First off, the title of this film is a bit of a misnomer. It makes it sound like just another Bruceploitation flick, the kind of which were being churned out regularly during this period in the wake of Bruce Lee's death. Yes, Bruce Li does star, playing a character who looks and acts very much like Bruce Lee did in this own movies, but there the similarities end. BLIND FIST OF BRUCE is actually a comedy/period kung fu flick that has much more in common with the movies Jackie Chan was making during this era, like SNAKE IN THE EAGLE'S SHADOW. In case you weren't convinced, the casting of DRUNKEN MASTER's drunken master himself, Simon Yuen (aka Sam Seed, aka Yuen Woo-ping's dad!) only make clear the similarities.
The plot is a well known one: a good guy falls foul of a gang of evil and ruthless fighters and, finding himself not skilled enough to beat them, he sets about training until he can. It's as simple as that. Of course, there's more to it, such as the inclusion of some pretty girls and the introduction of a 'master killer' type character in the final third, but this really is a straightforward movie. It's quite notable for including loads and loads of comedy throughout. Some of it is actually awful, like Li's pseudo 'masters' who try to teach him dog and cat kung fu (!), but some of it is genius – and the best bits are those that involve Simon Yuen, playing pretty much the same character as he did in the Jackie Chan film, except that he's blind here.
Okay, so Yuen is clearly doubled for all his fights, but that doesn't matter because it's the comedy he excels at. Watching him trick and trip our hero while training him is great fun, as are the scenes where Yuen displays his skills with props, like his famous teacup trick. This good natured guy lifted a lot of films during this period before his untimely death, and I never get tired of watching his talents. He makes this film what it is.
The action is plentiful and ranges from average to good. It tends to get better as the film progresses, so that we end on an absolute high as Li and Yuen team up to tackle a killer known only as 'Tiger'. Watching them beat him with a scarf, sticks and plenty of weird moves is plenty of fun and there's good cinematography here too. Bruce Li is a favourite of mine, seeming more credible than most and a better actor and he doesn't disappoint. BLIND FIST OF BRUCE is a neat film for the fans.
The plot is a well known one: a good guy falls foul of a gang of evil and ruthless fighters and, finding himself not skilled enough to beat them, he sets about training until he can. It's as simple as that. Of course, there's more to it, such as the inclusion of some pretty girls and the introduction of a 'master killer' type character in the final third, but this really is a straightforward movie. It's quite notable for including loads and loads of comedy throughout. Some of it is actually awful, like Li's pseudo 'masters' who try to teach him dog and cat kung fu (!), but some of it is genius – and the best bits are those that involve Simon Yuen, playing pretty much the same character as he did in the Jackie Chan film, except that he's blind here.
Okay, so Yuen is clearly doubled for all his fights, but that doesn't matter because it's the comedy he excels at. Watching him trick and trip our hero while training him is great fun, as are the scenes where Yuen displays his skills with props, like his famous teacup trick. This good natured guy lifted a lot of films during this period before his untimely death, and I never get tired of watching his talents. He makes this film what it is.
The action is plentiful and ranges from average to good. It tends to get better as the film progresses, so that we end on an absolute high as Li and Yuen team up to tackle a killer known only as 'Tiger'. Watching them beat him with a scarf, sticks and plenty of weird moves is plenty of fun and there's good cinematography here too. Bruce Li is a favourite of mine, seeming more credible than most and a better actor and he doesn't disappoint. BLIND FIST OF BRUCE is a neat film for the fans.