It is no understatement to suggest that Bruce Lee’s return to Hong Kong, after America refused to make him a star, was the best thing for his career. Lee was pissed off; frustrated by Hollywood’s inherent racism and refusal to put any faith in the idea that an Asian could ever carry a profitable film.
But all that changed when Lee, after appearing solely as a sidekick in The Green Hornet television series for a year and then floundering out in Hollywood, returned to Hong Kong to help his mother move. He was greeted at the airport by adoring fans - fans he didn’t think existed - and, thanks to the son of director Lo Wei, found backing, support, and was able to revamp a story and its fighting sequences in The Big Boss, and the rest is a part of a BADASS box office history as Lee, using a very different and brutal fighting style, put to bed the whole Peking opera style of fighting.
That’s not to say that the Shaw Brothers were ruining martial arts in the 1970s. They weren’t, but they certainly had perfected their style of cinema. Lee had a style that was all his own and Golden Harvest wanted ALL of that realism in their productions.
Unfortunately, Lee’s rise would be short lived as he died from a swelling of the brain due to an allergic reaction to a medication he was taking for headaches. He was only 32 and had put on pause his own film, Game Of Death, to focus on Hollywood’s Enter the Dragon, which was sure to make him a star in America.
And indeed it did, becoming his greatest international success and one of the most influential action movies ever made, with its famed hall-of-mirrors finale bringing together the physical and intellectual dimensions of Lee’s artistry in one dazzling set piece.
But what of Game Of Death? Lee had filmed some of the fight sequences. Much of the footage was somehow lost by Golden Harvest, but there was about 14-minutes of usable material. For our own pop culture’s sake, the material that was recovered featured Lee wearing the iconic yellow-and-black jumpsuit that Quentin Tarantino would later pay homage to in Kill Bill Volume 1. And before Lee’s death, things were looking good for this action flick which would see Lee join a gang of martial artists hired to steal a well-guarded national treasure stolen from China. The mission was to get to the top floor of a five-story pagoda in South Korea and get it so that he could then rescue his brother and sister from the kidnappers. A lot of footage was already shot, but Lee would not live to finish it.
And that is the shame of Game Of Death. It’s just not the movie Lee wanted it to be. Not by a long shot. Sure, Arrow Video has done an awesome job with the 4K remastering of the film. You won’t see a better-looking version out there, but . . . but . . . but . . . this film is just difficult to digest, no matter the sparkle and shine.
Released five years after Bruce Lee’s death, this kung-fu curio combines footage from the unfinished project (which is essentially the finale with Lee fighting NBA player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and changes the story around to create a gangster-heavy picture which stars Gig Young, Dean Jagger, Mel Novak and Colleen Camp. The whole 5-story pagoda set would be changed, too, as Enter the Dragon’s director Robert Clouse steps in to create an entirely different film - with Kim Tai-jong, Yuen Biao, and Albert Sham all doubling for Lee’s character - and, no matter the amount of restoration to the original negative, it’s a total mess. Frankly, the film doesn’t work. Even the fantastic fight choreography by Sammo Hung hits a little hollow here.
Thing is, Bruce Lee has a captivating style of fighting. It is not quiet. He grunts, clamors, and growls. He even laughs sometimes with each move. Anything to focus the energy. To Lee, fighting was not a ballet. It was quick. It was bloody. And it consisted of quick kicks, fast one-two-three hits, and a cinematic style which demanded the editors watch and anticipate Lee’s every move. What Lee filmed - and what is used in the cut of the movie - works well. In fact, it is the only memorable thing about Game Of Death.
Using stand-ins, doubles, and archival footage to compensate for Lee’s absence, Game of Death follows a martial-arts movie star who, when he is threatened by a cutthroat crime syndicate intent on controlling his career, must take his skills from the soundstage to the streets. It all builds to an exhilarating climax that is pure Lee: a tour de force of martial-arts mastery in which the legend himself, clad in an iconic yellow jumpsuit, fights his way up a multilevel pagoda, with the towering Kareem Abdul-Jabbar among his formidable opponents.
Grace and power. That’s the Bruce Lee way. While Game Of Death has 14-minutes of Lee, this release has to be for completists only.
Limited Edition 4K UHD
Home Video Distributor: Arrow Films
Available on 4K UHD -
Screen Formats: 2.35:1
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Video: 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible), restored by Arrow Films from original film elements, of the international cut and the Japanese cut of Game of Death via seamless branching
Audio: Original restored English mono audio on both cuts
Discs: Two disc set
Region Encoding: Region-free playback
Billy Lo (Lee) is a kung fu superstar in the Hong Kong film industry whose happy life with his girlfriend Ann (Colleen Camp) is being intruded upon by a threatening group of American gangsters led by Dr Land (Dean Jagger) and henchman Steiner (Hugh O'Brian), intent on bringing Billy under their control. When Billy refuses, their lethal response sets about a chain of events where a disguised Billy turns the tables on the syndicate, fighting his way through the city for his and Ann's freedom.
Video
In spite of the fatal flaws of Game Of Death, the transfer is beautifully presented from Arrow Video. Their 4K restoration is bright and full of life. In fact, the film looks more glorious than ever and includes the Japanese version of the film, as well as Game Of Death II. Interiors are strong. Colors pop throughout, but it is the blood effects - burning bright in the transfer - which seal the deal on this one. It has a solid atmosphere thanks to the quick-footed script and looks visually eye-popping due to the handling of the digital camera. Black levels are strong throughout, bringing out nice details in both the loud and quiet moments of this epic adventure. The tracking shots are glorious to behold in 4K. Blacks are solid and shadows maintain their lines. Even the costumes are noted stitch by stitch.
Audio
The original restored Mandarin, English and Cantonese mono audio works for the film, but it is John Barry’s score which is the prize here.
Supplements:
Along with a fantastic selection of commentaries, versions, deleted scenes, and supplemental material, buyers of this release also get an Illustrated collector's booklet featuring writing on the film by Walter Chaw and a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella.
Commentary:
-
See Special Features for the complete breakdown. There are two discs included in the release.
Special Features:
DISC 1: Game of Death (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY)
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible), restored by Arrow Films from original film elements, of the international cut and the Japanese cut of Game of Death via seamless branching
- Brand new 2K restoration of the International Cut of Game of Death II by Arrow Films from original film elements
- Original restored English mono audio on both cuts
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- Feature commentary by Brandon Bentley & Mike Leeder
- The Song I'm Singing Tomorrow, an interview with star Colleen Camp
- Deleted and extended scenes from the Chinese-language versions of the film, including two alternate endings (some material in standard-definition)
- Archive interviews with co-stars Dan Inosanto and Bob Wall
- Behind-the-scenes footage as featured in Bruce Lee: The Legend
- Rare pre-production sales featurette from 1976 with new commentary by Michael Worth and producer Andre Morgan
- Fight scene dailies directed by Sammo Hung
- Locations featurette from 2013
- Trailer gallery, including Bruceploitation and 'Robert Clouse at Golden Harvest' trailer reels
- Image gallery
DISC 2: GAME OF DEATH II (BLU-RAY)
- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation of Game of Death II as well as the Hong Kong Theatrical Cut titled Tower of Death (contains some standard-definition material)
- Original lossless English mono audio on Game of Death II
- Original lossless Cantonese, Mandarin and English mono audio on Tower of Death
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing on Game of Death, and optional English subtitles on Tower of Death
- Feature commentary by Frank Djeng & Michael Worth, co-producers of Enter the Clones of Bruce Lee
- Archive interview with co-star Roy Horan
- Alternate Korean version with unique footage, presented in High Definition with original lossless mono audio and English subtitles
- Alternate US video version in High Definition with lossless English mono audio, via seamless branching
- Alternate end credits sequence for Game of Death II
- Trailer gallery
- Image gallery
| Movie |  |
|
| Video |  |
|
| Audio |  |
|
| Extras | |
|
|
Composite 4K UHD Grade
|
||
MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 100 mins
Director: Robert Clouse; Bruce Lee
Writer: Robert Clouse; Bruce Lee
Cast: Bruce Lee; Gig Young; Dean Jagger
Genre: Action | Drama
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote: "You lose Carl Miller!"
Distributor: Golden Harvest
Official Site: https://www.arrowfilms.com/game-of-death-limited-edition-4k-uhd/14930339.html
Release Date: June 8, 1979 (Hong Kong)
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: A martial arts movie star must fake his death to find the people who are trying to kill him.
