Bruce Lee |
I was reading some entertainment news the other day reporting that Warner Brothers is remaking "Enter the Dragon", which starred Bruce Lee and was released 24 years ago on August 19. The new film will be titled "Awaken the Dragon" and will loosely follow the 1973 original by tracking an FBI agent who investigates a Shaolin Monk and underground kung-fu fight clubs.
The Executive Producer of the remake, Kurt Sutter ("The Shield"), commented "I'm a huge noir fan, and this plot lends itself to the film I want to make. I wanted to set it in these underground fight clubs where the action is really raw and expose the brutality of Shaolin kung fu. This will be more 'Raging Bull' than 'Crouching Tiger' in its viciousness."
As billed back then, the original was "The first American produced martial arts spectacular." Bruce was brilliant in the film and revealed again just how formidable, lightning fast and strong he was. And along with all the great action and fight scenes, as in all of our martial arts movies, there are some classic goofs and spoofs in it as well that you can read about online.
"Enter" was Lee's last film before his death, which tragically occurred only one month before the movie's release date.
Who will replace Bruce Lee?
Of course with a remake in process, the question that keeps coming to mind is: Who will play the key roles, especially Lee's lead one? Bruce created some big shoes and a sizable screen-shadow, in which few today would be rightly hesitant to walk (let alone fight) in, for their career's sake.
I'm sure on-screen martial artists like Jet Li and Jackie Chan have already been considered for the role. But then I can also see them introducing a new martial arts star – maybe known or maybe being brought out from the shadows of anonymity.
There are a lot of great martial artists today, on and off screen. Men like Fedor Emelianenko, Wanderlei Silva, Dan Henderson, Mark Coleman and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Others from the World Combat League include the top scorers from the 2006 season: Eric Castanos, Stephen Thompson and Jason Bourelly – just to mention a few of the great fighters today. While all excellent martial arts choices, the question is can any of these carry the charisma and talent of Bruce on screen?
Then again, maybe the casting crew will leave the field of male potentials and turn to fighters like Jennifer Santiago or one of the other women warriors of the WCL. Or will they grab one of the strong-arm heroine actresses and refine her ability to fight on screen – those like Michelle Yeoh, Famke Jansen, Uma Thurman, Angelina Jolie, Milla Jovovich or Lucy Liu? Again, while all excellent choices, could they bear the baton of the Lee legacy?
With respect to all of these prospective leads, it is safe (and not just clich?) to say, there's no replacing Bruce Lee. The question is not who will replace Bruce, but who can replace him? He not only had all the martial arts skills, but the charisma and skill to be a superstar. Everything he did was a stepping stone toward that. He even worked as a stunt coordinator on films and had many private students in the film business, including James Coburn, Steve McQueen and the Academy Award-winning writer Stirling Silliphant. His students were usually his biggest fans, and they were often responsible for getting him employed on films.
Returning to 'Return of the Dragon'
Contrary to a couple of news reports on the remake of "Enter the Dragon," I did not star in that film with Bruce, but in his third major film, "Way of the Dragon" (released as "Return of the Dragon" in the U.S.). It cost only $240,000 to make but would ultimately earn more than $80 million worldwide.
I have so many great memories with Bruce – of our friendship and filming together. I've already shared how he talked me into gaining 20 pounds for our fight scene at Rome – I was already 162 pounds to his 145.
Right before shooting, Bruce and I went over to the Colosseum to plan and block out the action scenes. The Colosseum was much more impressive and much larger than I had ever imagined. It was an eerie feeling standing with him in one of the tunnels leading into the arena. It dawned on me that, two millennia earlier, gladiators had gone out there to fight to the death before huge cheering crowds.
We talked the scene through as Bruce took notes on the camera angles. He planned our scene as though we were two gladiators pitted against each other. Since we were doing our own choreography, Bruce would ask me, "What do you want to do?" I demonstrated the techniques that I thought would be interesting, and he worked out his defenses. Then he attacked me, and I worked out my moves. It took us only one long day to put the fight scene together, since we had worked out with each other so often and knew each other's moves so well. However, it did take three days to film.
It was difficult and challenging but fun to work with Bruce. Despite being a novice director, he knew what he wanted and how the camera operator should film it. I played the heavy in the picture, but thankfully Bruce, being a friend, didn't make me out to be that bad a figure. When his character killed mine, he even put my uniform and belt over me very ceremoniously and with respect.
Awaken the dragon within!
Bruce always said his dream was to be a bigger star than Steve McQueen. For those of us old enough to remember, that was no small task – McQueen was a giant in the industry. But like with his other objectives, Lee obtained it, with class and dignity, and provided this world with not only a legend but a lot of great entertainment – which lives on for future generations.
I only hope the cast of "Awaken the Dragon" experiences as much fun, friendship and fulfillment as we did back then. I wish the best to Kurt Sutter and his crew in filming this remake. I can't wait to see it, and who they cast in Lee's role.
And who knows? Maybe there will even be a cameo appearance by "a gladiator" who once fought with Bruce in one of his other movies.