I Am Bruce Lee (2012)

Having read some of the commentary in the review section, I completely understand their revulsion to this film, considering I am Asian and have been a long time fan of Bruce Lee myself. However, in a concerted effort to be objective, I will review this film if I've never heard of Bruce Lee and discard with my preconceived judgments. The documentary, does play like a cheesy MTV documentary, or perhaps something the History Channel might have produced. This I believe, is a conscious decision designed to promote Bruce Lee to Millenial audience born on this side of the century, who haven't seen his films or read his works, and why he had such a monumental significance in modern day martial arts. As an aside, Bruce Lee was among the major pioneers of modern martial art, who advocated breaking away from rigid Martial Art traditions, renounced unnecessary flowery movements, and focused efficiency and results. He wasn't the first, but he successfully communicated this idea, and it changed the way the world view martial arts today. Coming back to my earlier point, this new Millennial audience is also the reason why it includes a cascade of non- related celebrities - such as that Pro-Skateboarder, a dancer, some writer, Dana White from UFC, Gina Carrano, Jon Jones, actor Mickey Rourke, Kobe Bryant, Taboo from Black Eyed Peas - offering platitudes and opinions on a man they have never met. The goal isn't to inform new viewers, but to entice their curiosity into wanting to know more. Did it succeed? On the most part, I'd say yes. The strength of the documentary is in part, the way these celebrities communicate their adoration for Bruce Lee towards their fans, by using themes and philosophies they incorporated from Bruce Lee. This is also however, the documentary's biggest flaw. Real Bruce Lee fans understandably, would not and should not care what these posers think or feel about Bruce Lee. And because the documentary is heavily interspersed with these celebrities, real worthwhile information on the man himself is kept at a minimum. While Bruce Lee's main philosophical ideas are well introduced, it doesn't explore the motivations behind his thinking, his reasoning, his decisions, his passions and his commitment. Still, for an MTV doc, it's well made, but it will sure take the urine off of real fans.

It's always hard to sit through one of these documentaries- emotionally difficult: Bruce Lee was one of the most positive role models I ever had, growing up; as I've pointed out elsewhere in these comments, he was the living embodiment of the promise of unlimited potential. It's THAT, more than anything else, I think, that people respond to. As far as his Real World abilities, no one mentions his in-the-ring boxing experience or his hand speed- which would've been THE determining factor in ANY street fight. Only Dan Inosanto points out that Bruce Lee's cobra quickness would've brought ANY fight to a quick conclusion had he opted for a simple finger jab to the eyes. Show me a fighter who can continue to function when he's been blinded and I'll show you a character from one of the more fanciful martial arts movies. (I've NEVER met a blind man in my life who could hold his own in a street fight...) When Ed O'Neill points out that Bruce Lee wouldn't've stood a chance against Brock "What A Crock" Lesnar, he fails to take this into account. (Nor, apparently, had O'Neill seen Les's last two UFC fights, in both of which he showed that not only does he not have the "stomach" for full-contact fighting, but, like Sonny Liston and Mike Tyson before him, he lacks the true HEART of a champion. Watch the fight with Overeem very closely and you'll see Les looking to the referee to stop the fight even before he goes down.) Bruce Lee will ALWAYS be an inspiration to anyone who aspires to ANYTHING in life; that's a fact.

Bruce Lee wasn't just a great martial artist, actor, teacher or man, he was it all. He's the James Dean or the Tiger Woods of his era. He was one of the purest martial artists and totally determined to find the best fighting style there was even if that meant combining multiple fighting styles together to achieve that goal. He wasn't blindly standing behind a single style of martial arts just because that was what he started out in that style. And as a teacher he didn't care about race he trained everyone that was willing to learn. Most Chinese martial arts instructors of the time would only teach other Chinese students. The bad thing about Bruce's early death is that he was just starting to scratch the surface as a movie star, who knows what kind of great movies he would've gone onto doing if he didn't die at such a young age.

I am Bruce Lee tells the amazing story of one of the most famous human beings, I entered the public consciousness. Voted one of the most important of the 20 100 Time magazine, People magazine, one of the biggest pop culture icon, Bruce Lee continues to be honored and recognized for his inheritance. Revolutionary thinking and sometimes controversial, often inspired by Bruce Lee in a wide range of devices and philosophers, actors, filmmakers and has become a source of debate for a generation of athletes. Bruce films, the visual impact on the discovery of surprising and interesting life, and his martial arts, entertainment and the world beyond it is a legacy, and his untimely and tragic death at the age of 32 years.