Release OrderRecommended
0 / 5 watchedThe four completed films in release order, then the posthumous Game of Death assembly as a clearly labeled extra.
Completed films
- 1 The Big Boss Directed by Lo Wei. Lee's first major lead as Cheng Chao-an, a laborer confronting a drug gang in Thailand.
- 2 Fist of Fury Directed by Lo Wei. Lee plays Chen Zhen, avenging his kung fu master's death in Japanese-occupied Shanghai.
- 3 The Way of the Dragon Written, directed by, and starring Lee. Tang Lung defends a Rome restaurant; the Colosseum fight with Chuck Norris closes it.
- 4 Enter the Dragon Directed by Robert Clouse. Lee infiltrates a martial arts tournament on a warlord's island. His last completed film.
Posthumous assembly
- 5 Game of Death Directed by Robert Clouse from Lee's unfinished 1972 footage, with stand-ins carrying most scenes. Watch as an artifact, not a finale.
About Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee headlined four completed martial arts films in three years: The Big Boss (1971), Fist of Fury (1972), The Way of the Dragon (1972), which he also wrote and directed, and Enter the Dragon (1973), the Warner Bros. co-production that premiered in Hong Kong on July 26, 1973, six days after his death at 32.
Release order is the only order that makes sense; the films share no characters or story. Game of Death (1978) was assembled after Lee's death from unfinished 1972 footage plus stand-ins, so it closes the list with a clear label. Documentaries are covered in the notes.
Good to know
US title confusion: distributors swapped titles, so The Big Boss played America as Fists of Fury while Fist of Fury became The Chinese Connection, and The Way of the Dragon played as Return of the Dragon. Modern discs use the original titles. Game of Death (1978, directed by Robert Clouse) uses only part of Lee's unfinished pagoda footage, with Kim Tai-jong and Yuen Biao doubling him; the fuller surviving footage appears in the documentary Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey (2000), which pairs well with the features. The 1981 Game of Death II (Tower of Death) recycles Enter the Dragon outtakes and has no real story link, so it is listed nowhere here.
