78. Birth Of The Dragon; movie review

BIRTH OF THE DRAGON
Cert TBA
95 mins
BBFC advice: TBA

Those of us of a certain age remember when kung fu swept the world to the point that it was the subject of  prime time TV programmes and it even prompted a chart-topping song.

Nobody thrust the martial art into the public consciousness more than Bruce Lee whose fame became stratospheric after his mysterious death in 1973.

Before then, Lee had started the kung fu explosion in San Francisco where he lived after leaving Hong Kong in fear of his life.

George Nolfi's Birth Of The Dragon goes back to his time in the Golden Gate city in the mid-60s and a fight against a Chinese master, Wong Jack Man.

This was very much a case of Lee battling against tradition and caused more than a ripple among America's Chinese community. Its result remains a mystery.

Birth Of The Dragon is mainly fictionalised account of the lead-up to the fight and its aftermath.

Its stars Philip Ng as an angry and ambitious Lee who believes that there is nothing wrong in using kung fu aggressively.

His opponent (Yu Xia) is calmer but is no less adept at using his fists and feet.

In the world of martial arts, there is controversy over Nolfi's representation, particularly of Lee, for being off the mark.

While questions hang over the factual accuracy and, in my view, the quality of its acting, there is no doubt that the real reason to watch Birth Of The Dragon is for the fights.

From the off, there are scenes of speed, precision and litheness which are gasp-inducing.

When it comes to the main battle, the two men stretch every sinew. If the real fight had been as intense, it would have been stunning.

This type of action is the reason that the kung fu craze became so huge in the late 60s and early 70s.

As Carl Douglas sang, famously: "Those kids were fast as lightning. In fact, it was a little bit frightening but they fought with expert timing."

And let's face it - that is the sole reason to watch this film.

Reasons to watch: the fight scenes

Reasons to avoid: historically questionable and stiff acting

Laughs: none

Jumps: none

Vomit: none

Nudity: none

Overall rating: 6.5/10

Director quote - George Nolfi: "The writers wonderfully mythologized the fight itself but also the few months leading up to it and an incredibly fun fictionalized account of the day after the fight."

The big question - Who won? Bruce Lee or Wong Jack Man?

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