Tang shan da xiong (Fists of Fury) (The Big Boss) (1971)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Dean M

  
  This is my second favourite Bruce Lee's movies as his first starring role in this martial arts-action film and he was a very charming actor whose presence filled the screen and owned it completely. That statement is proved here as we see him not as a killing machine, but as a… More
  This is my second favourite Bruce Lee's movies as his first starring role in this martial arts-action film and he was a very charming actor whose presence filled the screen and owned it completely. That statement is proved here as we see him not as a killing machine, but as a common man who just wants to live peacefully, giving us many scenes of Cheng Chao-an (played by Lee) enjoying his new found family and struggling with his own vices. Lee's performance is very natural although one could say that he was basically playing himself. The rest of the cast ranges from average to OK, with James Tien, Quin Lee and Malalene being the best among them. The action is pretty good and I like the fight scenes of Bruce Lee against the evil Big Boss's factory workers at the ice factory - superb!

• Lee ?

  
  My personal favourite Bruce Lee movie. Violent and vicious and very entertaining with a memorable performance by the Kung-Fu legend himself who restrains from violent confrontation for the first half hour due to a promise made to his mother, but when intimidation gets too much Bruce… More
  My personal favourite Bruce Lee movie. Violent and vicious and very entertaining with a memorable performance by the Kung-Fu legend himself who restrains from violent confrontation for the first half hour due to a promise made to his mother, but when intimidation gets too much Bruce unleashes a whirlwind of kicks, punches and bladed weapons on his foes.

• Cassandra M

  
  Throughout this film you see a constrained Bruce Lee. Lo Wei is deliberately holding him back in order to introduce him to audiences and to save the best of his fighting for the second film. What we see here is a humane Bruce Lee who has feelings, a sense of humour, enjoys sex and is… More
  Throughout this film you see a constrained Bruce Lee. Lo Wei is deliberately holding him back in order to introduce him to audiences and to save the best of his fighting for the second film. What we see here is a humane Bruce Lee who has feelings, a sense of humour, enjoys sex and is in control of his temper. He strikes up a good friendship with Shu Sheng who life is eventually claimed by the antagonists. When Bruce witnesses the mistreatment of his family in the workplace, he still holds back. Until...they break his necklace. At that moment, he explodes into action with centrifugal force, picking off each opponent with pin-point accurate kicks. It is a work of art that is akin to 'Samson and Delilah'.

• Jani H

  
  "Beat it or I'll kill you right now" A low-budget smash hit that made Bruce Lee the action legend we know. It may have been a hit in its production year but it has not lasted time that well. The fight scenes without Bruce Lee are just plain boring but damn when Mr… More
  "Beat it or I'll kill you right now" A low-budget smash hit that made Bruce Lee the action legend we know. It may have been a hit in its production year but it has not lasted time that well. The fight scenes without Bruce Lee are just plain boring but damn when Mr Lee starts kicking ass... Good stuff. His charisma saves this movie from failing totally. The basic story is interesting but the lines that come from the mouths of 'em are just silly. The acting is also throughout the movie bad, almost horrible. On the positive side, this is the start of the legend. Ok, he has done some stuff before "The Big Boss" but this movie made him The martial arts God we know.

• xGary X

  
  Why do we like Bruce Lee movies...? Is it for the sophisticated plotting and intelligent, well-dubbed dialogue? Is it for the complex and in-depth characterisation? Of course not. So when I tell you that the basic premise for this story is a promise Bruce made to his mother NOT to… More
  Why do we like Bruce Lee movies...? Is it for the sophisticated plotting and intelligent, well-dubbed dialogue? Is it for the complex and in-depth characterisation? Of course not. So when I tell you that the basic premise for this story is a promise Bruce made to his mother NOT to fight, can you see the flaw in whole concept?! Of course he finally is "forced" to fight, but Destry Rides Again it ain't. When Bruce finally gets his freak on, he is as magnificent as always but you have to wade through a hell of a lot of cornball and inept movie making to get there, including sound effects that sound like someone playing squash with a cricket bat in a bowling alley every time fist meets flesh and a soundtrack like something out of a 70s game show. Unless you are a fan of "kitsch" (ie watching rubbish films because they are "funny") I would fast forward to the last 15 minutes, because they are the only part of the film worth watching. But DAMN he's good...

• Tsubaki S

  
  Bruce Lee greatness.

• Michael G

  
  Bruce Lee kicks ass. If the John Wayne-like dubbing turns you off the fight scenes will make up for it.

• Khris N

  
  Bruce's first movie - and one of the best!

• Kalel J

  
  Known as "The Big Boss" to Chinese audiences Fists of Fury was the first feature length film starring Bruce Lee that catapulted him to stardom. While this wasn't the global boost that Bruce Lee achieved (that was Enter the Dragon) this was the film that made Bruce a… More
  Known as "The Big Boss" to Chinese audiences Fists of Fury was the first feature length film starring Bruce Lee that catapulted him to stardom. While this wasn't the global boost that Bruce Lee achieved (that was Enter the Dragon) this was the film that made Bruce a household name for Asian audiences of the 1970's. A fairly weak plot and characters are evident throughout this but for it's revolutionising of Martial Arts in the film industry this gives the film some extra marks. If you are a fan of martial arts cinema of today, such as Jackie Chan or Jet Li films, then this is an absolute must see for you.

• Donnie D

  
  Bruce Lee first role may not have been his best, but it made him a major star throughout Asia thanks to it. It might have aged well, but it still packs a punch. The Big Boss (or Fist of Fury) is about Bruce Lee playing a young man, sworn to an oath of non-violence, works with his… More
  Bruce Lee first role may not have been his best, but it made him a major star throughout Asia thanks to it. It might have aged well, but it still packs a punch. The Big Boss (or Fist of Fury) is about Bruce Lee playing a young man, sworn to an oath of non-violence, works with his cousins in an ice factory where they mysteriously begin to disappear and force to break that oath. So first off, the story is slow as some scenes do drag on and we don't actually get to see Bruce Lee fight for a while as you need to sit through a good portion of the movie for that. Now there is one noticeable flaw in the script, how did none of the workers notice drugs in the ice if it's see through. Were the workers busy really to busy to notice that? Other than that it's original and well told story with great pacing and drama. We get allot of characters, though the love interest feels like it just there to satisfied people. As usual we get some of Bruce Lee famous philosophy and kick ass character. Overall the story is enjoyable with one minor plot hole that shouldn't distract audience from the main experience. Considering this is Bruce Lee first role I suggest you find a version that's not dubbed over to get the real experience. Like in every movie Lee has ever been in, he does a great job playing himself as he gracefully goes from dramatic actor to action star when he needs to. As for his fight scenes, they retain his classic appeal and the finale is still amazing to this day. As for the rest of the cast they didn't get my attention, but at-least they did there job well. One thing I'm sure audience will be mixed about is the music since this came out in the 70s so expect some weird music to play. The Big Boss (or Fist of Fury) is the legendary debut of Bruce Lee that would forever make him an icon around the world. If you're a fan of Bruce Lee, Martial Art, or good movies do yourself a favor and watch this.

• Burger S

  
  Ancient Chinese secret: If you want a family to forget about five of it's members disapearing without a trace, just promote the best fighter to foreman. Then take him out for dinner. Be sure not to forget the Ho's or the Hennesey.

• Jeff L

  
  Stupifyingly (so bad I had to make up a word) bad acting and atrocious voice overs prove so bad that they elicit enough charm for the movie to work. But then, Fists of Fury/The Big Boss never pretends to be a cinematic masterpiece. This is violent, teeth kicking kung fu, and… More
  Stupifyingly (so bad I had to make up a word) bad acting and atrocious voice overs prove so bad that they elicit enough charm for the movie to work. But then, Fists of Fury/The Big Boss never pretends to be a cinematic masterpiece. This is violent, teeth kicking kung fu, and it's so much more exciting when Bruce Lee ends his fighting hold out and takes names.

• Danny R

  
  The late great Martial Arts legend Bruce Lee made his American cinematic debut in Chinese hit film which was directed by Wei Lo. It concerns a Chinese young man named Cheng, played by Bruce Lee in a charismatic performance who is sent to live in Thailand with his many cousins by his… More
  The late great Martial Arts legend Bruce Lee made his American cinematic debut in Chinese hit film which was directed by Wei Lo. It concerns a Chinese young man named Cheng, played by Bruce Lee in a charismatic performance who is sent to live in Thailand with his many cousins by his uncle. When some of his cousins are killed after discovering that their icehouse job is really an actually front for a heroin-smuggling operation. Cheng seeks revenge against a Japanese crimelord for the brutal murders in his family. The color cinematography is muddy at best, the acting in general is amateurish; so why should you watch this film? For the leaping, high kicking, ass-breaking debut of Bruce Lee as Cheng the honorable country youngster who just happens to be a fighting genius! Highly Recommended.

• Joseph E

  
  Not the greatest, but it was mediocre.

• Jonny C

  
  Solid Bruce Lee Flick. Dojo scene is incredible.

• Ivan D

  
  A somewhat weak debut film by the legendary Bruce Lee. It has many flaws and the acting was not top-notch, but the good plot and of course, the great action sequences carried the whole picture. A very violent kung-fu film, but Bruce Lee's other films is better than this one, and… More
  A somewhat weak debut film by the legendary Bruce Lee. It has many flaws and the acting was not top-notch, but the good plot and of course, the great action sequences carried the whole picture. A very violent kung-fu film, but Bruce Lee's other films is better than this one, and his only film where he didn't use his trademark "nunchuks".

Read all 16 featured audience ratings