Bruce Lee: The Big Boss (Tang shan da xiong) (1971) Movie Review, Trailer, Film Still and Poster

Hong Kong 1971
Director: Wei Lo
Cast: Bruce Lee, Maria Yi, James Tien, Yin-Chieh Han, Tony Liu, Nora Miao, Malalene
Rating: X
Language: Mandarin, Cantonese
Release Date: 3 October 1971
Running Time: 1 hour 55 minutes

The Movie Review

Bruce Lee: The Big Boss film still 1


BRUCE LEE: THE BIG BOSS ( Tang shan da xiong )
Storyline:
Cast:
Ending:
Overall:

Back in my childhood, there was this rundown theater not very far from my house where I used to go there to watch old movies. Old because the admission ticket was cheap. And one of Bruce Lee's movies that I've watched for the very first time is The Big Boss. A movie that has inspired various comic books and which storyline is debatably often used in video games, like fighting the bosses, the mini bosses and the big boss.

The Big Boss, released several years before the death of Bruce Lee is one of Bruce Lee's masterpieces. Well for fans, I think almost every movie of Bruce Lee is a masterpiece. The Big Boss in its original title was named "Táng Shãn Dà Xiõng", and in the U.S. it's titled "Fists of Fury". The title of this movie is not to be confused with Bruce Lee's movie in 1972 titled "Fist of Fury" (with no S in Fist) which is also known as "The Chinese Connection" or "Jing wu men".

The Big Boss has several distinctive features compared to other Lee's movies. The Big Boss was Lee's first major film and the one that made him the star. The Big Boss was also one of Lee's most violent movies with the largest body count compared to other Lee's flicks, and which also led to multiple censored from the government of Hong Kong.

Bruce Lee stars as Cheng Cao-an, a regular Chinese guy who moves to Thailand to find a new future. Cheng at first has so much confidence in his new life along with his cousins working at an Ice Factory. However after a rookie mistake that Cheng has made while working, two of his cousins find drugs being smuggled inside the ice, and both of them are not seen returning home for days. The now-panicked Cheng, Hsu Chien (James Tian) and Chiao Mei (Maria Yi) are trying desperately to find their missing cousins. Their effort eventually only leads them to an even more fatal problem, when the real villain which are the owner of the factory itself Hsiao Mi (Yin-Chieh Han) and his son Hsiao Chiun (Tony Liu) are not just going to stand still watching their devilish organization being threatened.

Now, this is Bruce Lee, right? So you probably already know how big of a legend he is up until this very moment. Bruce Lee's fighting skills are unquestionable, with his lightning kicks and his locked-up facial expression, Lee's beating his enemies in destructive ways. However, and however, sadly, most of the time his punches and kicks can be seen only hitting the air. Not because he misses the target, but its the camerawork that's so weak especially by today's standard. The camera angle is the biggest flaw of The Big Boss.

This action film has its own uniqueness. In its original uncut version, The Big Boss delivers gore and blood generously with creative kind of villain-killing and a bit on victim-killing. With a hacthet, a hand saw, a knife, an ice pick, flash light and of course Lee's own deadly fingers.

The acting quality of Bruce Lee and the entire cast can be said only mediocre with occasional anger and crying from Lee and Maria Yi. However the true precious point of The Big Boss is its historical value as this action movie was also the highest grossing movie in Hong Kong at that time and a Must to watch for Kung Fu fans.

The Big Boss is a classic masterpiece in the movie world that stands on the same level as other classic movies being released in that decade and decades before it. What's so exciting about The Big Boss is that it still has its charm which until now, The Big Boss is still one entertaining kung fu movie and has a high replay value.

Tang shan da xiong movie screenshot 2