All 5 Bruce Lee Films, Ranked

Bruce Lee is perhaps the prime example of a martial arts movie star, and for good reason. The man was charismatic, personable and thanks to his unique martial art known as Jeet Kune Do, he was a joy to watch during his action sequences. His skills as a martial artist made him a natural fit into the martial arts/kung fu film genre, and it was in such films that he made a name for himself, becoming a dominant pop culture icon in the 1970s, having previously also appeared as a child actor in his career and performed as Kato The green horneta television series that aired in 1966 and 1967.

Lee died tragically young in 1973, aged just 32 and at the start of what could have been a long and fruitful film career. Of his classic martial arts films, three were released while he was still alive, one was finished and released posthumously, and one was incomplete but cobbled together what he could and was released several years after Bruce Lee's death. These five films comprise Lee's official main filmography as a martial arts actor, and are usually what he is most remembered for. They're all listed below, starting with “decent but flawed” and ending with the greats.

5 “Game of Death” (1978)

Director: Robert Clouse

After Bruce Lee's death, people were naturally shocked and saddened that there would be no more Bruce Lee martial arts films (more than 50 years later, it's still disturbing how few there are). This was one reason why a new subgenre was born: Bruceploitation, which used archival footage and doppelgangers to sell new martial arts films as real Bruce Lee films throughout the remainder of the 1970s. There's a sinking feeling when you watch these films, and the whole genre feels cheesy and even disrespectful… but Death game shines a little brighter than most of his contemporaries for one important reason.

Bruce Lee worked on it Death game He only managed to film a few key action scenes when he passed away, but these make it into the film and are a blast to watch. Death game is a tough watch most of the time, with brash workarounds to make up for the fact that Lee couldn't direct most of the film. But the final act contains the stuff that Lee shot and these fight sequences are amazing and match the quality of the martial arts scenes seen in Bruce Lee's previous works. Death game It's still worth watching just for the good content, but viewers must be warned that there's a lot of garbage to wade through towards the end to get to the great parts.

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4 “Fist of Fury” (1972)

Director: Lo Wei

Fist of rage marks the point where things get very good if you look at the films Bruce Lee starred in and excelled in in the 1970s. Death game Perhaps it's worth seeing for fans of the actor (at least the final act, which has the Bruce Lee stuff you're looking for), but his other four major films can be recommended without reservation or reservation. Their generally high quality makes ranking a bit difficult, but one has to be considered the worst of all the good ones, and (the still very good one) Fist of rage is here to fulfill that role.

The film's plot gives Lee an excuse to play a one-man army here He is a martial arts student who wants revenge for the murder of his mentorand defends herself against the injustices committed by Japanese colonialists in China (the film takes place at the beginning of the 20th century). Whenever the fighting starts, Fist of rage is understandably a blast, and the story – while simple – works for the most part, and it's also a film that comments on colonialism, racism and prejudice. It can be uneven, but it's generally good stuff and also notable because it shows a very young nature Jackie Chanhere as a stunt double and as an unnamed martial arts student.

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3 “The Big Boss” (1971)

Director: Lo Wei

Anyone who wants to see Bruce Lee Something that combines a crime/gangster story with lots of martial arts action should do the watching The big boss a priority. This was his first major martial arts film and it holds up surprisingly well all things considered, and arguably even feels underrated these days since it isn't talked about quite as much as his other iconic martial arts films. narrative, The big boss sees Lee in the role of a young man who has sworn off getting into fights to resolve conflicts, only to find that such a thing becomes increasingly difficult the more he – and those he knows – get caught up in various crooks be mistreated.

Thanks to this premise, the tension builds expertly, and once Bruce Lee's character is unleashed and clearly out for blood, The big boss Explosions, shocks and awe in equal measure. The pace may not always feel particularly fast due to the story being told, but it's worth it in the end. Additionally, Bruce Lee is generally great throughout, giving a good dramatic/understated performance in the first half of the film and an amazing physical performance in the more action-packed second half. It's extremely compelling stuff all around.

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2 “The Way of the Dragon” (1972)

Director: Bruce Lee

The Way of the Dragon stands out for several reasons and is therefore quintessentially Bruce Lee. Lee was no stranger to working both behind and in front of the camera, being the action director for all of his major films and being the original director of the unfinished films Death game. The Way of the Dragon is his only completed film where he was the sole director and he also wrote the film. It was also the last film released before his death. It is much more comedic than most of Lee's other works and is characterized by its remarkable features Chuck Norris in a villainous role.

This is truly the most iconic part of the film: Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris fight towards the end of the film, in the Colosseum. In the rest of the film, Lee's character attempts to help a family business in Rome and faces off against various evildoers who stand in the way of that business's prosperity. The Way of the Dragon is another Bruce Lee movie where Bruce Lee fights back against injustice and repeatedly punches/kicks a whole bunch of unjust people, but he was so good at it that it's hard to complain. In total, The Way of the Dragon is one of his most entertaining films and wouldn't be a bad starting point for anyone who has never seen a Bruce Lee film.

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1 Enter the Dragon (1973)

Director: Robert Clouse

In the pantheon of great action films Enter the dragon is always considered one of the very best and is easily the most iconic/famous film Bruce Lee has ever appeared in. Enter the dragon was completed before Lee's death but released posthumously, serving as an unintended swan song to an incredibly talented actor/martial artist who had enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame in recent years. It's still a shame that things actually ended here, but at least Enter the dragon allowed Bruce Lee to star in an undisputed classic throughout his career, and it's a film that's still riding high more than half a century after its release.

Enter the dragonbegins as a sort of sports film and revolves around a strange martial arts tournament run by a shady character who seems to be up to something else. After all, the fights are no longer for sport, but are fought for life and death ratchets up the tension beautifully and makes each action sequence feel more intense than the last. It's a bold, colorful, exciting, sometimes over-the-top and always entertaining film that's almost over the top Enter the dragon One of the best martial arts films of all time and the greatest film Bruce Lee ever starred in.

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