About This DVD

[The Big Boss]

Martial arts master Bruce Lee solidifies his standing as one of the great action stars in Fists of Fury, the story of a Chinese country boy (Lee) sent to live in Thailand with his uncle and cousins. Around his neck is a charm representing his promise to his mother not to fight, a promise which is repeatedly tested when he goes to work in the local icehouse for an abusive overseer and prejudiced natives. When some of his cousins are killed after discovering the icehouse is actually a front for a heroin-smuggling operation, Lee sets out to exact revenge and eventually has a showdown with the Japanese crimelord behind the entire scheme (Han Ying Chieh). Lee's physical gifts are undeniable; the blinding speed of his fists and feet must be seen to be believed. The film was originally released in Asia as The Big Boss. Bad guys beware when that charm comes off!

[Fist of Fury]

One of the best action films starring the legendary Bruce Lee, this movie features the martial artist as Chen Chen, who returns to his former school in early 20th century Shanghai when he learns that his beloved instructor has been murdered. While probing the man's death and seeking vengeance, Chen discovers that a drug smuggling operation, a rival school, and simmering racial tensions between Chinese and Japanese locals are factors in the nefarious dealings at his alma mater and in his master's slaying. Chen's got his work cut out for him as he takes on assassins of both races, and even a towering Russian. Variously titled The Chinese Connection and The Iron Hand, Fist of Fury features stunt work by a young Jackie Chan (who served as Lee's double). The film was remade two and a half decades later as Fist of Legend (1999), with Jet Li in the role of Chen.

[Way of the Dragon]

Bruce Lee: Way of the Dragon is one of several re-issue titles for Lee's Return of the Dragon. Filmed in Rome and Hong Kong, this exhilarating adventure flick finds Lee battling Chuck Norris, in one of the latter's few unsympathetic roles. The climax pits Lee against Norris in the middle of the Roman Colliseum! Directed by Bruce Lee himself (who exhibits an unsuspected flair for comedy), Return of the Dragon was the last "complete" Lee vehicle. It was released posthumously to excellent business, opening the floodgates for several pastiche films made up of random Bruce Lee clips--not to mention the copycat vehicles starring the likes of Bruce Li and Bruce Le.

[Game of Death]

This crazy-quilt martial-arts epic was originally filmed as Game of Death. Star Bruce Lee died before the film was completed, thus the producers were forced to pad out the running time with outtakes and alternate shots. They also lifted chunks of footage from Enter the Dragon and Return of the Dragon. The finished product finally hit the screens in 1978, five years after Lee's death. Compensating for the understandably lumpy continuity is a startlingly good action finale, pitting Lee (and occasionally his stand-in) against such formidable opposition as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Chuck Norris.