It was infuriating to see the tasteless knockoffs that surfaced when Bruce Lee died. Like the lamentable lemming, I found myself queuing up every time one of these stinkers opened; and, like said lemming, I invariably found myself regretting it. But I was a true believer, a Bruce Lee fan from his days on THE GREEN HORNET, and I wanted to see anything and everything that might shine light on his having been. It was often painful. The long anticipated theatrical release of GAME OF DEATH, with footage thought to be lost, was nothing less than loathsome. Here and there, documentaries had hinted that there was much more footage than had been seen in the lackluster feature. Most of us had given up on ever seeing any more of it.
Enter John Little, and suddenly there was something to crow about again. BRUCE LEE: A WARRIOR'S JOURNEY is must-see for fans of "the little dragon." Often moving and always- always- respectful, Little's documentary is the tribute to the memory of the greatest martial artist of the 20th century that we've been waiting for since 1973. The GAME OF DEATH fight scenes- as presented here- are among the very best Bruce Lee ever conceived. In many respects, these beautifully crafted confrontations are the highlights of his career. The focus is almost always on Lee himself- which is where it should've always been, anyway. A follow-up theatrical release of GAME OF DEATH with a reworked beginning (omitting none of the available footage in its present form) would be worth paying to see, indeed. But only so long as John Little wrote and directed it.
Enter John Little, and suddenly there was something to crow about again. BRUCE LEE: A WARRIOR'S JOURNEY is must-see for fans of "the little dragon." Often moving and always- always- respectful, Little's documentary is the tribute to the memory of the greatest martial artist of the 20th century that we've been waiting for since 1973. The GAME OF DEATH fight scenes- as presented here- are among the very best Bruce Lee ever conceived. In many respects, these beautifully crafted confrontations are the highlights of his career. The focus is almost always on Lee himself- which is where it should've always been, anyway. A follow-up theatrical release of GAME OF DEATH with a reworked beginning (omitting none of the available footage in its present form) would be worth paying to see, indeed. But only so long as John Little wrote and directed it.