Top 20 Bruce Lee Moments
#20: Nunchaku for the Win
"Fist of Fury" (1972) Okay, first things first: "The Big Boss" was the film that helped launch Bruce Lee as a martial arts movie star. It's also known as "Fists of Fury," but it shouldn't be mistaken for "Fist of Fury," a.k.a. "The Chinese Connection," which was his second film. Confused yet? Don't worry, just check out this scene from the latter, where Bruce shows off some insane skills with the nunchaku before busting on the villain responsible for killing his master. It's a neat and tidy summation of just how cool Lee could look on screen, and a reminder of how fun martial arts cinema can be when it's done right.
#19: Kato vs. Mako
"The Green Hornet" (1966-67) One not-so-little-known fact about Bruce Lee was that he gained early prominence playing the earnest sidekick Kato to Van Williams' Green Hornet character back in the late sixties. However, did you know that Lee was pitted against future "Conan the Barbarian," "Conan the Destroyer," and "Samurai Jack" star Mako in one of the series' early episodes? "The Preying Mantis" cast the Japanese Mako as a Chinese gang leader who faces off with Kato in a battle to the death. The scene is a short but sweet affair that almost works as a ballet, before Mako ends up biting the big one, thanks to some well places blows from Bruce.
#18: Bruce vs. Wong Jack Man
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There will always be confusion and conjecture swirling around the next entry on our list, specifically the now mythical fight between Bruce Lee and another Chinese martial arts master, Wong Jack Man. The contest was poorly dramatized in the 2016 film "Birth of the Dragon," while today stories fly fast and loose from those who were supposedly there about what exactly went down. Some sources, such as Lee's window, Linda, claim that Man was upset about the mainstream popularity of Bruce's martial arts classes, while others claim that the contest arose from Bruce's noted egotism and an "open challenge" to any martial artists in the San Francisco area. The truth, as they say, probably lies somewhere in the middle.
#17: Hapkido a Go-Go
"Game of Death" (1978) "Game of Death" was the last film Bruce Lee would partially complete before his untimely death in 1973. We use the word "partially" because the "Game of Death" that was released five years later actually only features eleven or so minutes of the footage originally shot by Lee. The feature was completed by using stand-ins, stock footage, and even cardboard cutouts to Frankenstein-together a completely new story to Lee's fractured film vision. One of the scenes that did survive was an excellent sequence of Bruce fighting Ji Han-jae, a master of the Korean martial art known as hapkido. The scene is an excellent clash of styles, as the pair feel each other out before bursting into a flurry of kicks and punches.
#16: Partner Meets Partner
"Game of Death" (1978) The surviving footage shot by Bruce Lee for "Game of Death" is largely of the man, clad in his iconic yellow jumpsuit, ascending levels of a pagoda and facing off against a different martial arts master on every floor. We've already mentioned Ji Han-jae, and our next entry is Lee's former training partner, Dan Inosanto. It was Inosanto who taught Lee to use nunchaku in the late sixties and who helped honed Bruce's weapon skills. All of this hard work can be seen on screen, too, as the pair duke it out with dueling nunchucks. Inosanto is intimidating as hell in the scene, yet Bruce remains confident and unimpressed, as he takes Dan to task, before making his way to the next level.
#15: Bruce & Bats
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"Batman" (1966-68) One aspect of the "Batman '66" television show was the "window cameo," where various celebrities would appear in a window as Bats and the Boy Wonder were scaling a building. One such cameo occurred in the episode "The Spell of Tut," where Bruce Lee and Van Williams appeared as The Green Hornet and Kato. This walk-on role would be expanded on the two-part narrative in "A Piece of the Action" and "Batman's Satisfaction," where Lee and Williams actually get in on some of the crash-bang-wallop action. It's honestly a joy to watch the kitschy "Batman" fight scenes with such a legit competitor as Lee in the mix, while the combination of The Green Hornet and The Caped Crusader is a match made in geek heaven.
#14: The Kato Show
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"The Green Hornet" (1966-67) Bruce Lee achieved a lot of success as Kato, so much so that the advertising for the program was shifted in Hong Kong to present Lee's character as the star. "The Kato Show" enabled Bruce to get a foothold into developing the sort of martial arts crossover films he wanted to make, such as "Enter the Dragon," while at the same time increasing Lee's stock amongst the Hollywood elite. Cast and crew behind "The Green Hornet" soon realized the popularity of what they had, and - thanks to some prodding by Van Williams - eventually gave Kato more lines and screen time. Oh, and those punches and kicks? Lee actually had to slow them down, since the cameras were blurring against Bruce's incredible speed.
#13: It's Nunchaku Time Again
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"Way of the Dragon" (1972) Although Bruce Lee didn't finish his work on "Game of Death," he did complete directorial duties on this 1972 hit, "Way of the Dragon." The film features a number of Lee's most iconic moments, not the least of which was this back-alley brawl with some intimidating nunchaku action. Bruce doesn't even seem to break a sweat as he beats the tar out of some thugs with a pair of nunchucks, all the while wearing a slightly bemused expression. This scene drives home a bit of the film's comedic edge, as the thugs cautiously approach Lee as a group, then one at a time, only to be beaten back with ease at every moment.
#12: Thugs Ahoy!
"Enter the Dragon" (1973) "Enter the Dragon" is probably Bruce Lee's crowning achievement as an action star, a perfect storm of sorts that helped usher in a golden age for martial arts cinema in the 1970s. From Lalo Schifrin's funky score to the cutting-edge cinematography and, of course, Bruce Lee's massive screen presence, "Enter the Dragon" remains king of the hill. One highlight for Bruce in the film is this scene where his character fights off a seemingly endless hoard of guards on a remote and mysterious island. Although Bruce is captured by the villainous Han at the end of the sequence, the brutality and choreography of the scene still stands up to just about anything made today.
#11: The One-Inch Punch
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Bruce Lee created his own hybrid form of martial arts, known as Jeet Kune Do, in 1967, after training in the Wing Chun technique early in his career. Jeet Kune Do was also known as "The Way of the Intercepting Fist," and brought with it another popularized Bruce Lee technique, the One Inch Punch. Bruce brought this idea of close-quarter fighting from the Southern Chinese schools of his ancestors and exploded in the public consciousness after he demonstrated it at the 1964 Long Beach International Karate Championships. Years later, Quentin Tarantino would pay further homage to the technique in "Kill Bill: Volume 2," when The Bride uses it to escape being buried alive.
#10: Oharra Gets His
"Enter the Dragon" (1973) Part of the fun when watching any Bruce Lee flick is knowing full well that the Dragon is rarely in any actual danger. Instead, we cheer along as Bruce annihilates his opponents with relative ease, impeccable grace and pin-point precision. Case in point: this one-sided beating of Han's henchman Oharra in "Enter the Dragon" during the martial arts island tournament. Lee's motives are very personal as he picks off Oharra at every turn, seeking to avenge the death of his sister. The villain tries to cheat, and attacks Bruce wildly, but the fight ends with one final, jumping stomp as Lee turns Oharra's lights out... permanently.
#9: Facing Petrov
"Fist of Fury" (1972) The dojo sequence in 1972's "Fist of Fury" was an early highlight in Bruce Lee's enviable filmography. Specifically, the scene where Lee takes on Petrov is one that's steady and measured; miles away from the more comedic and cartoonish kung fu vibe of later Lee films. There's almost a spaghetti western vibe as the two feel each other out before engaging in battle, and Bruce actually takes a bit of a beating from Petrov. Yet, through a bit of dirty play from Lee, he eventually gets the upper hand, kicking Petrov into submission and crushing his windpipe with one, final blow.
#8: Dojo Action
"Fist of Fury" (1972) You didn't think we were gonna stop there at the dojo fight, did you? Not a chance, because this sequence is chock full of memorable moments. "Fist of Fury" is actually a film with a lot of cultural subtext, as it touches upon Chinese resentment against Japanese imperialism, as well as their experiences with racism and prejudice. This makes Bruce's assault upon the Japanese dojo all the more emotional, as his character is seeking revenge for the poisoning of his master. Lee's initial calm soon gives way to an all-out, shirtless attack, utilizing weapons and technique to systematically eliminate all of his competition.
#7: Final Battle
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"The Big Boss" (1971) "The Big Boss" was Bruce Lee's first taste of martial arts gold at the cinema, and an absolute classic of the kung fu genre. The film actually centers around Lee's character's promise not to fight, a vow he's made to his mother, and one he intends to keep. Unfortunately, drug smuggling ice workers, a corrupt boss, and Lee's missing cousins results in him being forced to break that vow, in order to uncover the cause of their disappearance. The final battle features Lee and the titular "Big Boss" in a stylish outdoor squash where fancy footwork and Joseph Koo's funky score is the order of the day. It was the first in a long line of memorable villain battles where Lee would emerge victorious.
#6: Be Like Water
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We mentioned Jeet Kune Do earlier in our list as "The Way of the Intercepting Fist." Another important tenet of Bruce Lee's martial arts philosophy was its intrinsic nature as something of a hybrid. As such, Lee stressed that his students should "be like water," adaptable to any situation that should face them in a competitive situation. Bruce's idea that water should be able to flow and move freely, and that no one should become stuck in rigid repetition in any regard. Instead, Bruce Lee's mantra of "be like water" could be applied to just about anything in life: to be constantly aware, awake and open to new things.
#5: Ice Factory
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"The Big Boss" (1971) This a supremely fun set piece serves as one of the finest in all of Lee's finished films. The ice factory sequence in “The Big Boss” is the first time we see Lee's character of Cheng Chao-an engage in any physical violence, when a riot erupts at his workplace. The sequence all starts when news hits for the disappearance of Cheng's cousins, after an altercation with their boss Hsiao Mi. The scene is super violent and bloody, with enough slashing, slicing, and dicing to make it stick out from Lee's more traditional martial arts sequences. It may not be kitschy, but for those searching for a little more realism from Lee's filmography, this is the flick for you.
#4: Bruce vs. Sammo
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"Enter the Dragon" (1973) "Enter the Dragon" featured appearances from a number of notable martial artists besides the legendary Bruce Lee, including Bolo Yeung and Jackie Chan, who appeared as an extra during the guard attack in the tunnels. Another was Sammo Hung, who spars with Lee early on in the film in a scene that may be one of the film's most underrated. This is thanks not only to Lee's reliable performance, but that of Hung, who is one of Hong Kong's most beloved comedy actors, choreographers, and martial artists in his own right. Hung honestly shines alongside Lee in the contest, moving with the grace of a man half his size, while the sparring contest is brisk, engaging and supremely fun to watch.
#3: The Giant
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"Game of Death" (1978) The ending to Bruce Lee's original "Game of Death" may not have been filmed, but at least this edited final sequence remains to remind us what might have been. We haven't really been privy to many instances in this list where Bruce appeared as the underdog in a fight, but here we have basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar appearing as if he may have Lee's number. Jabbar is filmed as a literal giant in the scene, towering over Lee and giving him a sound beating early on in the fight. That is, until Bruce realizes Kareem's sensitivity to light and uses this as an advantage, going back and forth until finally getting in close enough to choke Jabbar to death in a headlock.
#2: Hall of Mirrors
"Enter the Dragon" (1973) There are plenty of set pieces in "Enter the Dragon" that stand out from the crowd, but none quite possess the same magic as this climactic fight between Bruce Lee and the villainous Han. Oddly enough, this sequence wasn't in the original script, but was added in after co-producer Paul Heller paid note to mirrors in his local hotel on set in Hong Kong. This final battle with Han is all the more unique thanks to this decision, a stylish sequence that was profoundly influential upon scores of action movies in its wake. From the hard work of Lee and co-star Shih Kien to the cinematography of Gilbert Hubbs, it's a perfect ending to what's perhaps the most popular martial arts movie of all time.
#1: Bruce vs. Chuck
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"Way of the Dragon" (1972) What more can we say about this epic, ten-minute clash between two masters of their craft? The scene is shot like a classic western square off, with plenty of time for Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris to warm up and feel each other out, before delivering one of the martial arts genre's most beloved exhibitions. Although Lee is the victor, the battle is definitely NOT one-sided, with Bruce's Tang killing Norris' Colt only when the latter insists upon one final, futile assault. Even then, Bruce's reaction is one of remorse and respect, not self-satisfaction. It's just one of the little moments that make this scene a highlight from the careers of both men, a true example of two titans at the heights of their powers.
