Storming Attacks (1978)

One of the countless 'Bruce Lee imitator' films that were churned out in the wake of the late actor's demise, THE IMAGE OF BRUCE LEE is neither a good film or a bad one – just a so-so effort that'll be entertaining for those in the right mood. This one adopts a James Bond-style espionage plot as the good guys head off against an evil criminal gang, but it's all a simple excuse for a series of kung fu fights. Out of all the fight films I've watched, this has got to be one of the most action-packed, and the last half an hour is essentially one big showdown. It's a shame, then, that the choreography is only average and the fights seem a bit stilted and wooden. This is one of those films where the actors seem 'stiff', their arms lumps of wood that knock hollowly against each other when they battle it out.Still, kung fu fans will enjoy the scenic battles, especially the final show-off at a ruined building and a beach. There are some moments of inspired lunacy to be had – the opening scene, in which Bruce climbs a building (in Bruce Lee's trademark yellow gym suit from GAME OF DEATH) in an attempt to rescue a guy attempting suicide, only for him to fall when he loses his prosthetic arm, is a classic. This is also one of the most risqué kung fu flicks I've witnessed, as co-star Danna, a Chinese actress, frequently sheds all of her clothing for plenty of protracted nude moments. The cast is pretty interesting, with lots of familiar faces like John Cheung, Han Yin-Chieh, and Hon Yee San appearing in assorted roles, and it's always a pleasure to see Bolo Yeung on screen. Here, Yeung takes part – with his trademark energy – in plenty of battles, only to suffer the same fate as the one in CHALLENGE OF THE TIGER when he ends up being betrayed by the other bad guys.Although Bruce Li looked less like the real thing than Bruce Le, I have the feeling his fighting was slightly better. He's got a lot of energy here, performing a ton of flying kicks and jumps throughout the running time. He also had some natural charisma which helped him in front of the camera, and the clichéd 'copy Bruce's mannerisms' scene only happens once in the entire running time. As for the title? It comes from when Danna tells Bruce he looks just like the real thing – only for him to respond "not interested"! A nice little in-joke for the fans. THE IMAGE OF BRUCE LEE isn't a great flick, but it ain't a bad one either. Fans might just like it.

You don't expect a movie called "Image Of Bruce Lee" to be particularly well put together, and indeed it is not: the "plot" (which pits Bruce Li and his partner against a gang of counterfeiters (not exactly the most heinous of crimes)) is largely a collage of random fights, though there is one good twist concerning Dana, the sole female character (who is also not afraid of full frontal nudity!). The fights occur frequently enough, and they fall somewhere between the slower, more artificial style of the 1970s and the faster, more fluid style of the 1980s. Bruce Li is one of the most prolific of the Bruce Lee clones of the 1970s, and you can tell why - he knows his stuff. But this film, while not short on fighting, is rather forgettable. Bolo Yeung has a couple of fights as well but gets dispatched in the middle. *1/2 out of 4.

i have repeatedly watched this movie on German TV in the wee hours of the morning and much of my fascination for it derives from the absolutely preposterous dialogue that has been very possibly not only preserved, but even enhanced by the German translation | dubbing.exceptionally cheap production, non-existent acting and a script that never progressed past the storyboard | exposé stage are sure-shot ingredients for a cult classic of a) how not to do it if you want to shoot a serious movie. b) how to do it if you want to pay homage to the camp fun movies like »black belt jones« et al.all in all, two semi-undercover (they blow their cover themselves) cops and a sexy interpol agent attempt to infiltrate and bust a counterfeit organization-mass panic and third-rate fight sequences (but first-rate third-rate fight sequences) ensue! i highly recommend the movie to people who enjoy memorizing insane one-liners and share them with their friends and acquaintances in the worst possible moment. :) as an extra bonus to those that are into the eastern genre i should add that bolo yeung stars in the movie as well.good times.

Bruce Li surprised me in this one. Oh, the martial arts are still mediocre, but he's not trying to be Bruce Lee. In fact, Li is a cop in search of plates. He ends up fighting usually against groups of guys. Apparently, the word "backup" wasn't invented until after this movie. You really appreciate Fist of Fury when fights the entire japanese class in the dojo. In IOBL, Bruce Li runs after Bolo in search of luggage and proceeds to fight the entire class. Man, you can see how many "one-on-one" cue attacks there are while extras just stand in the circle. So to sum it up:Fists of Fury dojo fight: FIERCE and FAST.Image of Bruce Lee dojo fight: FUNNY!!It really is fun to see Bruce in a non Bruceploitatic role. I think he must've been hot fighting in that brown leather coat cause he never takes it off in battles. Man, it's durable! The frightening part of this movie is seeing Bolo flirt. Plus, his loud garish suits with killer lapels. The Boss is same boss from Bruce Lee's the Big Boss, but he doesn't add that much to the film. Come to think of it, the funniest part is the balcony scene where some guy does a flying kick at Bruce and the slo-mo effect goes on. Bruce just moves to the side and this hapless dolt of a henchman does the high hurdle over the rail. Also, handcuffs can be a deadly weapon.There's some gratuitous nudity of Donna...I think that was her name, whatever. They thought including her would be enough to fool the viewer and grab your attention. Well, it worked for me!! Especially the nude swimming. Also, when she tells Bruce Li that he looks like Bruce Lee and asks if he wants to do movies, Li responds with "Not interested!" HAHAHAHA. See, he was "ACTING".Watch this cool flick for chases, naughty bits, and the balcony fight....and the Bruce Li rope climbing in the yellow tracksuit!!