Thanks to a recent cable viewing, I have discovered that I remember the climactic battle of ‘Enter The Dragon’ not from the actual film, but the Jason Scott Lee version dramatized at the end of ‘Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story.’ Of course, the real thing is actually better in terms of blocking and combat, even if the film stock may not have aged as well as it might have. And, frankly, I’m kind of a Bruce Lee mark anyway (I’ve even seen ‘Game of Death’, a film that’s 40% Bruce, 30% bad ideas and 20% butterscotch ripple), which makes me wonder if everyone shares my opinions of that battle, leading to today’s tiger-style, query…
The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) expects a lot of people to tell me about Christopher Nolan films, asking: What’s the greatest martial arts movie and/or kung-fu flick of them all?
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Jackie Chan’s 1978 Drunken Master.
A near-perfect blend of comedy, action, training montages and soundtrack.
Every day a different answer. Black Mask, Storm Riders, Flying Guillotine, Bloodsport, Big Trouble, Supercop. Heck, even the Judo chick in Girls Town! One for each day of the week! The key for me is having fun. That’s why Redbelt is no go here.
My top 3: Drunken Master, Once upon a time in China, Game Of Death. The best Jackie Chan, the best Jet Li and
the best Bruce Lee.
Kinda hard to select the “Best” after watching martial arts films since the 1970s.
The best martial arts film I have seen in recent memory is Jet Li’s Fearless.
The Donnie Yen Ip Man films (I & II) were great.
The original Lone Wolf & Cub, Yojimbo and Zatoichi films stand up well.
Sonny Chiba films (Street Fighter) were also legendary for its time.
Enter the Dragon is the only film we get to hear Bruce Lee’s voice…”boards don’t hit back”
You pulled at the heart strings with this question Matthew.