Bruce Lee Returns To Wow A New Generation In Retrospective

The iconic martial artist Bruce Lee is returning to the big screen in a five-film retrospective exclusively at Cathay Cineplexes AMK Hub and West Mall on Aug 12-16.

The titles being showcased are The Big Boss, Way of the Dragon, Fist of Fury, Enter the Dragon, and Game of Death. The latter is the only one Lee didn’t finish making before his death in 1973 at age 32; the producers completed it using doubles.

The retrospective coincides with the release of Quentin Tarantino’s 1969-set magnum opus Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which features an appearance by Bruce Lee, played by Korean-American actor Mike Moh.

In May, Lee’s daughter, Shannon, told 8 DAYS that Bruce Lee Family Company, which she heads as CEO, has nothing to do with the film that stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a fictional fading actor and Brad Pitt as his stunt double.

That film, opening here Aug 15, has drawn the ire of Shannon who said it was disheartening to see her father portrayed as “an arrogant a-hole who was full of hot air.”

She told showbiz news website TheWrap: “It was really uncomfortable to sit in the theatre and listen to people laugh at my father.”

The Bruce Lee Family Company also didn’t participate in Donnie Yen’s Ip Man 4: The Finale (due December), which includes a cameo by the Jeet Kune Do founder.

If you have no idea how Bruce Lee changed martial arts and the way it's depicted in pop culture, the retrospective is a good place to start. Learn more about the screenings below.

Enter the Dragon, 1973 (NC16)

When: Aug 12 (Mon)

Lee became an international star in this Hongkong-American production released just a few weeks after his death. He plays a spy attending a martial arts tournament on a private island that the authorities suspect houses a drug trafficking ring. Look out for early appearances by Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan.

The Big Boss, 1971 (M18)

When: Aug 13 (Tue)

Lee’s first Hongkong movie sees him as Cheng, an ice factory worker in Bangkok who discovers the place is used to sell dope. When his corrupt superior has Cheng’s family and friends killed, he decides to open up a can of whoop-ass and shows the baddies who the boss is.

The Way of the Dragon, 1972 (NC16)

When: Aug 14 (Wed)

Said to be Lee’s personal favourite, this is the first Hongkong action flick to be shot in Europe. He plays a martial arts master visiting his relatives in Rome where they’re bullied by the Mafia. Bad idea. Classic moment: the Coliseum showdown where Lee gives Chuck Norris a chest 'wax'.

Fist of Fury, 1972 (PG13)

When: Aug 15 (Thur)

Lee plays Chen, a martial arts student with a score to settle with the Japanese in 1930s Shanghai. When Chen finds out that a rival Bushido school is responsible for his master’s death, he’s forced to let his fists do the talking. And sometimes it’s more effective with the nunchaku.

Game of Death, 1978 (PG13)

When: Aug 16 (Fri)

Lee plays a famous movie star who fakes his death to exact revenge on gangsters threatening his career. Lee filmed last third of the movie before his untimely death and the studio completed it with lookalikes. Stay for the last 20 minutes, which includes Lee’s legendary duel with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

One movie will be shown each day at AMK Hub and West Mall. Admission: $7 (standard price), $3 (concession price for senior citizens 55 and above). Please check respective cineplexes for show times. Available at Cathay Cineplexes box-office counters, self-service kiosks, website and mobile app.

Photos: Cathay Cineplexes, TPG News/Click Photos