GAME OF DEATH
Directed by Robert Clouse - 1979
After an impressive James Bond opening (including a soundtrack by Bond scoresman John Barry), what follows is an almost unbelievable tale of mystery and imagination...and that's just behind the scenes. For those who don't know, Game of Death is a Bruce Lee movie with all the trimmings...except Bruce Lee. After initial filming began on the picture, Lee was called off to America to do Enter the Dragon. Then, before Dragon was even released, Lee died. Later, using doubles and other trickery, Game of Death was completed.
Starring as Billy Lo (Bruce Lee), they keep the fake Bruce hidden behind sunglasses, disguises and lots of shots in dark areas and shots from behind to try and suspend our belief that he is the real Bruce Lee. Sadly it doesn't really work. In one amazing moment they actually superimpose a Bruce Lee still photo of the real Bruce onto the shoulders of the fake one. With todays technology it might be able to work. but in 1979 this shot is laughable.
The opening of the film is some Chuck Norris / Bruce Lee footage from Way of the Dragon. This is explained away because Billy Lo is a movie star... a martial arts movie star who is headed for superstardom. This, of course, brings out the bad guys (the Chinese syndicate) who want a piece of the action. Basically this is the story. Billy Lo must try to get out of signing with the syndicate and keep himself and his singer girlfriend (Colleen Camp) alive. Along for the ride are Gig Young and Hugh O'Brian as well as Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Bob Wall and Danny Inosanto.
Along the way, Billy Lo must fake his own death in order to get back at the syndicate. In a nice slice of morbidity, the producers actually use footage from Bruce Lee's real-life funeral. This includes the funeral procession as well as shots of mourners passing by his open casket intercut with shots of Camp crying where Lee's real wife Linda stood in the actual footage.
Another interesting item about Game of Death is that all of the non-Bruce Lee action sequences were directed by Samo Hung. And, like most of Lee's action scenes, have Billy Lo in situations of almost insurmountable odds. It is only here where the pretend Bruce Lee shines. No talking, no emoting, just kicking, jumping and screaming, this he does quite well.
The whole point of this movie is of course to see the real Bruce Lee footage, and it is really worth the wait, the film picks up 100% as Bruce starts the climb up the pegoda to fight a different style of martial arts on each level. It is amazing to think what this film could have really been like had Bruce shot more footage. The final fight with Kareem is amazing, everything about the last real Bruce Lee fights are wonderful. The rest of the film again slips a bit after the real footage has been shown it just limps to a great end credit scene. Worth seeing just for the Lee footage and it has to be asked where is the rest as many more snippits and scenes have been shown in various documentries over the years, there are still rumours that lots more footage is available, but is locked away for now, waiting for someone to do the real Game of Death story. Maybe CGI will one day be able to take over where doubles failed, and we can see the other footage.
Further notes about Game of Death.
In August 1972, Seattle friend and student Doug Palmer visited Bruce on the set of Game of Death. Kareem Abdul Jabbar was on vacation at the time along with Dan Inosanto and Hapkido Master Chi-Hon Choi, these three were in line to shoot a different fight scene for each floor of the pegoda. Bruce wanted to see how it would look for a 5' 6" tall man versus a colossus 7' 2" tall Jabbar. It was a risky venture, each of Kareem's legs were insured by the Los Angeles Lakers team for one million dollars, and they would have not been to impressed to hear he was being used by Bruce Lee as a puch bag.
Bruce Lee's friend and co-star in The Big Boss, James Tien appeared again as an ally of Bruce in the movie, although sadly little of his scenes remain. Bruce also filmed the fight with the Hapkido Master, and a superb double sticks and nunchaku duel with friend and number one instructor Danny Inosanto.