Legendary martial artist Bruce Lee is the subject of this thoughtful documentary by Lee aficionado John Little. Using interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and action sequences from Lee's ... See full summary »
Directors:
John Little,
Bruce Lee
Stars:
Bruce Lee,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
Peter Archer
Wong Fei-Hung (Jackie Chan) is a mischievous, yet righteous young man, but after a series of incidents, his frustrated father has him disciplined by Beggar So (Siu Tin Yuen), a Master of drunken martial arts.
A young martial artist is caught between respecting his pacifist father's wishes or stopping a group of disrespectful foreigners from stealing precious artifacts.
Returning to Shanghai to marry his fiancée, Chen Zhen (Bruce Lee) a student of renowned martial arts teacher Huo Yuanjia, discovers his sifu has died. During the funeral, members of a local Japanese dojo show up and insult the Chinese students. The bullying continues, with Chen fighting back, but when he discovers the truth - that his teacher was poisoned on the orders of the dojo's master - he sets off on a doomed mission of revenge.Written by
Matti-Man
Robert Baker (Petrov) was a student and friend of Bruce Lee's (Chen Zhen), and was recommended for the role by Lee. See more »
Goofs
The nihonto (sword) in the Japanese dojo is mounted upside down and back to front.
Furthermore it is not placed in front of the kamidana, which incidentally is at the back of the mat area, not in the kamiza or "head" of the mat.
Both are placed in an incredibly disrespectful manner. See more »
Quotes
Chen:
Now you listen to me. I'll only say this once. We are not sick men.
See more »
Alternate Versions
For its original 1972 UK cinema release the BBFC requested a cut to remove a shot of a flying throat kick, though it appeared intact in all early theatrical prints and was possibly waived before release. In 1978 the film was withdrawn by BBFC director James Ferman (together with Enter the Dragon) and all nunchaku footage removed together with the previously mentioned throat kick, and these cuts, (totalling 2 mins 51 secs) would persist in all of the film's UK video releases. The cuts were fully restored for the 2001 Hong Kong Legends release. See more »
Written & directed by Wei Lo (who also plays the role of The Inspector), "The Chinese Connection" is simply a classic Bruce Lee martial arts film. It of course serves its purpose of dishing out lots of great combat (complete with hilarious over use of "impact" sounds). But there's more here going on than that. This also features some funny comedy, and some particularly potent drama. It's a tale of bigotry, as the Japanese in Shanghai treat their Chinese counterparts with contempt, and demean them.
Taking place at the turn of the 20th century, it stars Bruce as Chen Zhen, a student who returns to his school to learn that the beloved "Master" has died. Not only that, but he just might have been murdered, to boot. Naturally, Chen swears to solve the crime and get some revenge. He takes on all comers, while the carnage mounts.
There's some pretty delicious gore in this lively affair, which goes on a bit long at one hour and 47 minutes, but it still has much to recommend it. Lo and Bruce get your attention and keep it with their many intense fight sequences. It also offers a little dose of romance, as Chen hopes to marry the girl whom he loves (Nora Miao). The villains are wonderfully despicable; you love to hate them, and eagerly anticipate the inevitable showdown between Bruce and characters such as Petrov (Robert Baker), a massive Russian who shows off his superhuman strength in one amusing segment.
The acting is just fine from everybody concerned. Bruce is indeed at his best, proving his physical prowess at every turn and displaying that memorable screen presence.
Good, solid action entertainment, a must for martial arts fans.
Eight out of 10.
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Written & directed by Wei Lo (who also plays the role of The Inspector), "The Chinese Connection" is simply a classic Bruce Lee martial arts film. It of course serves its purpose of dishing out lots of great combat (complete with hilarious over use of "impact" sounds). But there's more here going on than that. This also features some funny comedy, and some particularly potent drama. It's a tale of bigotry, as the Japanese in Shanghai treat their Chinese counterparts with contempt, and demean them.
Taking place at the turn of the 20th century, it stars Bruce as Chen Zhen, a student who returns to his school to learn that the beloved "Master" has died. Not only that, but he just might have been murdered, to boot. Naturally, Chen swears to solve the crime and get some revenge. He takes on all comers, while the carnage mounts.
There's some pretty delicious gore in this lively affair, which goes on a bit long at one hour and 47 minutes, but it still has much to recommend it. Lo and Bruce get your attention and keep it with their many intense fight sequences. It also offers a little dose of romance, as Chen hopes to marry the girl whom he loves (Nora Miao). The villains are wonderfully despicable; you love to hate them, and eagerly anticipate the inevitable showdown between Bruce and characters such as Petrov (Robert Baker), a massive Russian who shows off his superhuman strength in one amusing segment.
The acting is just fine from everybody concerned. Bruce is indeed at his best, proving his physical prowess at every turn and displaying that memorable screen presence.
Good, solid action entertainment, a must for martial arts fans.
Eight out of 10.