Synopsis: After his girlfriend is kidnapped by gangsters, Bruce finds that she is being held in the Pagoda of Death. Here, he must partake in the Game of Death where he will fight a martial arts master on each of the 7 levels or watch her fall to her death! (82 Mins)

 

Views: After he is attacked by a group of thugs, Bruce Li gets tricked into taking a large sum of money, in what turns out to be a very convoluted scam. But when the criminals involved ask him for the money back, Bruce refuses, resulting in the kidnapping of his girlfriend. Now, in order to save her, Bruce must enter the Tower of Death and battle opponents from around the world over 7 different levels – or witness his true love get thrown from the top of the tower! Released in 1975 before Lee's very own Game Of Death, Goodbye Bruce Lee: His Last Game Of Death started life as The New Game Of Death before being picked up in the United States by Aquarius Pictures. Now, re-edited as a homage and tribute to the late Bruce Lee – opening with a host of pictures, clips and newsreels featuring the legendary kung-fu star, along with quotes and interviews from Steve McQueen, James Coburn, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar, the film begins almost like a docufilm (complete with narration) before moving onto the actual film starring Ho Tsung Tao (Bruce Li).This is the real Game Of Death we are told...

 

Obviously, we don't believe it!

 

It's a bizarre affair all-over, but then again, what Bruceploitation movie isn't? Known as The Legend Of Bruce Lee in the UK, the movie opens with Richard Strauss' classical number, Also Sprach Zarathustra, taken from Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey which was used for its opening theme in 1968. Throughout the film we hear hints of tunes from Pink Floyd and the Cleopatra Jones movie, but perhaps its the constantly replayed theme-song that Goodbye Bruce Lee: His Last Game Of Death is most know for – King of Kung Fu by Kandy that was made exclusively for this release. As much as I adore the song, I can't help but feel it went to the wrong film as equally popular Bruce Lee-clone, Bruce Le, would go onto release Enter The Game Of Death just a few years later which is also known as The King Of Kung Fu. Two years after that, he would star again in another Bruceploitation flick called Bruce – King Of Kung Fu alongside Enter The Dragon co-stars Shek Kin and Bolo Yeung. Perhaps Kandy's disco hit would have been more suited on either of those. Although a Hong Kong production, the film was mostly shot in Taiwan by screenwriter and director Lin Bing; actor over almost 40 movies from 1958 to 1992 including a cameo in this as a movie director, and the same man behind films such as The Rickshaw Puller, Duel Flying Kicks, 72 Desperate Rebels, and Six Kung Fu Heroes. While he doesn't deliver any spectacular, you can appreciate what Bing was trying to do and still gives us a well-made film overall.

 

A number of Lin Bing regular Taiwanese actors star alongside Ho including the ever-popular Lung Fei, prolific actor of almost 180 movies including a host of Jimmy Wang Yu classics such as Magnificent Chivalry, Furious Slaughter, One-Armed Boxer, Beach Of The War Gods, One-Armed Boxer VS The Flying Guillotine and many more. Here, Fei plays one of the villains (once again) and faces off against Ho towards the end using his trusty whip. The equally popular Shan Mao, who actually starred alongside Lung Fei in many of the same movies including those with Wang Yu, appears as the Karate fighter on the3rd floor of the tower. The great Tsai Hung, star of over 130 films including many of the aforementioned Wang Yu flicks as well as classics like Five Shaolin Masters, Eight Hundred Heroes, Shaolin Temple, The Brave Archer, Militant Eagle, and Ninja In Ancient China, appears as Indian yoga-esque fighter on the 5th floor of the tower. Film journeyman Ma Chiang, who has appeared in almost 200 films and may be more recognisable in the West as Iron Head from Jackie chan's Fearless Hyena, stars as the first fighter in the tower alongside Lin Chong – seen in films such as New Fist Of Fury, Killer Meteors, To Kill With Intrigue, Fist Of Fury 2, and Fists Of Bruce Lee. Finally, actor Li Chiang appears as the samurai fighter on the second...

 

Co-starring other recognisable faces such as Chang Yi Kwai, Hou Po Wei, Ho Wei Hsiung, Wang Kai,Chen Chin Hai, and Ko Chnag Sheng, Goodbye Bruce Lee: His Last Game Of Death features enough exciting fights throughout to keep even the most hardened kung-fu fan happy. Ho Tsung Tao is as charming and athletic as always as Bruce, pulling off some great kicks and moves that really give him the chance to show just what he can do. And while it may not be the greatest film from his filmography, I still feel there are a lot more positives to outweigh the negatives while viewing it. Released as part of The Game Of Clones Bruceploitation Collection from Severin Films, Goodbye Bruce Lee: His Last Game Of Death has never looked better with a new restoration that really shows the film in its best presentation ever!

 

Overall: Another fun entry from the Bruceploitation sub-genre, Goodbye Bruce Lee: His Last Game Of Death may not be perfect, but it lets it's star shine when it comes to the fight action!

 

Severin Films Blu-ray Extras: Audio Commentary with Frank Djeng & Chris Poggiali, The Last Kung Fu Picture Show – The Bay Area's Movie Theatre Era, Severin's Kung Fu Theatre with Michael Worth, Radio Spot, Trailer