teen. Except for as he is about to do any of this they cut away to the next movie "Orphan Sam". So then they go into his Bio and basically skip over anything interesting. They said that Lee opened up his martial arts school and called it the "Bruce Lee Martial Arts Academy" which of course he didn't. In the background the wall reads "Jeek Kune Do". When I've only ever heard it called "Jeet Kune Do". Which is even more funny when the immortal Bruce Li footage shows him in the same exact room kicking the crap out of old out of shape extras, and he seriously misses some of his kicks and punches by 4 feet and the extras go flying across the room. So after this, with no explanation, they jump to "Bruce Lee" dressed up as Kato. 6 guys run into a building, two seconds later they run out and 1 guy has a bag with him. Lee jumps out in front of all 6 and they jump cut to them all on a rooftop and Lee is kicking the crap out of all 6. No idea what that was all about? Me neither, and the narrator gives us no reason either. My guess was that Lee would leave the set of the Green Hornet in his Kato costume and beat up guys that robbed banks in broad daylight using no weapons? They give us more footage of Bruce Li and say that no one can replace Bruce Lee, but Li is when of the best known imitators out there. So they show Li kicking some losers butts for awhile and basically rip on him for trying to be the next Bruce Lee. They gave us "the newest sensation" (or you'll never see this guy again in any movie) Dragon Lee. And that the producer found this man and Dragon Lee will be the next Bruce Lee and an international superstar. What follows is basically a rip off version of Chinese Connection. Anyway for $5 if you can grab this it is well worth the laughs. Plus the Fist of Fury is in pretty good condition and the Sonny Chiba "Street Fighter" movies are 70's Karate classics.
Who cares about Bruce when Dragon is on screen?
farrjerem13 August 2012
Do not watch this movie in hopes of anything even remotely relevant to Bruce Lee. It is quite obvious that Bruce's name was slapped on to take advantage of his fame directly following his death.
Skip ahead to the Dragon Lee movie, and as the film states, "the rest will be history." If you have ever seen any of the Mystery Science Theater films (and enjoyed them), this movie is for you.
Everyone should have the opportunity to view this masterpiece. From the horrible camera work to the mismatched sound effects and terrible dubbing laughable fight choreography and attempt at a serious story, this movie holds nothing back.
Skip ahead to the Dragon Lee movie, and as the film states, "the rest will be history." If you have ever seen any of the Mystery Science Theater films (and enjoyed them), this movie is for you.
Everyone should have the opportunity to view this masterpiece. From the horrible camera work to the mismatched sound effects and terrible dubbing laughable fight choreography and attempt at a serious story, this movie holds nothing back.
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