Enter the Clones of Bruce Review Brucesploitation Documentary
Severin Films

I wasn’t born yet when Bruce Lee tragically passed away at the height of his popularity in 1973. That popularity would transcend everything, and he quickly became a legend, almost mythological in a sense. He was a child star in Hong Kong long before making the leap into action films in the early ’70s. Lee brought a unique charisma to the screen, something that couldn’t be imitated, or could it? After his death, producers would search high and low, looking for actors who could pass as the icon. What resulted was the creation of an exploitation film subgenre affectionately known as “Brucesploitation. Dozens of martial artists who resembled the star even in the slightest were given the chance to star in their own films, pretending to be Bruce Lee.

Performers like Bruce Li, Bruce Le, Bruce Tai, Dragon Lee, and even Bronson Lee would get the opportunity to be in the spotlight, but their success would only last a few years before the genre began to fizzle out. As a kid watching Kung Fu Theatre, I was confused as I watched all these films with Bruce Lee, but somehow, I knew it wasn’t him. As I grew up and more information was available, I learned about the imitators and that it was a major cash grab for Hong Kong studios. Who were these guys plucked from obscurity playing Bruce Lee? Obviously, these weren’t their real names, and I wanted to know who they were. Filmmaker David Gregory tackled the subject with his documentary Enter the Clones of Bruce (2023), delivering something informative, compelling, and a lot of fun.

I may be biased here because I adore not only martial arts films and Bruce Lee, but this subgenre was, in many ways, my introduction to the world of martial arts. To see the in-depth interviews with the stars was pretty surreal. They give insightful and informative responses to the questions we all want to know. The most interesting ones personally are Bruce Li and Angela Mao, especially since I recently revisited some of her films, including Lady Whirlwind (1972) and Hapkido (1972).

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Amongst the actors and filmmakers interviewed, there’s also the inclusion of several experts like Mike Leeder and Michael Worth (an action star in his own right). Every aspect of their films is explored, and nothing is left unturned. After walking away from Enter the Clones of Bruce, you’ll have a newfound appreciation for these classics. You may want to further invest in Severin’s massive boxset, Game of Clones: Bruceploitation Collection vol. 1.

The Blu-ray is packed with extra features, including an audio commentary track featuring David Gregory, Frank Djeng, Vivian Wong, Jim Kunz, and Michael Worth. There’s a massive collection of outtakes that take you deeper down the rabbit hole, the most fascinating being the discussion of how the film prints were treated. Frank Djeng also tours Hong Kong film locations from various Bruce Lee films. There’s an intro of sorts by Worth and Gordon, as well as a collection of trailers.

David Gregory is a fantastic documentary filmmaker who helmed the modern classic Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau (2014). If you’re a fan of classic martial arts films, then Enter the Clones of Bruce is essential viewing.

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REVIEW OVERVIEW
Enter the Clones of Bruce
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Corey Danna
As well as writing for Horror Geek Life, Corey also contributes to Slackjawpunks.com, TheActionElite.com, HorrorNews.net, and KungFuMagazine.com. His work has appeared in print magazines Kung Fu Tai Chi, LunchMeat VHS, and in the upcoming issue of Exploitation Nation. He contributed heavily to the book "The Good, The Tough, and The Deadly: Action Movies and Stars 1960-Present" released by Schiffer Publishing in 2016. He also has done some work as a publicist and continues to do so for heavy metal icon Jon-Mikl Thor.
enter-the-clones-of-bruce-review-brucesploitationIf you’re a fan of classic martial arts films, then the in-depth Brucesploitation documentary Enter the Clones of Bruce is essential viewing.

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