DRAGON: THE BRUCE LEE STORY (1993)

[moviegyrl]

So, I'm watching this film on the AMC channel, having seen it several times including its theatrical run... I have a huge pet-peeve about this Hollywood version of Bruce Lee's life (e.g., the true cause of his back injury :rolleyes ). But, I want to know what you think?

[Chinatown Kid]

Saw this when it premiered at the theaters back in 93. While I found it entertaining and enjoyed it, the film played so loose with the true facts of Bruce's life that it could be considered an almost total work of fiction. The style of the fights in the film were not Bruce Lee style but Jackie Chan being that former Chan stuntman John Chang choreographed the fights. This film seemed like a bigger budget production of films like the highly fictionalized Bruce Lee: The Man/The Myth starring Bruce Li. I still think they need to make a true account of the man's life that would do him justice and would be far more interesting than fabricated fantasy tales.

[SilentJay32]

From what I understand, Zhang Yimou (IIRC) is interested in doing one.

[Markgway]

DRAGON and THE MAN, THE MYTH have a lot in common:

They're both bollocks!! :p

[Dahnamics]

this movie is trash

[Tosh]

I still think they need to make a true account of the man's life that would do him justice and would be far more interesting than fabricated fantasy tales.

I so agree.

[Chinatown Kid]

I here ya Tosh, hopefully they will do a film and get his story right one of these days.....

[ToothbrushFu]

Stanley Kwan is supposed to be doing a Bruce biopic, isn't he?

[stormybman]

I saw this film in it's theatrical release back in '93, and at the time i was excited for it was hollywood... Now, in retrospect, i feel Lee's wife, and that A. Marshall guy, put their feet in the doorway to allow a sincere story on this artist's legacy to be brought to light. Jason Scott Lee is the best 'actor' who's had the opportunity to play Bruce, however, he was not given the best material to work with: i.e. the drug scandals, the ego tripping, the womanizing,the steroid background, etc. All of these elements would have provided fans with an honest account of events, and with the film we recieved, we never get the feeling Jason's 'Bruce' is the best at anything. There's no sense of intensity to his approach to Martial Arts. It's really 'Dragon the Linda Lee Love Story' !

A true unauthorized account should be made with a top Asian actor in the role, with Yuen Woo Ping choreography! Yuen proved he could produce great JKD choreography in Tower of Death. And we need to SEE those final weeks, days, and hours, leading up to Friday July 20th, 1973, played out, once and for all! Stop covering up for this guy, he's dead and there are reasons why...

What do you think....?

[stormybman]

Hey Kid, check out my post comment on Dragon, The Bruce Lee Story, and let me know what you think....:D

[Chen Zhen]

sammo does better bruce lee choreo imo

[Chinatown Kid]

I agree stormy that they need to make a factual film of Lee's life warts and all, and not a fantasy tale like Dragon was. Yuen did a good job with Bruce's movie fighting style in Tower of Death but used to much acrobatics which was in vogue in the early 80's when the film was made. As far as choreography, they should feature authentic Jeet Kune Do/Wing Chun as his actual fighting method and also the more flashy version of his style that he used in movies. I also agree Chen that Sammo does one of the best Bruce impersonations ever and can really do Bruce's movie style choreography well. The bottom line though is they need to do a TRUE story of Bruce's life that would do him justice and would be far more fascinating. I'm sure he would want his real story to be told and not a work of fiction.

[Johnnie freeze]

Linda Lee apparently had rather tell a story more about their husband- wife relationship then what made Bruce Lee, "Bruce Lee" in terms of his training, skills, determination and drive [which is really what his fans wanted to see more of]

[Chinatown Kid]

Yeah seems it was more The Linda Lee Story than The Bruce Lee Story.

I wanted to comment about Jason Scott Lee: He was a very good actor and definately the best to ever play Bruce acting wise in a film and must give him props for that, but his martial arts skill was pretty much nonexistant although he was a good gymnast being he really was one in real life. I know it wasn't Scott's fault either that Cohen had him doing the bird call kiai's in Bruce's supposedly real life fights, something Lee only did in movies and never when he was really fighting/sparring. Another thing that irked me was the whole Wong Jak Man(played by John Cheung) scenerio. Wong Jak man never kicked Bruce in the back and injured him, Lee injured his back by doing a barbell exercise called good mornings because he failed to warm up properly. Then the film shows Bruce getting his revenge on Wong by beating him within 60 seconds at Ed Parker's Long Beach International Tournament. Anyone who knows Bruce's background knows that he only put on a demonstration at Parker's tournament albeit was an amazing demonstration within itself. Then you have Bruce taking on the Chinese cook and his flunkies at Ruby Chow's restaurant. I'm sure if Ruby was still alive she could confirm that never happened even though it was true Lee did work there as a waiter for a short time after first arriving in the States. I know all this boils down to dramatic license and all this ficticious stuff made for an entertaining film but I feel it didn't do the REAL man justice and hopefully someday his authentic story can be shown on film.

[killer meteor]

Bruce Thomas tried to interview Ruby Chow but she didn't have much to say and it seems Bruce left a negative impression on her. She probably saw Bruce Lee's Deadly Kung Fu and Nancy Kwan's embarassing "Dish...washa!" routine

[Daisho2004]

Its funny one of my good friends who studied Wing Chun under William Chung's student in NY said that Bruce LEE and William Chung were 2 bad asses in Hong Kong they were fighting with all street Gangs and they were kicking ass from the story I was told, that is why Bruce had to leave HK and come to States because they were going to Kill him.

[Chinatown Kid]

Evidently Ruby didn't alow them to use the name of her restaurant in the movie either as they refered to it as Gussie Yang's. Seems like I read that Bruce hated the job as waiter and didn't like to be a servent. He probably didn't like to take orders either and this is where he and Chow probably butted heads. Seems she thought Bruce was rather ungrateful as she also let him live there while he was working as well. I could definately see how Bruce would have a problem being a servant with his personality. :lol

Daisho I also read the same thing about Bruce from either his brother Robert or classmate William Chung where they stated that in his teens in HK he was basically a punk going around looking to get into fights and he actually used a toilet chain as one of his weapons.

[Daisho2004]

I also had another friend who went to the seminars in Cali under Dan Inasanto and Dan would talk about Bruce and how he died, Rumor had it that he was poisoned by Raymond Chow when he found out Bruce was going to leave Golden Harvest and start his own production Company in the States. So when Bruce was having the Affair with Betty Ling she supposedly slipped him the drugs that killed him, but being Raymond Chow is the Godfather of HK you couldn't say anything about him being involved.

[fabhui]

Raymond Chow is the Godfather of HK you couldn't say anything about him being involved.

:lol

[Daisho2004]

Hey they said he was a very powerful man. maybe back in the day he really was.

[stormybman]

All of that would make for great material in the unauthorized version of Lee's life, now.

One thing is for certain, Lee wasn't a popular moviestar amongst all producers in HK shortly before his death, and the unsavory things i've read most recently about Raymond leave a most sour taste, and SOMEONE, may not have agreed with him leaving HK.

Allow me this one comment... If Lo Wei was angry enough at Jackie Chan's desire to strike out on his own to put a contract out on him, what would Raymond Chow, who gave Lee his break, do to him, when all Lee talked about was getting back to the States, taking his stuntmen who all later became stars in their own right, with him? Lee would have cleaned GH studios, and the HK talent pool dry. No Boss would EVER let that happen.

[fabhui]

Well Raymond Chow isn't exactly whiter than white but he's by no means the Godfather of Hong Kong.

Now Chan Wai Man might well be able to answer more questions about the night Bruce died more than anyone else, unfortunately he ain't talking!

[stormybman]

What does Chan Wai Man know? ... according to what info you have?

[Chinatown Kid]

As for theories on the cause of Bruce's death I would recommend the documentary Death By Misadventure, it has alot of interesting info as well as an interview with Bruce's own doctor, Don Langford.

[stormybman]

Yes, i have DBM, however, i'm curious as to what Rebui had to say about Chan Wai Man...

This is what i've heard... On the day Bruce died, he was having tantrums around his household over business dealings with Chow. He informed his wife Chow was coming over and Bruce was to 'hear him out', over distribution rights to Lee's films that Raymond already sold to the foreign market. Lee wanted to hold out for better deals and Raymond felt that was his end of the business.
Bruce got into it with his wife: they had been having problems with Bruce's growing reputation in the scandal press about his womanizing, particularly Betty Ting, and Linda left.
Bruce, while Linda was out wrote a short letter to Run Run Shaw, stating he'd reserve the fall for their film deal; he then may or may not have taken his hashish.
Raymond arrived, and for whatever reason, they left Bruce's home ( i say for whatever reason because no one was there to clarify what happened after Linda had gone, and Raymond's accounts are shaky at best. ) Was Chan Wai Man, a known triad, with Raymond? No one has said...
Later Raymond keeps Bruce's dinner engagement with Lazenby, informs him that Bruce is ' with his mistress ' , and Chan Wai Man enters and whispers to Chow, and Chow responds, " how many are dead? " He then excuses himself, and leaves the hotel, and a couple HOURS later Bruce's body is brought to the hospital apparently DOA.

Notice i never mentioned them going to Betty's flat, for i feel they never did... and if Chan was with Chow that day perhaps as muscle, along with others, the body could have been dropped at Betty's later... Lots of time lapsed between when Linda SAYS she last saw her husband and his body turning up at the hospital... 2pm-11pm? Something's not right people!!!!!

The foul play is heavy here because Raymond planted Betty in Bruce's life, it was for control and as tool because when Bruce began abusing more and more drugs, Raymond took over the "books", with Bruce so high strung, wired, and in a state of fogginess, Chow with Betty's help, WAS taking full advantage!
When i say abusing drugs i mean the ones he took himself, be it steroids, diuretics, hashish, cortesone, anxiety medications, and WHATEVER Betty was slipping him on the side, any or all of the combinations above would have even the biggest dopehead in a fog.

It's a shame because I BELIEVE half of this Bruce was doing to himself, and the rest were behind the scenes, to which even he was unaware.
So, if anyone has anymore info on Mr. Chan Wai Man's role, please enlighten me, my theory is derived from old/new accounts, plus a great deal of what was left unsaid. I still haven't mention the bruises on Lee's forehead, on the upper left side, near the eyebrow, somewhat down the left side of his face. And, the hashsish found in his stomach at the autopsy, proves he ingested it a while earlier, and didn't suffer from seizures immediately as on May 10th, it was already in his stomach. Hmmm? you see?

[fabhui]

Chan Wai Man, Wu Ngan and Raymond Chow I think hold all the answers to what happened the day Bruce died.
Chan Wai Man apparently knows pretty much everything that happened but he won't speak out on it.

For more info your best bet is to ask David Tadman or head over to Nick Clarke's forum.

[stormybman]

who are those men? and where do i find clarke's forum?

[WalkOn]

Nick Clarke's forum (http://www.network54.com/Forum/256969/)

[Markgway]

Chan needs to write an autobiography.

[tigerstyles]

i also heard James tien still alive by the way will not say a positive word on bruce!

[Chinatown Kid]

James still jealous after all these years?

[ThunderScore]

I had no idea that Jason Scott Lee's opponent in DRAGON: THE BRUCE LEE STORY was John Chang from SNAKE IN MONKEY'S SHADOW and others...
Probably not listed on John Chang's credits is the IFD title, NINJA: SILENT ASSASSIN aka KNIGHT AND WARRIOR aka BLACK NINJA with Richard Harrison, Alphone Beni, Grant Temple and Stuart Smith. He plays Richard Harrison's cop partner in the new footage...

http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=2&pictureid=52

[David Rees]

Apparently the autopsy was covered up and a lot of people think he was murdered for whatever reason...probably a few of the above reasons

[thehangman]

Think James Tien was abit pissed that Bruce Overshadowed him,as wasnt James supposed to be the lead in the big boss? But after wot they saw Bruce could do,Bruce became the lead and James Co star

[dionbrother]

Damon Foster aptly named it RAG ON: THE LINDA LEE STORY.

[The Dragon]

Damon Foster aptly named it RAG ON: THE LINDA LEE STORY.

XD

I think Tien is jealous of Lee's continued fame, long after death. At the time while still living, Lee wasn't no where near as big as he became. So Tien's thought process is probably "Why bother talking about this dead dude, there's plenty alive performers that warrant their jus due...?"

[GoldenFist]

Jason Scott Lee is a dancer, he didn't even know martial arts! And time cop 2 sucked! The movie was a joke to true bruce lee fans.

[ThunderScore]

Jason Scott Lee is a dancer, he didn't even know martial arts! And time cop 2 sucked! The movie was a joke to true bruce lee fans.

I thought he looked more like Dragon Lee than Bruce Lee, but the movie still played fast and loose with the facts - and I still can't believe John Chang was in it...

[The Dragon]

... and I still can't believe John Chang was in it...

As Action Choreographer, no less.

WTF?!
:l

[butcher wing]

i thought it was alright (Hollywood standards) the thing I didn't think was correct was at the beginning where it showed a very young Bruce practicing Wing Chun. From what I know Bruce didn't actually start practicing kung fu til into his mid to late teens so that one was way off.

[Markgway]

The film was average, but Jason Scott Lee did a good acting job.

[jkl]

The film was average, but Jason Scott Lee did a good acting job.

the film sucked but agree on jason doing a good job

[The Dragon]

The film was average, but Jason Scott Lee did a good acting job.

Wrong director, wrong action choreographer, wrong story.

WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!!

:mad:

Jason is probably the best actor to play Bruce though. He actually attempted to reproduce his accent and his laugh.

Did I mention it was wrong?

[The Dragon]

I liked the soundtrack.

About the only thing that was right.

[dionbrother]

Steve James called it the most expensive Bruce Li movie ever made. But Bruce Li's movies were more accurate.

[Jesse Smooth]

Steve James called it the most expensive Bruce Li movie ever made. But Bruce Li's movies were more accurate.

More reasons to respect Mr. James.

[The Dragon]

What's the big deal? This (The Unauthorized Version) of course, is how to do it:

1)Show childhood making films and learning Wing Chun...

2)Show the rooftop battles and scuffles that lead to leaving HK...

3)Show him training and meeting influential Americans Dan Lee, Linda, Joe Lewis Ed Parker Dan Inosanto etc. ...

4)Being discovered-leading to GH, Marlowe, ... getting Duped for Kung Fu... exploring women, drugs...

5)Leaving for HK, getting break with Chow...

6)Film success leads to more "exploration", and development of ideals...

7)Show setbacks and faltering lifestyle/marriage...

8)At the peak of success ETD and Exit The Dragon.

The End.

Even then explore the different scenarios that could have brought about the end for him, during credits, show speculations and leave for fans to determine from truths covered in the film.

Now... give me a DIRECTOR.

[gravedigger666]

I liked scene at the end where big boss was premiered then there was dead silence in cinema and "Bruce Lee" seemed to think s*it,they did not like it...and then applausing starts.

[The Dragon]

I liked scene at the end where big boss was premiered then there was dead silence in cinema and "Bruce Lee" seemed to think s*it,they did not like it...and then applausing starts.

The bulls#*t graveyard scene that follows after the ETD 'Hall of Mirrors' scene was total crap. Now if and that's a mighty IF, they had any imagination, they could have used instead of the graveyard, the backdrop of the GOD pagoda set; with Lee facing the Demon (in the GOD Tracksuit) on three levels using various techniques and weapons, resulting in him finding the demon at the third level with the tombstone reading what was followed in the film... Then have Brandon crying out for him and Lee had to defeat the Demon to save his son, and he awakes back at the set of ETD. The point where he has the tracksuit-it appears when he's transported to the GOD set; and disappears when he transports back to ETD's set.
That would have been special, and would have tied in any theories regarding GOD being a "bad luck title, production, idea", etc.
Now, I'm definetly not saying that's all that's wrong with the film, I'm simply adding some oomph to the otherwise lifeless story and action.

What do you think?

[jkl]

its alledged that the demon issue came about when lee suffered a collapse and linda asking bruce what it was like and he replied like fighting demons.