The Dragon Lives Again
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu

Hong Kong 1977
produced by
Alex Gouw for Goldig Films
directed by Law Kei
starring Bruce Leung (= Leung Siu-Lung), Shen Ie Lung, Tang Ching, Alexander Grand, Jenny, Fang Yeh, Wong Mei, Eric Tsang, Cheung Hei, Kah Wah (= Bobby Canavarro), Sarina Sai, Cheung Lik, Hon Kwok Choi, Lau Yat Fan, Fu Li, Lin Ke Ming, Chang Hsi, Chen Shang, Chou Chi, Ho Pak-Kwong, Liang Tai, Terry Liu, Sai Gwa-Pau, Shan Kwai, Yuen Siu Tien
written by Ke Shek, Liang Wei, music by Frankie Chan, stunt coordination by Bruce Leung (= Leung Siu-Lung)

bruceploitation, Zatoichi, James Bond, Popeye the Sailor, Kwai Chang Caine, One-Armed Swordsman, Dracula, Emmanuelle

review by
Mike Haberfelner

Bruce Lee (Bruce Leung) has died and gone to the underworld. Granted, he doesn't look like Bruce Lee anymore, but people simply change in afterlife (at least according to this movie).

Bruce soon has a fall-out with the King of the Underworld (Tang Ching), but gets friendly with Popeye the Sailor (Eric Tsang), Kwai Chang Caine (yup, the one from Kung Fu) and the one-armed swordsman. To oppose the despotic rule of the king, Bruce founds a gym - after all, he's Bruce Lee, and he wouldn't stop running gyms just because he's in tzhe underworld, right? However, the King isn't his biggest opposition, it's the exorcist (Fang Yeh), who wants to usurp the King's throne, and his ally, the godfather (Shen Ie Lung). the two of them want to get rid of Bruce, so they send Zatoichi (Wong Mei), James Bond (Alexander Grand), Clint Eastwood (Kah Wah) in his cowboy outfit and even Dracula (Cheung Hei) and his gang of zombies after Bruce to kill him - but he defeats them all and doesn't even fall for the charms of Emmanuelle (Jenny) who tries to seduce him.

Eventually, the King finds out about the sinister plans of the exorcist and the godfather, so he hires Bruce Lee (who now wears his outfit as Kato from Green Hornet for no particular reason) as his bodyguard. Bruce gets rid of the King's opponents, but then the King wants to get rid of him sending an army of mummies after him ... but of course, Bruce destroys all the mummies, then he forces the King to resign and send him back to earth ...

If you think a film with a story like this simply cannot exist, I can't really blame you, because this sounds like utter madness ... however, this film DOES exist nevertheless. Point is, you mustn't take this film too seriously, because I'm pretty certain it was intended as a comedy. Unfortunately though, the director had no idea whatsoever about comic timing or even subtle irony, so apart from a few atrociously unfunny sightgags, this film has no comic qualities whatsoever. However, this major shortcoming is also part of the film's very own charm, because this way it just comes across as utter madness, something that has to be seen to be believed - after all, who doesn't want to see Bruce Lee fighting Zatoichi, James Bond, Clint Eastwood, Dracula and even Emmanuelle, right? Oh, and I might want to add the fight scenes in this one are actually pretty decent ...

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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