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The Dragon Lives AgainPOSTED BY JASON FETTERS, January 20, 2015 Share
The first true Asian superstar was Bruce Lee, the King of Kung Fu. After his premature death at only 32 back in 1973, the Hong Kong film industry panicked. Anyone who remotely resembled Bruce was given a chance to star in a movie. This is how Bruceploitation was created.
One of the strangest movies to come out of the 70’s has to be Goldig Films, The Dragon Lives Again. The plot is a weird mashup of popular icons that is sure to entertain movie fans across multiple genres.
At the beginning of this unique movie, Bruce is laying on a bed with a sheet around him, wearing his stylish sunglasses as he wakes up in Purgatory. He soon learns that he is in the Underworld. For some reason that is never explained, the dead still love going out to eat at restaurants. Inside one, Bruce meets Caine from the Kung Fu series and his pal, Popeye the Sailor. They become Bruce’s companions. The one armed swordsman also becomes a buddy.
This weird gang makes take on the villains of the Underworld. This means that Bruce and his friends must fight Dracula, James Bond, Zatoichi, Clint Eastwood, The Godfather, Laurel and Hardy, The Exorcist, and Emmanuelle from the softcore movie series of the same name.
The kung fu sequences are laugh out loud comedy that makes up for boring and feeble slow scenes that attempt to build a plot out of something this ridiculous.
One of the most bizarre scenes involves Bruce, Caine, and Popeye taking on a gang of kung fu fighting mummies. Popeye even eats a can of spinach to teach those bandaged fools a lesson.
This is Bruceploitation at its lowest. The acting is ok for something this strange. However, this is a visual treat to be able to see Bruce take on James Bond and Clint Eastwood. Dracula has his own gang of skeleton dudes, (remember Johnny from the Karate Kid and his gang wearing skeleton costumes and you have the right idea.)
Nothing about this movie is good, yet everyone should experience it at least once. Repeated viewings should be avoided unless you are insane. Enjoy this piece of garbage with your buddies, particularly the ones who love MST3K, and prepare for one of the truly trashy guilty pleasures ever to come out of Hong Kong.
"The Asian Aperture" is ©2015 by Jason Fetters. All contents of Crazed Fanboy are ©2015 by Nolan B. Canova and Terence Nuzum.
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