Looking back at the exploitation fads of the 70s and 80s, it still amazes just want was developed during these periods. Although it shouldn’t be surprising that the death of the legendary Bruce Lee would spawn so many imitators, what was astonishing was the sheer amount of Bruce Lee clones that invaded cinemas following his death. That it became a movement with its own Bruceploitation label could be seen by some as in poor taste to make a quick buck with a look-a-like, following his tragic passing, but 40 plus years on and countless discussions later the Bruceploitation movement remains a bizarre but intriguing oddity in cinematic history.
Although Lee only made five notable martial arts films, it is a legacy that has endured and inspired countless fans and martial artists alike. And while the Bruceploitation stars (also known as Lee-alikes) such as Bruce Li, Bruce Leung, Bruce Le and Dragon Lee all made a number of films that range from ludicrous to downright distasteful, they are all bizarrely watchable in their own unique ways and have (for better or worse) garnered a devoted following of exploitation fans across the globe [1]
Following Chen Zhen’s heroic sacrifice in the climax of the original Fist of Fury (1972) a sequel (particularly after Lee’s untimely death in 1973) seemed not only redundant but also unwarranted. Given how successful Fist of Fury was (US Box Office alone was $100 Million) and the gapping hole left by Lee’s superstar personality, it was only a matter of time before the bandwagon was jumped on for studios to profit off and churn out as many clones and sequels, spin-offs and derivatives as possible [2].
Those jaded by the thought of a Fist of Fury sequel minus the magnetic screen performance of Lee, would most likely deem this as a cheap sequel with little redeeming value. Those people would only be partially right however, because Fist of Fury II (1977) somehow manages to rise above its cheap cash-in sensibilities and provide a heartfelt and worthwhile sequel, despite not really being needed. Gone was director Lo Wei [3] and in his place several directors are credited, including Iksan Lahardi, Tso Nam Lee and Jimmy Shaw – the latter of whom would go onto direct Li in the unrelated sequel to Exit the Dragon, Enter the Tiger (1976) with Return of the Tiger (1978).
Although Fist of Fury II is one of the better Bruce-less sequels, it doesn’t get off to the best of starts. We are shown Chen Zhen’s funeral (which feels in poor taste given Lee’s passing) and then the sudden inclusion of his previously unmentioned brother – Chen Shen (Li). The on-going war between the Chinese and Japanese schools is further expanded upon, but feels as though it treading old ground once again. Despite a lengthy set-up, it quickly outshines Wei’s ‘official’ sequel, with the action hitting hard and fast.
While Bruce Li (born Ho Chung Tao) will never match the cock-sure attitude and cinematic screen presence that Lee exuded in each of his roles, he does give of a focused confidence, not only in his martial arts prowess but also during his quieter moments. While Lee’s eyes were filled with a raw ferocity in and out of fights sequences, Li manages to have an unsettling quiet calmness to his character. In fact it contains a lot more nuance than one might initially expect and it repays on subsequent views to see him as separate from Lee (although it might be difficult to do so on your first viewing).
Li is also elevated by a great bad guy, in the form of prolific Indonesian born martial artist Lieh Lo [4] (King Boxer (1972) who brings a calm, collected menace to Japanese schoolteacher Miyamoto, despite his limited screen time. Fans of Lo’s previous film King Boxer will be pleased to see a call back to his iconic iron palm moment, with even more intensity (if that was even possible).
If you side step the obvious call backs to Lee, which can be difficult given that Li is often considered the best imitator (and doesn’t help his cause by throwing similar poses), he actually does a lot more than just be a cheaper copy of the late martial artist. For starters he can absolutely hold his own during the fight scenes and while they lack a certain finesse (compared to Lee), it’s hard to deny their energy which is only helped further by the fluid camera movements and sheer brutality during the latter half of the film.
Although the film is never dull, it’s the last 30 minutes where it truly comes alive and side steps the looming shadow of its older brother and transforms in to a deserving sequel in its own right. What follows is pure martial arts mayhem for the soul, almost causing viewing exhaustion due to the sheer amount of action taking place on screen.
Admittedly a throwback is given to Lee’s iconic nunchaku moment, but thankfully is only present as a respectful nod to the legendary scene. Chen Shen’s confrontation with two sword-wielding Japanese students is another standout moment, with some classic reverse footage filmmaking coming into play to illicit a sense of otherworldliness that was so prominent during Hong Kong filmmaking.
This is in large part due to Yeh Ching-Piao’s (Exit the Dragon, Enter the Tiger (1976)) cinematography, which captures the adrenaline pumping ferocity of the fights; despite their simplistic nature and the raw realism that was lacking in Shaw Brothers more studio produced features. The lack of sound-stages allow Ching-Piao to capture an aesthetically different look to the visuals of its lauded predecessor, not only more organically, but also more lived in, and less of a polished representation of that era – despite poor film preservation doing its best to hinder the experience.
When the film’s climatic fight gets going, Li actually avoids as many Bruce-isms as possible, allowing his martial arts and the high-stakes of the final confrontation between the two men really speak for itself. While the prior fights were enjoyable, they (despite the two vs one fight) lacked spectacle. But it’s in this final fight that Fist of Fury II really shines. From its gorgeous cinematography, framing devices and use of both tight and wide shots, it injects a sense of technical prowess that very nearly matches the first entry. From the energetic and tightly choreographed techniques, through to the lack of score over the confrontation, everything is expertly done.
Fist of Fury II is an incredibly solid follow-up to a martial arts classic. Those who would dismiss it because it may be in poor taste or considered a cheap cash-in would be missing one of the best post-Lee sequels.
Its rare that a sequel missing its leading star would improve with each viewing, but Fist of Fury II is one such film. Each return visit showcases its technical aspects and Li as much more than just a Bruce Lee imitator. It’s not a genre-defining classic like Lo Wei’s original, but is deserving of more praise and appreciation on its own merits.
[1] If you want to find out further info about Bruceploitation films, then I highly recommend podcast The Clones Cast, where they dive into every facet of this exploitation sub-genre.
[2] Like many Hong Kong films that earned decent money, sequels, spin-offs and unrelated titles were inevitable. Along with the aforementioned New Fist of Fury, Stephen Chow starred in his own unrelated Fist of Fury spin-off series with Fist of Fury 1991 (1991) and Fist of Fury 1991 II (1992). Lee’s original was then remade with Jet Li in Gordon Chan’s seminal Fist of Legend (1994), which itself was to have a sequel in the mostly unrelated Fist of Legends 2: Iron Bodyguards (1996). Then Donnie Yen would have two stabs at the Chen Zhen character with a six episode TV series of Fist of Fury (1995) and then the sequel Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (2010) from Infernal Affairs director Andrew Lau.
[3] He had since taken a chance on (then stuntman) Jackie Chan and was determined to make him the new Bruce Lee, despite Wei and Chan’s difficult working relationship. Wei did his own follow-up to Fist of Fury with Chan, (often considered the official Part II) entitled New Fist of Fury (Xin jing wu men, 1976) after this entry took the Part II subtitle. Chan goes into great detail about his conflicts with Lo Wei in his autobiography Jackie Chan: My Life in Action (1999).
[4] Lieh Lo had an impressive resume in period martial arts pictures from the 1960s through to the early 2000s, prior to his death in 2002 at 63. Although most well known among Hong Kong cinema fans as Chao Chih-Hao in the iconic King Boxer aka Five Fingers of Death (1972), he also cropped up in several Shaw Brother classics such as The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978), Dirty Ho (1979), and Clan of the White Lotus (1980), which he also directed.
DOM O'BRIEN 
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