
Hot Picks 
|
|
|
The Dragon Lives Again
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu
Hong Kong 1977
produced by Alex Gouw for Goldig Films
directed by Law Kei
starring Bruce Leung (= Leung Siu-Lung), Shen Ie Lung, Tang Ching, Alexander Grand, Jenny, Fang Yeh, Wong Mei, Eric Tsang, Cheung Hei, Kah Wah (= Bobby Canavarro), Sarina Sai, Cheung Lik, Hon Kwok Choi, Lau Yat Fan, Fu Li, Lin Ke Ming, Chang Hsi, Chen Shang, Chou Chi, Ho Pak-Kwong, Liang Tai, Terry Liu, Sai Gwa-Pau, Shan Kwai, Yuen Siu Tien
written by Ke Shek, Liang Wei, music by Frankie Chan, stunt coordination by Bruce Leung (= Leung Siu-Lung)
bruceploitation, Zatoichi, James Bond, Popeye the Sailor, Kwai Chang Caine, One-Armed Swordsman, Dracula, Emmanuelle
review by Mike Haberfelner
|
|

|
Bruce Lee (Bruce Leung) has died and gone to the underworld. Granted,
he doesn't look like Bruce Lee anymore, but people simply change in
afterlife (at least according to this movie). Bruce soon has a fall-out
with the King of the Underworld (Tang Ching), but gets friendly with
Popeye the Sailor (Eric Tsang), Kwai Chang Caine (yup, the one from Kung
Fu) and the one-armed swordsman. To oppose the despotic rule
of the king, Bruce founds a gym - after all, he's Bruce Lee, and he
wouldn't stop running gyms just because he's in tzhe underworld, right?
However, the King isn't his biggest opposition, it's the exorcist (Fang
Yeh), who wants to usurp the King's throne, and his ally, the godfather
(Shen Ie Lung). the two of them want to get rid of Bruce, so they send
Zatoichi (Wong Mei), James Bond (Alexander Grand), Clint Eastwood (Kah
Wah) in his cowboy outfit and even Dracula (Cheung Hei) and his gang of
zombies after Bruce to kill him - but he defeats them all and doesn't even
fall for the charms of Emmanuelle (Jenny) who tries to seduce him. Eventually,
the King finds out about the sinister plans of the exorcist and the
godfather, so he hires Bruce Lee (who now wears his outfit as Kato from Green
Hornet for no particular reason) as his bodyguard. Bruce gets
rid of the King's opponents, but then the King wants to get rid of him
sending an army of mummies after him ... but of course, Bruce destroys all
the mummies, then he forces the King to resign and send him back to earth
... If you think a film with a story like this simply cannot
exist, I can't really blame you, because this sounds like utter madness
... however, this film DOES exist nevertheless. Point is, you mustn't take
this film too seriously, because I'm pretty certain it was intended as a
comedy. Unfortunately though, the director had no idea whatsoever about
comic timing or even subtle irony, so apart from a few atrociously unfunny
sightgags, this film has no comic qualities whatsoever. However, this
major shortcoming is also part of the film's very own charm, because this
way it just comes across as utter madness, something that has to be seen
to be believed - after all, who doesn't want to see Bruce Lee fighting
Zatoichi, James Bond, Clint Eastwood, Dracula and even Emmanuelle, right?
Oh, and I might want to add the fight scenes in this one are actually
pretty decent ...
|