Post by josephkuby on Jan 30, 2010 16:23:18 GMT
This entry in the Bruceploitation sub-genre is subtle in its exploitation versus some of the other entries. A woman recommends that Li becomes an actor because he's apparently the splitting image of Lee, Li wears a Game of Death-type track suit in the beginning, he sports Bruce Lee style sunglasses and there's a dojo scene (whose set-up reminds me of Jet Li's Kiss of the Dragon).
Combining two of Lee's villains, Han Ying Chieh and Bolo, was a smart move and makes this film stand out. It speaks volumes about the level of fighting quality that separates Lee from Li that Han Ying Chieh looks more convincing fighting an imitator than the prototype.
On the subject of casting, Emil Chau (from Purple Storm and Gorgeous) has a role as one of Li's police buddies. John Chang is at his charismatic best here and proves why he should have been a strong contender as an action movie star. His biggest claims to fame were small roles in Jean Claude Van Damme's Blood Sport and Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story. His presence in this film gives this film much needed production value.
What eleviates this film beyond the average is the use of coins as weapons, which predates a brief scene in the classic action film Drive (arguably the best American martial arts movie). Additionally, the use of handcuffs to cut - rather than stabilize - is noteworthy.
Of particular note is the score. A piece of music lifted from Taxi Driver sounds more fitting within the context of a scene in this flick than it did in the original. Also, a funky guitar riff (along with the accompanying rhythm) reminds me of a song by Faith No More called Crack Hitler.
Regardless of all the things going for this film, it's not one of Le's best. It lacks the humour of The Dragon Lives, the supreme fight action of Dynamo, the intensity of The Gold Connection, the depth of Interpol, the originality of The Chinese Stuntman, the diversity of Goodbye Bruce Lee: His Last Game of Death and the consistency of Bruce Lee: The Man, The Myth.
The director of this film also did Duel of the 7 Tigers, Revenge of Angel (which had three famous Hong Kong action directors working on it) and Ghost Lover (which had Brandy Yuen Jan Yeung as the stunt co-ordinator).
The French titles are a mixed bag. 'Diamonds and Karate' is apt whereas 'The Sabre of Death' has no relevance other than the use of a Kendo stick in one scene.
Furthermore, there's a questionable line of dialogue when the aforementioned woman says that the Japanese like to beat up their wives.
Much has been said about the nudity, however Wong Jing would make a film with Bruce Le which would rival it (there's stripping , showering, raping and sexing ). The film is a 1982 triad thriller called An Eye for an Eye Shadow (which would be re-released internationally as The Super Gang).
Jing actually remade the opening segment to The Image of Bruce Lee in Crocodile Hunter (not the Steve Irwin film), complete with the idea of a hand that doesn't appear to be what it seems. ;D
My only problem with The Image of Bruce Lee is that there's a plot twist in this film which undermines the plausibility of what preceded it.
I think it's quite sad that a slightly average chop-socky cop story still has more going for it than most of what comes out of Hong Kong now.
5.5/10
Combining two of Lee's villains, Han Ying Chieh and Bolo, was a smart move and makes this film stand out. It speaks volumes about the level of fighting quality that separates Lee from Li that Han Ying Chieh looks more convincing fighting an imitator than the prototype.
On the subject of casting, Emil Chau (from Purple Storm and Gorgeous) has a role as one of Li's police buddies. John Chang is at his charismatic best here and proves why he should have been a strong contender as an action movie star. His biggest claims to fame were small roles in Jean Claude Van Damme's Blood Sport and Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story. His presence in this film gives this film much needed production value.
What eleviates this film beyond the average is the use of coins as weapons, which predates a brief scene in the classic action film Drive (arguably the best American martial arts movie). Additionally, the use of handcuffs to cut - rather than stabilize - is noteworthy.
Of particular note is the score. A piece of music lifted from Taxi Driver sounds more fitting within the context of a scene in this flick than it did in the original. Also, a funky guitar riff (along with the accompanying rhythm) reminds me of a song by Faith No More called Crack Hitler.
Regardless of all the things going for this film, it's not one of Le's best. It lacks the humour of The Dragon Lives, the supreme fight action of Dynamo, the intensity of The Gold Connection, the depth of Interpol, the originality of The Chinese Stuntman, the diversity of Goodbye Bruce Lee: His Last Game of Death and the consistency of Bruce Lee: The Man, The Myth.
The director of this film also did Duel of the 7 Tigers, Revenge of Angel (which had three famous Hong Kong action directors working on it) and Ghost Lover (which had Brandy Yuen Jan Yeung as the stunt co-ordinator).
The French titles are a mixed bag. 'Diamonds and Karate' is apt whereas 'The Sabre of Death' has no relevance other than the use of a Kendo stick in one scene.
Furthermore, there's a questionable line of dialogue when the aforementioned woman says that the Japanese like to beat up their wives.
Much has been said about the nudity, however Wong Jing would make a film with Bruce Le which would rival it (there's stripping , showering, raping and sexing ). The film is a 1982 triad thriller called An Eye for an Eye Shadow (which would be re-released internationally as The Super Gang).
Jing actually remade the opening segment to The Image of Bruce Lee in Crocodile Hunter (not the Steve Irwin film), complete with the idea of a hand that doesn't appear to be what it seems. ;D
My only problem with The Image of Bruce Lee is that there's a plot twist in this film which undermines the plausibility of what preceded it.
I think it's quite sad that a slightly average chop-socky cop story still has more going for it than most of what comes out of Hong Kong now.
5.5/10