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| After the death of Bruce Lee in 1973, a cotton industry of imitators sprung up, all hoping to cash in on the superstar's demise and his legend. With names like Bruce Le or Bruce Li, it's a safe bet to say that most of these films were as unoriginal as their star's names. "Enter The Fat Dragon", on the other hand, doesn't come across as a mindless scheme to cash in on something. Rather, it comes off as part homage and part parody. But that doesn't mean that it's that great of a film.
Sammo Hung plays Ah Lung, a hapless pig farmer who is sent to Hong Kong to help out his uncle. Lung is obsessed with Bruce Lee, adopting Lee's haircut and style of dress, as well as his kung fu skills. Once arriving in the big city, it's only a matter of time before he finds trouble. Of course, he does everything with a good heart, but that doesn't mean that he's any less of a bungler.
The main reason that anyone interested in Bruce Lee would be interested in this film is Sammo Hung. I've always found it amazing that anyone as portly as Hung (who studied at the Peking Opera with Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao) can move that quickly and smoothly. At times, his acrobatics rival those of his former classmates. In addition to his speed and agility, he as all of Bruce's mannerisms down to a T; the little gestures, the quick little steps, the high-pitched yelps, even the tasting his own blood.
The movie cops scenes from various Bruce Lee films throughout its length. The best is the opening scene, which is taken directly from the opening of "Enter The Dragon". Lung enters Hong Kong riding in the prow of a boat, which he soon sinks in the course of one of his Bruce Lee fantasies. The final scene also contains references to "Enter The Dragon" (complete with a Black Belt Jones lookalike of sorts), as well as "The Big Boss".
I didn't go into great detail about the plot, but for good reason. It's just not all that interesting. Suffice to say, a lot of hijinks go on; mistaken identities, Lung's bungling, etc. If you're not a fan of the sort of humor that seemed to pervade Jackie Chan's early 80s movies (think "Wheels On Meals"), you'll probably grow very tired of this film very quickly. But if you're a rabid Bruce fan, you might get a kick out of watching Hung parody and pay homage to your hero... |
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| Ah Lung is a pig farmer who worships Bruce Lee. In fact, everytime he performs kung fu, he does it in the Bruce Lee style. He goes to Hong Kong to help his uncle out. He works as a delivery boy in a Chinese restaurant and tries his best. When a group of thugs enter the place and ransack it, Lung disposes of them quickly. Things heat up when Ho, Lung's cousin, gets involved with two Triad boys. When he refuses to join them, they attempt to dispose of him, only Lung stops them. Antique dealer Pan, who is making a deal with Triad boss Tang, hired three men to protect him, a black karate expert, an American boxer, and a Chinese kung fu expert. When Lung's friend is kidnapped, he and Ho set out to save her. Lung must deal with the three protectors of the dealer Pan and take out Tang.
Sammo's impersonation of Bruce Lee is the best ever shot on film, way better than the Bruce-alikes. This is the film to see a real Bruce-alike, and that man is Sammo!!! Sammo takes stuff from some of Bruce's films like Return of the Dragon and Fist of Fury to dispatch his opponents. It's all thanks to Sammo himself, who choreographed the fights with help from Feng Ko-An, who was an original member of the Jackie Chan stuntman team. Look for Yuen Biao, Chung Fat, and Mang Hoi in the restuarant fight scene. The funniest thing to see in this film is without a doubt Lee Hai Sheng, as he plays not a Chinese person, but an African-American!!!! Talk about Ted Danson!!! Anyway, you have to see this film as it is one of Sammo's best. |
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