Finishing the Game: The Search for a New Bruce Lee (2007)

Bruce Lee's shocking death left legions of stunned fans and a legacy of 12 minutes from his unfinished Game Of Death. Undeterred, studio executives launched a search for his replacement chronicled here through the eyes of five aspiring thespians who find out what the real game is.

Director:

Justin Lin

Writers:

Josh Diamond, Justin Lin

Stars:

Roger Fan, Dustin Nguyen, Sung Kang

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Josh Diamond	...	Interviewer
Sam Bottoms	...	Martey Kurtainbaum
Jake Sandvig	...	Ronney Kurtainbaum
Roger Fan	...	Breeze Loo
Nathan Jung	...	Bob
Joe McQueen	...	Leroy / Earl
Aiko Tanaka	...	Nunchuck Girl
Nikita Esco	...	Ribbon Girl (as Natalie Sesko)
Sung Kang	...	Cole Kim
Monique Gabriela Curnen	...	Saraghina Rivas
Daphne Rosen	...	Porn Star
Celestia Star	...	Porn Star (as Celestia Starr)
Carmel Moore	...	Porn Star (as Carmel)
Zoe Matthews	...	Porn Star
Scott Hobson	...	Porn Star

Storyline

Bruce Lee's shocking death left legions of stunned fans and a legacy of 12 minutes from his unfinished Game Of Death. Undeterred, studio executives launched a search for his replacement chronicled here through the eyes of five aspiring thespians who find out what the real game is.

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Plot Keywords:

bruce lee | karate | satire | spoof | jeet kune do | 

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Taglines:

who will be... FINISHING THE GAME

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

MySpace Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 January 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Finishing the Game

Filming Locations:

Atwater Village Studios - 3018 Carmel Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,903, 7 October 2007, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$52,850, 2 December 2007

Company Credits

Production Co:

Barnstorm Pictures, Cherry Sky Films, Trailing Johnson Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Final film of Sam Bottoms.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Interviewer: Mr. Kurtainbaum, why did you decide to continue production on The Game of Death?

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Connections

References Breathless (1960)

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Soundtracks

Poon, Troy Poon
Written and Performed by Brian Tyler
Music Published by Tyler Too Music Publishing, ASCAP
Sony / ATV Music Publishing, 2007

User Reviews

a comedy with precious few laughs

Done in the style of a 1970s mockumentary, "Finishing the Game" is based on the premise that, when Bruce Lee died in 1973 at the age of 32, he left behind twelve minutes of footage for a movie entitled "The Game of Death." Determined to bring Lee's final dream to fruition, a group of dedicated filmmakers set out to find a replacement for the star in the hopes of finishing the project. "Finishing the Game" is a fictionalized account of that search (the actual movie was released in 1978).

Unfortunately, beyond its spot-on '70s fashions and hairstyles, oh-so-groovy soundtrack and overall air of genial good-naturedness, "Finishing the Game" offers little of quality for anyone craving a good behind-the-scenes movie parody. Lacking both polish and finesse, the movie represents a major comedown for director Justin Lee after his stunning triumph with "Better Luck Tomorrow" a few years back. The half-hearted Josh Diamond screenplay scarcely makes an effort at being funny, and the concept itself is simply too thin to be successfully stretched out over even a relatively meager 84-minute-long running time.

Barely flash-in-the-pan cameo appearances by the likes of James Franco, MC Hammer and Ron Jeremy do little to support an otherwise likable cast. And there isn't even any decent martial arts action to make the movie much fun for fans of the genre being satirized.