Finishing the Game: The Search for a New Bruce Lee (2007)

Director:

Justin Lin

Writers:

Josh Diamond (written by) &
Justin Lin (written by)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Who will be

Plot:

Bruce Lee's shocking death left legions of stunned fans and a legacy of 12 minutes from his unfinished Game Of Death. Undeterred, studio executives launched a search for his replacement chronicled here through the eyes of five aspiring thespians who find out what the real game is. |

Plot Keywords:

Bruce Lee | Kung Fu | Audition | 1970s | Typecast

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Josh Diamond	...	Interviewer
Sam Bottoms	...	Martey Kurtainbaum
Jake Sandvig	...	Ronney Kurtainbaum
Roger Fan	...	Breeze Loo
Nathan Jung	...	Bob
Joseph McQueen	...	Leroy / Earl (as Joe McQueen)
Aiko Tanaka	...	Nunchuck Girl
Natalie Sesko	...	Ribbon Girl
Sung Kang	...	Cole Kim
Monique Gabriela Curnen	...	Saraghina Rivas
Daphne Rosen	...	Porn Star
Celestia Star	...	Porn Star (as Celestia Starr)
Carmel Moore	...	Porn Star (as Carmel)
Zoe Matthews	...	Porn Star
Scott Hobson	...	Porn Star

Also Known As:

Finishing the Game (USA) (short title)

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:R21 | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Atwater Village Studios - 3018 Carmel Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Barnstorm Pictures

Quotes:

[first lines]
Interviewer: Mr. Kurtainbaum, why did you decide to continue production on The Game of Death?

Movie Connections:

References Jing wu men (1972)

Soundtrack:

Opening Jingle

a comedy with precious few laughs

Done in the style of a 1970s mockumentary, "Finishing the Game" is based on the premise that, when Bruce Lee died in 1973 at the age of 32, he left behind twelve minutes of footage for a movie entitled "The Game of Death." Determined to bring Lee's final dream to fruition, a group of dedicated filmmakers set out to find a replacement for the star in the hopes of finishing the project. "Finishing the Game" is a fictionalized account of that search (the actual movie was released in 1978).

Unfortunately, beyond its spot-on '70s fashions and hairstyles, oh-so-groovy soundtrack and overall air of genial good-naturedness, "Finishing the Game" offers little of quality for anyone craving a good behind-the-scenes movie parody. Lacking both polish and finesse, the movie represents a major comedown for director Justin Lee after his stunning triumph with "Better Luck Tomorrow" a few years back. The half-hearted Josh Diamond screenplay scarcely makes an effort at being funny, and the concept itself is simply too thin to be successfully stretched out over even a relatively meager 84-minute-long running time.

Barely flash-in-the-pan cameo appearances by the likes of James Franco, MC Hammer and Ron Jeremy do little to support an otherwise likable cast. And there isn't even any decent martial arts action to make the movie much fun for fans of the genre being satirized.