The Big Boss

As Lee’s introduction to the martial arts movie, it is a gentle step in the right direction, and obviously he has the star quality. From the cinema history point of view, The Big Boss is a great document of the status of HK cinema of the period. For me, it is had a good story, that doesn’t drag on and is full of surprises. To me it is better than Enter the Dragon.

I quite liked this one. Not sure why it's taking so much slack here.

Bruce Lee. You love him or you hate him. All of his movies are classics and this is one of them

I really want to give this one a "10" just because it's Bruce Lee...but in all honesty, I can't simply because it's almost laughable...no, it IS laughable by today's standards. I love Bruce Lee, and there's no doubt that not only was he the best martial artist ever but he _did_ have that "screen presence" that made every one of his movies memorable. IMO, however, this movie dragged on far too long before finally allowing him to exhibit his prowess, and even then, his natural ability was exaggerated to the point of being ridiculous. (There are two things I remember about this movie: the chick flashing her titty and saying _"See?!"_ and the wall exploding with the exact shape of the guy's body when Lee punched him through it. Seriously... The fights were so amazing that Lee's power didn't need to be exaggerated to that extent. This was, however, back in 1971 so I will concede that maybe the filmmakers were treading in uncertain waters. I have it in my personal collection, and will probably watch it again...and again...because it's Bruce Lee. And it wasn't his fault they overemphasized his abilities here. If you're a Bruce Lee fan, and you've never seen this one, watch it; you'll enjoy seeing him in action again. Just go into realizing the production wasn't up to today's standards so there are so very forgettable moments. RIP, Bruce. You were the best.

Organized crime, conspiracy, drug-smuggling and murder in a Hong Kong ice factory, where vocal employees soon disappear without a trace. Of course, this is all just a simple vehicle to move us from one martial arts fight to the next. As Bruce Lee's first major starring role, such brawls are predictably excellent, though Bruce himself plays a quiet pacifist, fists in his pockets, until the third act. Until then, known quantity James Tien handles the action admirably (and was apparently a fallback option, in case Lee couldn't get it done) but he's clearly the second fiddle. By the time we've seen Lee face off with the boss himself in a bloody climactic duel, Tien is long forgotten.

Loaded with quick cuts and poor camerawork, it's not exactly the best showcase of Bruce's skills, but that last fight makes amends. It's all very, very stereotypically 70s, from the grainy film quality to the eyeball-rolling visual gags, the simple dialog to the brash, horn-rich soundtrack that suddenly swells and recedes with little regard for what's happening on-screen. Lee's acting has a way to go at this point, but his charisma is downright magnetic when he's in the midst of a rumble. This one's probably best viewed as a series of select highlights than a complete film.

The sound is horrible (why that baby song all the first act?), the editing is kind of bad, the performances are strange, the script is so simple and flat... at least the fighting is great (and Bruce Lee too, he carries the movie completely)