Despite having only a short stint as a kung fu movie star, Bruce Lee had a tremendous impact on the genre, guiding the direction of so many Hong Kong film studios for years. For filmmakers, there was obviously a lot to learn from Bruce Lee’s martial arts films, but some did more than just take inspiration from the fights in his films; a considerable number copied them directly through a strategy now commonly known as Bruceploration.
Films associated with the Bruceploitation era typically starred actors with stage names similar to Bruce Lee’s, so much so that the difference was sometimes just down to spelling. This approach also extended to the stars’ physical appearance, as several of these actors were cast based on their similarities to Lee. Not surprisingly, this unapologetic effort to capitalize on Bruce Lee’s popularity certainly received its share of scrutiny. However, that’s not to say that Bruceploitation films weren’t entertaining.
10
New Fist of Fury
Starring Jackie Chan
Interestingly, Jackie Chan was once one of the many actors who wanted to become the next Bruce Lee. To that end, he was cast New Fist of Furya film that retreads the same Chinese versus Japanese plot from Fist of Fury. As the film came before Chan developed his unique image, New Fist of Fury It doesn’t feature any of the actor’s trademark comedies, but it does carry the feel of a true Jackie Chan film. However, his fight sequences are the first evidence of his capabilities as a martial arts actor.
9
Bruce Lee’s secret
Starring Bruce Li
Arguably Bruceploitation’s most prolific star, Bruce Li starred Bruce Lee’s secreta film that served as an unofficial, dramatized version of the Bruce Lee story. Its spectacular fight scenes, aided by the presence of kung fu film veterans Carter Wong and Hwang Jang-lee, help Bruce Lee’s secret stand out as a thrilling martial arts adventure.
8
Enter the invincible hero
Starring Dragon Lee
During his career, Dragon Lee headlined a plethora of Bruceploitation films, one of which being Enter the invincible hero. Traditionally less serious than most Bruce Lee”clones“, Dragon Lee embraces the eccentricity of the Bruceploitation era in Enter the invincible heroa film that pits him against South Korean martial arts star Casanova Wong. Enter the invincible hero It features commendable choreography, but what makes it especially memorable is its emotional ending.
7
Fist of Fury II
Starring Bruce Li
Bruce Lee Fist of Fury received an unofficial sequel in 1977, with Bruce Li in the lead role. Fist of Fury II picked up after the first film, which notably ended with the death of Bruce Lee’s Chen Zhen. In the 1977 film, it turns out that Chen Zhen had a brother named Shan (Bruce Li), who is now determined to avenge his fallen relative and continue their fight against the Japanese forces occupying Shanghai. The entertaining, revenge-driven classic ends in a showdown between Bruce Li and kung fu legend Lo Lieh, whose talent for playing martial arts movie villains suits the film’s charm well.
6
Bruce’s Deadly Fingers
Starring Bruce Le
Launched in 1976, Bruce’s Deadly Fingers starred Bruce Le, one of the faces of the Bruceploitation movement. The film cast Le in the role of a man who needs to save the late Bruce Lee’s ex-girlfriend after she is kidnapped by criminals. Perhaps intentionally, the actress chosen to play Lee’s ex-girlfriend was Nora Miao, who had acted alongside Lee twice. Further boosting his star power is the inclusion of iconic villains Lo Lieh and Bolo Yeung, who previously appeared in Enter the dragon with the real Bruce Lee.
5
The Dragon Serpent Fist
Starring Dragon Lee
The Bruceploitation movement was starting to lose steam in 1981, but the decade had at least notable entries into the genre. Among them was a South Korean martial arts film The Dragon Serpent Fist. Starring Dragon Lee, the film was a standard revenge film about the rivalry between two different schools of kung fu. But while this is a story that has been told countless times in 80s kung fu films, including by Bruce Lee himself Fist of Fury, The Dragon Serpent Fist it still manages to entertain with its fight scenes, which are both brutal and abundant in the film.
4
Tiger Challenge
Starring Bruce Le
Bruce Le added to his list of Bruceploitation epics in 1980 when he made Tiger Challengea modern kung fu crime film. Uniting Le with Richard Harrison, Tiger Challenge is a story about two CIA agents facing a spy network. The film has many wild and unorthodox moments, one of them being an action sequence featuring a bull, but it still maintains some degree of popularity among fans of kung fu films.
3
Bruce Lee clones
Starring Bruce Li, Bruce Lai and Dragon Lee
Bruce Lee clones is essentially “The Avengers“from the Bruceploitation era. True to its title, it features a handful of Bruce Lee’sclones.” In the 1980 film, Dragon Lee, Bruce Le and Bruce Lai reunite for an action-packed adventure that sees them playing literal clones of the Dragon. The story makes little narrative sense and is overdone with its use of science fiction elements, but the Bruceploitation acting team and martial arts choreography make it worth watching, even if it can’t be taken seriously.
2
Golden Dragon, Silver Snake
Starring Dragon Lee
Another notable Dragon Lee film is Golden Dragon, Silver Snakea kung fu revenge film. Also known as Idle handlethe film is an interesting addition to the Bruceploitation catalog simply because of its titular characters. Not only is Golden Dragon portrayed by a Bruce Lee clone, but Silver Snake is played by Wang Dae-wi, an actor who had a history of playing Jackie Chan-style characters. A proper Jackie Chan-Bruce Lee team-up film never happened, but Golden Dragon, Silver Snakeoffers a fun, if low-budget, look at what could have been.
1
The Three Avengers
Starring Bruce Li
Also known as The Avenging Lama, The Three Avengers is less explicit in its connections to Bruce Lee than most Bruceploration films, but it still largely depends on the actor’s image. Bruce Li stars in the 1979 film, which revolves around two acrobats who open a kung fu school and get into a fight with a group of thugs. It features lots of action, including an intense three-on-one fight at the end.