The Big Boss (1971) User Reviews

The Beginning of a Legend

[jluis1984 · 7/10 · 20 July 2006]

After trying to make a name in Hollywood with the TV series "Green Hornet" with mixed results, young actor and martial artist Bruce Lee traveled back to Hong Kong where his popularity as Kato was very high, there met Raymond Chow and received the chance to star a film about martial arts. "Tang Shan Da Xiong", or "The Big Boss" (known in the U.S. as "Fists of Fury"), was the final result and the movie that started Lee's career and his way to becoming a legend of celluloid.

"The Big Boss" is about a young Chinese man named Cheng Chao-an (Bruce Lee) who travels to Thailand looking for a job. Living with his distant cousins, he finds a job in the ice factory where his cousins work and soon he finds a family in them, developing a close friendship with Hsiu Chien (James Tien) and a big affection for Chow Mei (Maria Yi). Although he is a skilled fighter Cheng sworn an Oath of non-violence to his mother, promising that he would not be a get in fights. However, things get complicated when two of his cousins disappear and is discovered that the ice factory has a dark secret. Cheng will have to break his Oath in order to unveil the mystery behind the disappearance of his new family.

Directed by Wei Lo (who would also discover Jackie Chan), "The Big Boss" was a breath of fresh air to martial arts films as it showed a flawed hero in a modern setting. The story (by Wei Lo and Bruce Lee) is very well developed and filled with suspense and action, and in a bold move for an action film, the main character remains almost inactive for the first half as Cheng must avoid violence due to his oath. The film not only launched Lee's career to stratosphere, it influenced his own film-making's style and the way future martial arts movies were done.

Wei Lo's usually restrained style was also influenced by his young actor's abilities, "The Big Boss" can be seen as his transition to a more explosive way of film-making that would be completed in his next Lee's film ("Fist of Fury") and the subsequent Jackie Chan's films. The natural and raw look of the film added to the high dose of graphic violence (it is probably the goriest film in Lee's career) give the movie a harsh, gritty realism that adds to its charm.

As many have already said (and will continue saying without a doubt), Lee was a very charming actor whose presence filled the screen and owned it completely. That statement is proved here as we see him not as a killing machine, but as a common man who just wants to live peacefully, giving us many scenes of Cheng enjoying his new found family and struggling with his own vices. Lee's performance is very natural although one could say that he was basically playing himself. The rest of the cast ranges from average to OK, with James Tien, Quin Lee and Malalene being the best among them. However, it's fair to notice that the poor dubbing, typical of movies of the era makes a bit difficult to judge them fairly.

"The Big Boss" is considered among the weakest of Lee's films and not without a reason. Those accustomed to constant action scenes will feel it is slow due to the film's pacing and the way the story is built. The acting, as written above, is not very good and only Lee and Tien's performances are of constantly quality. And finally, Wei Lo's inclusion of some silly comedic effects feels terribly out of pace in an otherwise dark and gritty action film.

To summarize, "Tang Shan Da Xiong", or "The Big Boss", is a terrific film on its own right, and together with "Fist of Fury" ("The Chinese Connection") and "Enter the Dragon", a basic film to understand Lee's career and the development of martial arts films during the 70s. It may not be a classic as the films mentioned, but this was just the beginning of the legendary Bruce Lee. 7/10

Referred to here as THE BIG BOSS...

[lawrence-14 · 7/10 · 17 July 2002]

After years of trying to get into Hollywood, Bruce Lee returned to Hong Kong and began his efforts with this low-budget martial-arts thriller. The result - an Asian box-office smash which made Lee an overnight sensation in the East. Whilst its not a great film or Lee's best work, it is an definite film classic that really opened the door for the martial-arts genre, as well as kicking off Lee's career. The story sees Lee coming to work in Banghok with his cousins in an ice factory, where he soon discovers sinister operations taking place under the thumb of the title villain. Like Lee's other films, the action builds up through the film to impressively staged fight scenes, all topped by a dramatic, all-out climatic bout between Lee and the Big Boss. Breakthrough stuff but the best (and the West) was yet to come.

Left a good impression on my young mind in the late 80s, especially Lee's karate n the attractive Marilyn Bautista. Cn someone tell me wher i cn buy d original uncut version.

[Fella_shibby · 8/10 · 21 June 2021]

I first saw this in the late 80s on a vhs i used to own.

Then again in the early 2k on a dvd which I own.

Revisited it recently.

Here Lee plays a young man named Cheng who travels from China to Thailand to stay with his cousins. Before departing, he swore an oath to his mother to not get into any fights. Lee gets a job at an ice factory and inspite of trying to stay away from troubles, Cheng confronts the factory boss after the disappearance of his friends.

This one doesnt have the comic stuff which is ther in Way of the Dragon and for this reason i like this better than Way of the Dragon but this one has a lil flaw cos it has comedic wi fu movements where people just fly as if they have wings.

This one is very gory n has lil nudity.

Marilyn Bautista with her assets is very attractive in this movie.

The knife kickback scene will make Cristiano Ronaldo go rofl.

The villain throws a knife at Lee but Lee kicks it back n it lands in the stomach of the opponent.

Brother Hsu Chien (James Tien) is shown to be very good with karate n especially his wi fu where he keeps jumping, he cud have easily outrun n gone straight to his house or the police after confronting the boss but he n Ah Pei gets into fight rather than trying to get away.

Also what was the need to tell the boss straight on his face and that too in his house about complaining to the police.

Inspite of all the silliness, the movie is a must for fans of Lee.

Some solid n very visible mistakes:

After the prostitute (Marilyn Bautista) tells Cheng (Lee) about the drug smuggling, he leaves. She is sitting with her back to the door when the big boss' son sneaks in. You hear the knife flying through the air and see her face as it hits her in the chest. If she had her back to the door, how did the knife landed in her chest?

During the fight inside the ice factory when Cheng (Lee) gets caught, he ducks down a little too obviously before his opponent throws an object at him.

Cheng (Lee) bends down before the opponent throws something.

I wud still love to see this movie again but the original uncut version.

The version with the notorious "handsaw in the split head" shot.

Some say the uncut version has another very important scene where Cheng runs down the road from the creek, rather than showing him arriving at the Big Boss' mansion which is shown in all the available versions, in the uncut, Cheng returns to the Thai brothel for a third time. Here, he picks up a different prostitute (not Marilyn Bautista). Cheng and the prostitute go to her room; Cheng pushes her onto the bed, and the two begin to strip. Later Cheng lays his remaining money on her stomach, even though he already paid to be with her. He then picks up a bag of crisps from the bedside table; he tries one, then leaves. This scene is symbolic and quite important, as in the previous scene Cheng discards his belongings in the river, and here he gives away his money and enjoys his final pleasures and one last meal before either being killed or arrested, a message which is now partially lost.

In the cut version, Cheng (Lee) directly arrives at the boss' house after discarding his belongings in the river and full of rage but the movie shows Cheng walking in happily and enjoying a packet of chips.

That means he after being enraged, must have visited the brothel to unwind. Otherwise why wud he be eating chips, where did the chips come from n how did his mood changed.

In the cut version, during the fight after discovering the dead bodies in the ice, Cheng picks up a handsaw n the next scene is abruptly changed. He is not shown hitting anyone in the cut version.

That means an uncut version does exist somewhere.

A few seconds of this scene (including a shot of an apparently naked Bruce standing behind the bed) can be seen in the original 3mins 38 secs trailer on YouTube.

Crude and uneven, but the first Lee-starring film still has a certain power

[DrLenera · 19 October 2004]

The first of the four Bruce Lee starring movies[ well, five, if you count Game Of Death]is technically the weakest. However, it's easy to see how it caused such a stir. Unlike most martial arts movies of the time, the film was set in the present day and attempted things like characterisation and even realism. These touches sometimes seem crude and even laughable now [for instance, check out the scene when the other workers of the factory are waiting for Lee to return, with it's exaggurated 'passing the time' actions]but when the film came out, it was a major step forward.

Even more daringly, the film has less fighting, with the fights being structured around the plot rather than the other way round, and bravest of all, the star of the film does not go into action into half way through. Instead, it cleverly builds suspense by having Lee as a guy who has sworn not to fight, and when he eventually cuts loose the result is exhilarating. However, it's obvious that none of Lee's opponents are a match for him and only the sequence when he battles a group of heavies in and around an ice factory really stands out. The clumsiness of much of the action [Lee was only allowed to choreograph the ice factory scene]is almost redeemed by the huge amount of gore and brutality.

Despite it's shoddy aspects, the film does have an odd power,especially towards the end. Lee's character is a very flawed hero who for a while badly strays from goodness and there is a sense that killing all the bad guys will not bring him redemption. In all three of Lee's Hong Kong films, violence never really solves things, it just makes things worse. Maybe that is why Lee's dated, sometimes awkward films are still watched again and again while many other films of the same time and genre have faded into obscurity. Well, that and Lee.

kung fu movie classic

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 2 July 2015]

Cheng Chao-an (Bruce Lee) leaves his Chinese village to join relatives in Thailand. He is greeted by cousin Hsiu Chien who readily fights for others while Cheng promised his mother never to fight again. He joins his relatives at an ice factory owned by drug-lord big boss Hsiao Mi. When two of his cousins find drugs hidden in the ice, they are offered money but they politely refuse. They are killed and their bodies chopped up. Hsu Chien and Ah Pei go to ask questions but then they disappear. The men riot and Cheng is made foreman to appease them. Chiao Mei berates them for forgetting her brother. The boss throws him a party to get him drunk. Chiao Mei runs into him sneaking out of the brothel and the men are not happy that he forgot about Hsu Chien once again. Eventually, the hooker Sun reveals the truth and is killed. The boss's henchmen attack Chiao Mei and the family while Cheng is breaking into the factory. He finds drugs and the hidden bodies. He's confronted by the boss's son and numerous henchmen.

It's a functional kung fu story. The idea that he promised not to fight is great one. It allows him to be on another level when he actually does fight. It also allows him to be human. He gets tricked by the boss. He falls for a hooker. He's restrained by his promise. That makes the fights so much better. It's like he had saved all of his energy for his big fights. The movie is also more brutal and bloodier than I expected. The main thing is that this is a Bruce Lee movie and he shows that he's obviously a superstar. He's burning with charisma and it comes across on the screen.

A classic

[safenoe · 7/10 · 24 March 2021]

I remember seeing this in the drive-in ages and ages ago, and the audience was wowed for sure. The ice-block death scene at the end was something to behold, and certainly looked real even by modern day standards.

Bruce Lee's first big starring role

[disdressed12 · 7/10 · 29 May 2010]

i liked this film.it's very entertaining.the story is engaging enough to keep you interested.the fight scenes are very good.especially the final fight between Bruce Lee's character and The Big Boss.Lee had a lot of charisma and screen presence and it shows here on his first big feature film role.what really impressed about him though while watching the film was his amazing footwork in the fight scenes.he was obviously a very skilled martial artist.the version i viewed was the U.S. 99 minute version.it would be interesting to see the uncut version,if it still exists anywhere.but for now,this version will have to do.for me,Tang shan da xiong is a 7/10

The Power of Holding Back

[Single-Black-Male · 10/10 · 14 January 2005]

Throughout this film you see a constrained Bruce Lee. Lo Wei is deliberately holding him back in order to introduce him to audiences and to save the best of his fighting for the second film. What we see here is a humane Bruce Lee who has feelings, a sense of humour, enjoys sex and is in control of his temper. He strikes up a good friendship with Shu Sheng who life is eventually claimed by the antagonists. When Bruce witnesses the mistreatment of his family in the workplace, he still holds back. Until...they break his necklace. At that moment, he explodes into action with centrifugal force, picking off each opponent with pin-point accurate kicks. It is a work of art that is akin to 'Samson and Delilah'.

Thrilling Chop-Socky in which wild combat scenes provide an overwhelming view of Bruce lee's skills.

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 11 July 2016]

The film was based on the true story of Cheng Chiu-on who fought the tyrants in Thailand . As Chein (Bruce Lee choreographed his own fight scenes) is a city boy who moves with his relatives to work at an ice Factory . He does this with a family oath , as he was forced to make a promise to his mother after his father was killed in a fight . The promise was the following : never to get involved in any fight and to make sure he would not fall to the same fate and that he'd live to raise his own family. However, when members of his family begin disappearing after meeting the management of the factor , the resulting mystery and pressures forces him to break that vow . As he confronts it head on with his mastery of martial arts while investigating the strange disappearances his cousins . Meantime , he falls in love for beautiful women (Maria Yi and the usual Nora Miao as a Drinkstand owner) and Chein makes love prostitutes (Thai brothel featured in the film was actually a genuine and functioning brothel and they were actual whores who were paid more by Golden Harvest than they would normally receive in a day by their clients) . As Chein seeks vengeance for the death of his relatives and friends ; dispatching numerous thugs and hundreds of Karate experts at violent combats and , he , finally , takes on the villainy of the Big Boss.

A vengeance story about a young man in an ice factory that seeks revenge when his cousins mysteriously begin to disappear . Nice Bruce Lee as an undercover fighter who works with his cousins and sworn to an oath of non-violence . Although , the original star was also James Tien, who plays Hsiu Chien, while Bruce Lee was to be a co-star. However, when directors changed, the stars switched, giving Lee top billing. This violent Chop-Socky displays action-packed , thrills , fast-paced a lot of zooms , and wild fighting images . In fact , this is the only Lee film to be censored in its original country due to graphic violence . This is the only Bruce Lee film (excluding his childhood films and Green Hornet re-edit films) missing his use of the nunchucks . It packs violent combats sequences filled with bounds and leaps ; including Karate , Judo, Tae Kwon do , Hapkido , Wushu and being the only Lee trademark present in this film is his triple kick attack . Exciting and rousing struggles carried out by Bruce Lee , he wasn't doubled and did his own stunts . And impressive final fighting , the key fight sequence between Lee and the Big Boss . The international title of this film was "The Big Boss". In the United States the English dubbed version was originally to be released under the title "The Chinese Connection", a play on the title of the highly popular film French Connection (1971). For some reason the title was changed to "Fists of Fury". As a result, to avoid confusion with Bruce Lee's following film known elsewhere in the world as "Fist of Fury" (1972) , the latter film's title for its U.S. release became first "The Iron Hand" and then "The Chinese Connection".

The motion picture was professionally directed by Lo Wei and well produced by Raymond Chow-Golden Harvest . Although , the original director was Ng Gar Seung, however, he was replaced by Wei Lo a few weeks into production . It achieved big hit smash at box office , in fact , circa 1971 , this was the highest grossing film of all time in Hong Kong, beating out American productions Sound of the music (1965) and Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970). Lo Wei also directed the successful "Laugh Track: Chinese Connection" because of the movie's racial content and personal disagreements, Bruce Lee quit working with Lo Wei after this movie . And made various Jackie Chan recitals as ¨New fist of fury¨ and ¨Spiritual Kung Fu¨.

This is a top-notch Kung-Fu movie with the unforgettable Bruce Lee . Bruce Lee played the biggest international hit smashes , such as ¨Fist of Fury¨ that was previously realized to his American box office ¨Enter the dragon¨. This one was made later but released before ¨Lee's Return of dragon¨ with Chuck Norris as contender , and Lee had formerly starred ¨way of the dragon¨ or ¨¨Enter the dragon¨ is his last complete movie character but his next film ¨ Game of death¨ was absurdly edited after his death . This Kung-Fu actioner was well realized by Lo Wei , an expert on Chop-Socky movies and he directed various Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan vehicles . This "The Big Boss" also titled "Big Brother of Tongshan" or "Fists of Fury" or "Fists of Glory¨ is indispensable and essential seeing for Lee fans and Karate enthusiastic.

Excellent screen debut from legend Bruce Lee!

[dworldeater · 9/10 · 13 January 2015]

Bruce Lee explodes on the screen in his excellent debut in The Big Boss. Bruce is Chen, who moves to Bangkok to create a new life for himself and is under a vow to never fight again and is left with a green medallion from his mother as a reminder. He almost gets into a fight at his arrival with some local thugs, but abstains. Chen stays in a house with his cousins and they get him a job at the local ice factory. The ice factory is a front for drug trafficking and once a block of ice is cracked open, two workers discover their employer's nefarious packages and are never seen again. Events then escalate and a large brawl breaks out. Chen finds his green medallion shattered and Chen fights like mad. The violence then escalates throughout the rest of the film leaving Chen little choice on his mission of justice. The Big Boss is a cheap production, even for HK films of its era. However, Bruce carries the film easily with his eclectic, intense presence, flawless physique and super human fighting skills. Of Bruce's films The Big Boss is also the bloodiest. Audiences never saw anything like Bruce Lee before and the film was a huge hit. Bruce became an instant cultural icon on par with The Beatles in Hong Kong. Great debut and an essential martial arts classic!

Forget Springsteen: THIS Bruce is The Boss.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 10 May 2017]

Bruce Lee lights up the screen in his initial martial arts actioner. He plays Cheng-Chao An, a young man who joins up with various cousins to work in an ice factory. He's promised his uncle (Chia-Chen Tu) that he will avoid fighting and violence, but finds that this will be nigh on impossible when confronted with the sleazy machinations of the guys in charge of the factory. Soon, family and friends go missing, and our hero will be on a mission to find out what's going on...as well as get some revenge.

Written and directed by Wei Lo, "Fists of Fury" a.k.a. "The Big Boss" is kind of clunky, at least when you compare it to the more accomplished Lee vehicles from this period. It's also very comedic and silly most of the time. The biggest indication of this occurs late in the film when a bad guy is knocked through a wall. (However, the final quarter hour switches the tone dramatically, with some grim developments that will help further spur Bruce to vengeance.) There is plenty of entertaining action to go around, and this is when the film is at its most amusing, with lots of grunting and impact sounds on the soundtrack. You'll notice, too, that if you watch the 101 minute long uncut version, things get pretty violent and gory (albeit with a lot of that bright red movie blood that looks more like paint). The widescreen photography is good, and the music by Fu-Ling Wang is downright funky and a hoot.

There are some very gorgeous women in the cast: Maria Yi, Marilyn Bautista, and Nora Miao, the latter a recurring co-star for Bruce during this time. Bautista even bares her breasts for the occasion. Among the supporting cast are James Tien (who was originally set to star) as inquisitive cousin Hsiu Chien and the wonderfully grandiose Ying-Chieh Han as the ultimate villain of the piece.

This definitely has its value as an introduction to the charms and physical prowess of Lee as an action star, and may whet ones' appetite for more of his classics.

Seven out of 10.

Workers of the world unite... around Bruce!

[Quinoa1984 · 8/10 · 7 January 2021]

The Big Boss takes a little time to get 'started' so to speak, by this I mean there is that frustrated mood that the filmmakers may or may not have intended (I'm leaning more toward the latter) as far as making the audience say to themselves/at the screen "Oh, come on, Bruce! Don't let those pigs get the workers like that, fight em!" And for a good at least 40 minutes it almost becomes comical how Lee's Cheung is standing around observing the workers and the supervisors fight it out with varying, as you might expect results... But this makes it all the more satisfying, naturally, by the time Lee has that "you made me bleed my own blood" reaction and gets to kicking ass (that moment halfway through is like if Bruce Banner barely changed appearance turning into Hulk, and it's awesome).

Oh, I'm sure if I put my big thinking Super-Critic cap on things in The Big Boss would appear all the more silly and ridiculous; the boss himself is like a villain out of a Double Dragon game (and boy the only thing Chieh is missing is a bigger mustache to twirl), the woman love interest is perfectly waif-like and innocent, and the (pretty funny) set piece where Bruce gets smashed on Hennessey shows what a gullible character he is. Hell, he even has a moment where he ponders by a little river and we get the narration following plenty of people killed (some he offed, others he discovers) where he proclaims his revenge to the audience and tosses something into the river to further point to his "IDGAF" mood.

But, you know what? It's all of a piece with a movie that blends a serious tale of worker exploitation and a wild drug smuggling plot (check the ice!) with the cathartic release of mayhem and violence for an audience that is clearly in one side and not the other. And maybe I unironically love a moment like when the dogs are coming at Bruce (some of them I assume being flung from right off camera at him) and he ducks and dodges and fights them off with... Class dare I say? And here's also that moment where the title character, just after Lee has dispatched his closest thugs and approaches him, flings that birdcage just so to that tree branch which, duh, Lee then knocks down. I mean, that *is* cinema, ain't it? Half-joking here, that's some stunning, comical movie magic, folks.

Bottom line here is, Bruce Lee burns right away on the screen with charisma and charm (bordering on too much but never quite), and projects menace 1000% when the time comes. Great action, fun Us vs Them story, and a cavalcade of over the top supporting turns. It's delightful junk food.

High Points Sandwiched Between Boring Parts

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 22 March 2013]

A young man (Bruce Lee) sworn to an oath of non-violence works with his cousins in an ice factory where they mysteriously begin to disappear.

I have been watching Bruce Lee movies this week, and so far this one was probably the snoozer. There are some good fights in it. Heck, there is an incredible mêlée about a third of the way in where twenty or more men were kung fu fighting. Their moves were fast as lightning. Frankly, it was a little bit frightening. But that was the highlight of the film.

Before this big fight, and after this fight, there is a lot of monotony. In other movies, this would be where you build a plot or work on character development. But here, I just did not get that feeling... it felt like an excuse to build the running time of the film.

A Very Basic Martial Arts Film

[Uriah43 · 5/10 · 4 October 2013]

"Cheng Chao-an" (Bruce Lee) is a young man from the country who decides to seek employment with some relatives and friends at a factory far from home. What he doesn't realize is that the factory is a secret conduit for heroin. Natually, where there are illegal drugs there are also hoodlums present. When they inevitably cause trouble for Cheng's group he has to decide on whether to obey a promise he made not to fight or help to defend those closest to him. Now, while this film isn't nearly as good as a couple of other Bruce Lee movies, it did have a big influence on starting the martial arts genre that we enjoy today. I believe that it is because of this reason that many people rate it so highly. However, upon closer inspection I think that most people would see that there are obvious faults to this film. The film quality isn't good, the dubbing is bad and there are parts that seem to drag on way too long. But there is plenty of action and a few pretty ladies to lend some nice scenery. I especially liked "Miss Wu-man" (Marilyn Bautista). Even so, this is a very basic martial arts film and I rate it as average.

Bruce Lee....There Will Never Be Another

[DHMJr · 3 February 1999]

Fists Of Fury was the second best of the Lee films. (Chinese Connection was tops). The speed, action and excitement in the film was unprecedented. The only thing that came close were the episodes of the Green Hornet and they were Lee also. He was the epitome of being physically fit and had screen presence like no action star before him. His fitness level and physical capabilities are qualities that some action stars have today, but at the time there was no one like him. Fists of Fury had a good story and the acting was good. In the last almost thirty years, you will be able to find films that are equivalent to the technical and production measures of this film, but none as good due to the fact that this was the first.

DHM

You watch this one less for the plot and acting and more for the action

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 20 February 2007]

This review is based on the English dubbed version of FISTS OF FURY. This film COULD easily merit a 7 but his hampered by awful dubbing into English--something very common in early kung fu movies. While this isn't the worst dubbing I have seen (RETURN OF THE DRAGON, another Bruce Lee movie, is much worse), it isn't good either and definitely detracts from the film. Why the idiots who marketed it abroad didn't trust the audience to be able to read subtitles is beyond me.

The film has a relatively simple plot about some dirt bags at an ice factory in Thailand who are smuggling drugs in the middle of these huge blocks of ice. When the simple workers start to catch on, they are killed off until their friends know that SOMETHING is definitely amiss. Of the friends, Bruce Lee is the most patient and tries to avoid fighting through much of the film due to some promise he made before the movie began to stop fighting. But eventually, of course, he has no choice but to fight and kicks HUGE amounts of drug dealing butt!! Unlike later and more polished Lee movies, this one is very bloody and the action is more intense and violent--with more crotch smashing and stabbing than all his other films put together. I actually liked this, as in most of the Bruce Lee films, our hero just uses his fists and doesn't seem as pragmatic as he did here! In FISTS OF FURY, he often stabs his opponents so he doesn't need to fight them again later!!! Good thinking, Bruce! About the only negative about the extraordinary fights are the two usual observations--why do the bad guys tend to attack him one at a time AND why didn't they just use guns---after all, they ARE bad guys!!! Provided you can ignore some of the minor plot problems you'll enjoy this film a lot if you are a kung fu movie fan. Otherwise, it's a tough call. Most guys will probably at least respect the quality of the action but I assume that most ladies won't enjoy all the violence--though this is of course a generalization and may not apply to you.

A final note--Aside from lots of blood, there's a small amount of nudity in this one as well--something parents may want to consider.

Not just your average one-man-beating-up-everyone martial arts movie...

[paul_haakonsen · 7/10 · 25 July 2020]

Oddly enough, then I think that this 1971 movie "The Big Boss" (aka "Tang shan da xiong") is one of Bruce Lee's most outstanding movies and has some of his best performance.

The storyline was quite good, and there was more to it than the usual one-man-against-a-syndicate-of-evildoers that tended to be the formula in the traditional Bruce Lee movies. Sure, it was there, but it was not the focal point of the movie. "The Big Boss" actually had a good and well-written storyline which carried the movie a great long way.

And the fact that Bruce Lee was actually acting here and not just showcasing his impressive martial arts skill also helped to add to the overall enjoyment of the movie.

Sure, there were some cheesy moments in the movie, such as a strangely orange substance supposed to be blood, and a man punched through a wall, leaving behind a cut-out of himself in the wooden wall like seen in a cartoon. That was just downright idiotic.

"The Big Boss" have some interesting characters in the storyline, and they had some good actors and actresses to perform in the movie.

I am rating "The Big Boss" a seven out of ten stars. This is, without a doubt, one of the most memorable and entertaining of movies in the Bruce Lee legacy.

Martial Arts classic, but not consistently good

[asandor · 7/10 · 25 March 2016]

The Big Boss stars the legendary Bruce Lee as Cheng Chao-an, a migrant worker who visits his cousins in Thailand and begins work in an ice factory. Cheng has taken an oath of non-violence, and struggles to control himself and hold back as his cousins in Thailand begin to disappear...

The Big Boss is certainly a classic martial arts film. It kick started Bruce Lee's film career, and made him a star in the East. One can see why. The fighting in this film is excellent, with Lee and fellow martial artists showcasing their talent, even with the films low budget look. The story itself is passable, as Cheng navigates an increasingly dangerous situation that he is trying his best to avoid. Supporting characters in the film are likable, and the thugs and villains suitably dastardly.

A few small complaints would be the relatively weak, if passable story. It almost feels like the Big Boss is a sequel, as Cheng arrives with a back-story half told. Some characters acting skills are not on par with the fist fighting as well. The props and weapons also look laughably unrealistic.

Those aside, this is a good martial arts film staring the legendary Bruce Lee. It's by no means the best of his filmography, but is enjoyable non the less. The Bog Boss is worth your time if you enjoy martial arts, or Bruce Lee's other films.

Bruce the star

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 31 August 2007]

Well, Bruce Lee did it: he finally hit stardom with one of the coolest movies that I've ever seen. "Tang shan da xiong" (called "Fists of Fury" in the US) has him going to work in an ice factory after having taken a vow not to fight. But when he discovers slimy deals at the factory, he realizes that he has no other choice.

As one might expect, the whole movie is an excuse to show off Bruce Lee's moves, and they do a great job with it. There's not much in the way of an actual plot here: they get straight down to the martial arts, and I shouldn't even have to tell you what sorts of things he does.

All in all, this movie will remain a classic for all time. These sorts of flicks make life worth living. You're sure to love it.

Serviceable as an Action Movie, but Largely Mediocre as a Story

[whizzytheelephant · 6/10 · 9 December 2023]

The Big Boss is Bruce Lee's first main outing and he delivers right from the start a memorable and charismatic performance. Truly underrated as an actor, he brings a fierceness and fire within his face which holds true for the script given to him. In addition to this, the set designs and lighting bring out the mood and amps up the tension.

What is a bit less impressive is the overall setup outside of the action - it's very forgettable; none of the secondary characters leave much of a memory and the antagonists lacked emotional focus and reasoning for why and what they are doing. The overall result is commedable but unremarkable.

loved it

[ebrucedwards · 10/10 · 28 October 2017]

This movie has to be Bruce lee's best film because it has great fight scenes . good acting and a good story i would recommend showing your friends and family this gory kung fu movie from the best actor Bruce lee who did five other movies. Plus there is a lot of blood and gore so not for the squeamish

pretty cool movie

[megaphilip · 7/10 · 21 May 2004]

this movie is pretty cool, i gave it a seven. its a sad movie but its got style. the fighting scenes are very very well made. They had picked good actors. From the 5 famous bruce lee films. (collection + fist of fury) this would come 3rd. i enjoyed this movie. what i find 'special' about this movie was that bruce lee got arrested on the end. i thought it was cool. All his friends died, and he tried to save them, but only managed to save one. (spoiler) ciao mei. i do not suggest anyone to watch this movie more then twice. i do not think its a movie i could watch more than 2 times. but its worth watching i think. i suggest this movie for people who like eastern action. it has awesome fighting scenes. but i think fist of fury is the best film of bruce lee.

Total Boss

[kosmasp · 9/10 · 24 July 2020]

While Bruce Lee is not the titular Big Boss, he actually is. Or rather sadly was, as he left us way too early and with not enough movies to cherish him. Now this introduction already may tell you that I'm a bit biased - ok more than just a bit. I generally liked watching Shaw Brothers eastern movies when I was a kid, but I also was a giant fan of Bruce Lee and the few movies he made. That is not counting the whole Brucesploitation "genre" that was made after his death, but more on that on his Game of Death movies. Although only the first one is actually somewhat offical.

Big Boss has quite a few plot holes - a lot of character development that I didn't question as a kid (why has Bruce Lees character sworn off fighting others? Is there a reason other than him getting deadly for others?). I also didn't remember the nudity in this. Now it sort of serves the story in some way, but I know I did not remember it. Maybe it was cut from the version I saw, maybe I just was more focused on the fights and the story.

I remembered the ice factory (apparently it still exists and is working or was a few years ago) and the "secrets", I remembered the bird cage and the end fight very vividly. While the original audio does not contain the brandmark Lee-isms, some dubbed versions do have them. Which I guess is weird in a way. Slow paced, but action packed when it counts. And the fights still work - even if we are or have been spoiled by way more collaborate fight choreography.

Thank God for Jackie Chan - that's all I have to say...

[thomas-hardcastle-2 · 6/10 · 9 May 2008]

Look. I was a big Bruce Lee fan back in the day, then I got into Jackie Chan, and realised that Bruce Lee is just, as we Brits say, "an 'ard barsted." Chan cares about cinema, and doesn't just want to walk into a room and knock everyone out - he wants to entertain the paying audience, and not just prove how macho he is.

Don't get me wrong. This film is okay, hence the 6 I've given it. Some of the fighting is very impressive - especially considering how much of a fool Lo Wei was, and considering the resources the cast and crew had, or lack thereof.

Overall, this is a very watchable movie. However, the film fails fatally in one respect - the mind-numbing stupidity of the good guys, in not realising soon enough that two members of their family die every single day, when they go to see the Big Boss. How daft can you get? To start off with, there are about ten members of the family, and cannon-fodder is the best way to describe these idiots, as they each, in turn, go and see the Big Boss to complain that, "yesterday, two of our brothers came to see you, and they haven't come home yet..." which leads to their deaths, and the follow-up enquiry from the next two brothers. What a load of balls! Apart from that, the film is okay. Bruce Lee is iconic, as usual, and the fighting is impressive in places. The fake blood looks like...well, like fake blood, I suppose, but that's no reason to dislike this film. I just wish some kind of plausibility had been given to the characters.

Clichéd story, legendary lead

[Vartiainen · 5/10 · 8 September 2016]

Probably the only reason this film is remembered so well is because it's the first major feature starring Bruce Lee, the legendary martial arts actor. And yeah, he's good in it. The fight scenes are slick and showy, definitely the best part of the movie by far. But aside from that... it's pretty boring, if I'm being completely honest.

And it's not Lee in any way. He's there to be the protagonist and the deliverer of sick kung fu moves. And in that capacity he more than satisfies. It's just that the plot is so clichéd. There's an evil mob boss who rules over a business filled with suffering common workers. A country boy, who just happens to be a master kung fu fighter, moves into town and through various events ends up opposing the mob boss. If that sounds familiar, it's because it's the exact same plot used by every single B-movie kung fu movie ever made. Every. Single. One.

So yeah, the plot is boring, but admittedly Bruce Lee is entertaining enough to give the film some value. Do see it if you want to say you've seen them all. Aside from that, I wouldn't bother.