Dragon Lord (1982)

Courtyard fight: 2.5/5

Temple fight: 3/5

Barn Fight: 4.5/5


Not one of Jackie's better movies. Also not a lot of fighting. The jianzi game in the middle is pretty impressive. And the last fight scene in the barn against Hwang In Shik is incredible. One of the great things about it is that Jackie's character, Dragon, doesn't possess a lot of martial skill. What he does possess is youth, determination, heart and incredible athleticism. Not to mention an ability to absorb a ton of punishment. This is in stark contrast to In Shik's character, who is highly skilled, older and can't take quite as much. I also like that Mars gets to be part of the finale, since he so rarely is anything but a background character. Since he is Jackie's real life best friend it's cool to see them work together in a movie to take down a big boss.

But besides the finale, there isn't much to this movie. Even the opening pyramid scene that took 2900 takes (the world record), isn't really that impressive in the grand scheme of things. That final fight is an enduring piece of art, though. Somewhat recommended.

Way Of The Dragon a.k.a. Return Of The Dragon (1972)

Bruce Lee vs Thugs: 2.25/5

Bruce Lee vs Thugs: 2.75/5

Bruce Lee & Staff vs Thugs: 3/5

Bruce Lee vs Bob Wall: 3.5/5

Bruce Lee vs Hwang In Shik: 3.25/5

Bruce Lee vs Chuck Norris: 4.25/5



This is my favorite Bruce Lee movie. It has an absolute classic for an end fight, my personal favorite Bruce Lee fight ever. It takes place in the literal Coliseum. How dope is that? It's also the only time Chuck Norris ever fought Bruce Lee. And this is Chuck in his prime, before he became a meme.

Like many Bruce Lee movies this is a Bruce Lee highlight reel. It just showcases his speed and technique. He even uses dual nunchuckas at one point. We also have a young Hwang In Shik, which is really cool (see The Young Master). CHINESE BOXING! Recommended.

The Young Master (1980)

Jackie w/ Fan vs fat Dude: 3.5/5

3 Outlaws vs Officers: 3.75/5

Hwang in Shik vs Officers: 4.25/5

Sword Fight: 3.5/5

Jackie vs Yuen Biao: 3.5/5

Jackie vs Yuen Biao 2: 4/5

Jackie vs Chief: 3.25/5

Jackie vs Chief's daughter: 3/5

Jackie vs 2 Outlaws: 3.75/5

Jackie vs Hwang in Shik: 4.75/5

Man, when I think about this movie I don't usually think about it as one of my favorite fighting movies of all time. But upon review, it's probably up there. The thing with a lot of old school kung fu films is the choreo tends to be slower but more about showcasing the art. But there's some beautiful stuff here. Even the first fight with the fan, though it has no real drama to it, features beautiful fan work from Jackie. He makes the fan look like a viable weapon.

I love that Yuan Biao's in this, and that he's a total asshole to Jackie in the movie. The two clash a couple times and Yuen Biao fights with a bench, of all things. That's why old school movies can be so fun. Strange weapons are commonplace.

Hwang In Shik is a total badass every moment he's onscreen. He showcases hapkido brilliantly in this. The end fight between him and Jackie is glorious. It's a short film unto itself. 15 minutes of action, with Jackie taking heavy damage for 12 of those minutes. Young Jackie sure was durable. A tour de force of a finale.

Highly recommended.