Game of Death

For other uses, seeGame of Death (disambiguation).

The Game of Death
Traditional Chinese	Tử vongĐíchDu hí
Simplified Chinese	Tử vong đích du hí
Literal meaning	Death Game
Hanyu Pinyin	sǐwáng de yóuxì
Jyutping	sei2 mong4 dik1 jau4 hei3
Directed by	Bruce Lee
Written by	Bruce Lee
Produced by	Raymond Chow Bruce Lee
Starring	Bruce Lee James Tien Chieh Yuan Dan Inosanto Ji Han-jae Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Hwang In-shik
Cinematography	Tadashi Nishimoto (ja) Ho Lan Shan
Edited by	Peter Cheung
Music by	Joseph Koo Peter Thomas
Production companies	Golden Harvest Concord Production Inc.
Distributed by	Golden Harvest Media Asia Group Fortune Star Media Arrow Films
Release dates	22 October 2000(2000-10-22)(incomplete DVD release) 17 July 2023(2023-07-17)(incomplete Arrow Video release)
Running time	40 minutes(incomplete)
Country	Hong Kong
Languages	Cantonese English
Budget	$850,000

The Game of Death(Chinese:Tử vong đích du hí) is an incomplete Hong Kongmartial arts film,of which portions were filmed between September and October 1972, directed, written, produced by and starringBruce Lee.The project was paused to film and produceEnter the Dragon.ForThe Game of Death,over 120 minutes of footage was shot,which was later misplaced in theGolden Harvestarchives.The remaining footage has since been released with Lee's original Cantonese and English dialogue, with John Little dubbing Lee's Hai Tien character as part of the documentary titledBruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey.Much of the footage that was shot is from what was to be the climax of the film.

During filming, Lee received an offer to star inEnter the Dragon,the firstkung fu filmto be produced by a Hollywood studio (Warner Bros.), and with a budget unprecedented for the genre ($850,000). Lee died ofcerebral edemabefore the film's release. At the time of his death, he had made plans to resume the filming ofThe Game of Death.After Lee's death,Enter the DragondirectorRobert Clousewas enlisted to finish the film using two stand-ins; it was released in 1978 asGame of Death,five years after Lee's death, by Golden Harvest.

The story of Lee's original 1972 film involves Lee's character, in order to save his younger sister and brother, joining a group ofmartial artistswho are hired to retrieve a stolen Chinesenational treasurefrom the top floor of a five-storypagodain South Korea, with each floor guarded by martial artists who must be defeated while ascending the tower.The 1978 film's plot was altered to a revenge story, where themafiaattempts to kill Lee's character, who fakes his death and seeks vengeance against those who tried to kill him. The final part of the film uses some of Lee's original film footage, but with the pagoda setting changed to a restaurant building, where he fights martial artists hired by the mafia in an attempt to rescue his fiancée Ann Morris (played byColleen Camp). This revised version received a mixed critical reception but was commercially successful, grossing an estimatedUS$50,000,000(equivalent to $230,000,000 in 2023) worldwide.

It was an influential film that had a significant cultural impact. The original version's concept of ascending a tower while defeating enemies on each level was highly influential, inspiring numerousaction filmsandvideo games.The film is also known for Lee's iconic yellow-and-black jumpsuit as well as his fight scene withNBAplayer and studentKareem Abdul-Jabbar,both of which have been referenced in numerous media.

Original film

Plot

The original plot involves Lee playing the role of Hai Tien ( hải thiên ), a retired champion martial artist who is confronted by Korean underworld gangs. They tell him the story of a pagoda where guns are prohibited. The pagoda is under heavy guard by highly-skilled martial artists; they are protecting something (which is not identified at all in any surviving material) held on its top level. The gang boss wants Hai to be a part of a group of martial artists he assembled, to help retrieve said item by fighting the guardians. This is the boss's second team he's sending; the first team he sent was nearly wiped out. They force the reluctant Hai to participate by abducting his two younger siblings. Along with four other martial artists (two played byJames TienandChieh Yuan), Hai battles his way up a five-levelpagoda.The team encounters a different, and stronger, challenge on each floor.

As originally scripted by Lee, Hai and company enter the temple grounds, where at the pagoda's base, they fight 10 Karate black belts. Inside the pagoda, Hai's team encounters a different opponent on each floor, each one more formidable than the last. The other fighters assisting Hai are handily defeated by the pagoda guardians, as they're not as skilled as Hai; the guardian in turn must be defeated by Hai.

In the unfilmed portion of their pagoda raid, Hai's group was to fightKoreanHapkidomaster Hwang In-shik, followed by Praying Mantis-stylekung fumaster Taky Kimura. Hai would defeat them all after his follow raiders were taken down by each master of the floor.

In the final cut of the filmed portion, Hai defeatsFilipinoEskrimamasterDan Inosanto,followed byKoreanHapkidomasterJi Han-jae.After that comes the final guardian (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), a giant fighter who fights with a free and fluid fighting style similar to Hai'sJeet Kune Do.Because of the guardian's great size and strength, in addition to his potent martial artistry, he can only be defeated when Hai recognizes and exploits his greatest weakness: an unusuallyhigh sensitivity to light.

Immediately after defeating the giant guardian, Hai turns around and descends the staircase...heading out of the pagoda. Despite all the talk of something awaiting up top of the (now unguarded) flight of stairs, there is no mention of anyone going up to retrieve it. No surviving material explains how this affects Hai or his captive siblings.

Production

Although the pagoda was supposed to have five floors, complete scenes were only shot for three of the floors: the "Temple of the Tiger", where Lee faced Inosanto; the "Temple of the Dragon", where he fought Ji Han-jae; and the final floor, known as the "Temple of the Unknown", where he fought Abdul-Jabbar. Hapkido masterHwang In-shikwas slated to play the guardian of the first floor, a master of a kick-oriented style, while Bruce's long-time student and good friendTaky Kimurawas asked to play the guardian of the second floor, a stylist of praying mantiskung fu.

The goal of the film's plot was to showcase Lee's beliefs regarding the principles of martial arts. As each martial artist is defeated (including Lee's allies), the flaws in their fighting style are revealed. Some, like Dan Inosanto's character, rely too much on fixed patterns of offensive and defensive techniques, while others lackeconomy of motion.Lee defeats his opponents by having a fighting style that involves fluid movement, unpredictability, and an eclectic blend of techniques. His dialogue often includes comments on their weaknesses.

Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey

Several years later, Bruce Lee historianJohn LittlereleasedBruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey,a documentary revealing the original footage and storyline ofThe Game of Death.The documentary also includes a fairly in-depth biography of Lee and leads into the filming ofThe Game of Death.Originally meant to be a documentary in its own right, it can now be found on the second disc of the 2004 Special Edition DVD release ofEnter the Dragon,along with the documentaryBruce Lee: The Curse of the Dragon.

Bruce Lee in G.O.D: Shibōteki Yūgi

In 2000, the Japanese filmBruce Lee in G.O.D tử vong đích du híwas released on DVD. This film shows Lee's original vision of the film through the existing footage that was shot for the film before he died, interviews, and historical re-enactments of what went on behind the scenes. A "special edition" DVD was released in 2003.

Cast

Filmed cast

• Bruce Leeas "Hai Tien" (also called "the Yellow-Faced Tiger" )
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbaras "Mantis, the 5th Floor Guardian"
• James Tienas "Tien Da, the Second Fighter"
• Chieh Yuanas "Chieh, the Third Fighter" (doubled byHwang In-shik)
• Dan Inosantoas "Eskrima Filipina, the 3rd Floor Guardian"
• Ji Han-jaeas "Hapkido Master, the 4th Floor Guardian"
• Hwang In-shikas "1st Floor Guardian" (only Ground Floor footage)
• Lee Kwanas "Mr. Kuan the Locksmith" (voice is heard at film's end)

Unfilmed cast

• Taky Kimuraas "2nd Floor Guardian"
• Robert Wallas "Mr. Wall, the American Fighter and Hai Tien's ally"
• George Lazenbyas "Hai Tien's master"
• Nora Miaoas "Hai Tien's sister"
• Uncast Child Actor as "Hai Tien's brother"
• Carter Wongas "Mr. Wong"
• Shih Kienas "Crime Lord"
• Tony Liuas "Huang"
• Wan Kam-leungas "Lee Guo-hao, the Fifth Fighter"
• Betty Ting Peias "Hai Tien's wife"
• Bolo Yeungas "Black Belt Karate Leader - Ground Floor"
• Lam Ching-ying,Yuen Wah,Unicorn Chan,Bee Chan, Wu Ngan, and 14 others as "Black Belt Karate Fighters - Ground Floor"
• Han Ying-chiehas "Thug 1"
• Yuen Biaoas "Thug 2"
• Alan Chui Chung-Sanas "Thug 3"
• Corey Yuenas "Thug 4"
• Jackie Chanas "Fan who asks for Hai Tien's autograph"

Intended cast

• Wong Shun-leungwas originally approached to play the role of theWing Chun-oriented 2nd Floor Guardian, but he declined, and was replaced by Taky Kimura.
• Robert Baker, student of Lee's, was considered for the role eventually given toRobert Wall.
• Sammo Hunghad been cast as the Third Fighter, but by the time Lee was ready to film with him, Hung had moved on to another project; Chieh Yuan took the part in his stead.

Game of Death(1978 film)

Game of Death
Game of Deathfilm poster
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	Tử vong du hí
Simplified Chinese	Tử vong du hí
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Sǐwáng Yóuxì IPA [sɹ̩̀wǎŋ jǒʊɕî] Yue: Cantonese Jyutping Sei5 Mong4 Jau4 Hei3 IPA Cantonese pronunciation:[se̬imɔ̏ːŋjɐ̏uhēi]
Directed by	Robert Clouse Bruce Lee(G.O.D. footage) (action) Sammo Hung(action)
Written by	Jan Spears(Clouse/Chow) Bruce Lee(HK Version Opening Credit)
Produced by	Raymond Chow
Starring	Bruce Lee Gig Young Dean Jagger Colleen Camp Kim Tai-jong Yuen Biao Robert Wall Hugh O'Brian Dan Inosanto Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Mel Novak Sammo Hung Ji Han-jae Casanova Wong
Cinematography	Ho Lan-shan Godfrey A. Godar
Edited by	Alan Pattillo
Music by	John Barry Joseph Koo
Production company	Golden Harvest
Distributed by	Golden Harvest(International) Columbia Pictures(US theatrical) EMI FilmsUnited Kingdom theatrical 20th Century Fox(NA home video), (Kosovo) Fortune Star Media Ltd.(current)
Release dates	23 March 1978(1978-03-23)(Hong Kong) 22 July 1978(1978-07-22)(United Kingdom) 9 June 1979(1979-06-09)(USA)
Running time	103 minutes(Int'l cut) 94 minutes(HK cut) 125 minutes(HK premiere) 100 minutes(US cut)
Country	Hong Kong
Languages	Cantonese English
Box office	US$50 million (est.)

Game of Deathis a 1978Hong Kong action filmco-written (under the pseudonymJan SpearsalongsideRaymond Chow) and directed byRobert Clouse,with action directed bySammo Hung.The film starsBruce Lee,withKim Tai-jongandYuen Biaoas his stunt doubles, along withGig Young,Dean Jagger,Colleen Camp,Robert Wall,Hugh O'Brian,Dan Inosanto,Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,Mel Novak,Sammo Hung,Ji Han-jaeandCasanova Wong.

Plot

The 1978 version uses portions of the original footage married to an entirely new plot involving a new character, Billy Lo ( lư bỉ lợi ), struggling against aracketeering"syndicate" after gaining international success as a martial arts movie star. When Billy refuses to be intimidated by syndicate henchman Steiner (Hugh O'Brian) and his gangs of thugs, syndicate owner Dr. Land (Dean Jagger) orders his assassination to serve as an example to others.

Disguised as a stuntman, Land's assassin, Stick (Mel Novak), sneaks onto the set of Billy's new film, and shoots Billy during filming. A fragment of the bullet passes through Billy's face, leaving him alive but in need of plastic surgery which alters his facial features. Billy takes the opportunity to fake his death and disguise himself, exacting revenge against those who wronged him one at a time. When the syndicate threatens and kidnaps his fiancée, Ann Morris (Colleen Camp), Billy is forced to come out of hiding to save her. In the revised film, Bruce Lee's fight scenes inside the pagoda are assumed to take place in the upper floors of the Red Pepper restaurant, where Dr. Land and his thugs have laid an ambush. In the end, Billy survives the ambush, rescues Ann, and destroys each of the main mobsters one-by-one.

Cast

• Bruce Leeas "Billy Lo" (archive footage from incomplete first version)
  • Kim Tai-jongas "Billy Lo" (doubling for Bruce Lee)
  • Yuen Biaoas "Billy Lo" (doubling for Bruce Lee in acrobatics)
  • Albert Sham as "Billy Lo" (doubling for Bruce Lee)
  • Chris Kent as the English voice of "Billy Lo" (dubbing for Bruce Lee)
  • Bruce Lee's actual battle cries are used in the Cantonese, Mandarin and Japanese versions instead of Chris Kent's battle cry voice.
• Gig Youngas "Jim Marshall"
• Dean Jaggeras "Dr. Land"
• Colleen Campas "Ann Morris"
• Hugh O'Brianas "Steiner"
• Robert Wallas "Carl Miller"
• Dan Inosantoas "Pasqual"
• Ji Han-jaeas "Restaurant Fighter"
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbaras "Hakim"
• Mel Novakas "Stick"
• Sammo Hungas "Lo Chen"
• James Tienas "Charlie Wang" (US version) / "Fong Chun" (HK version)
• Roy Chiaoas "(Uncle) Henry Lo" (US version only)
• Casanova Wongas "Lau Yea-chun" (HK version only)
• Chuck Norrisas "Fighter in Film" (archive footage)
• Alan Chui Chung-San(Assistant stunt double, also One of Dr. Land's Guard)
• Tony Leung
• Billy McGill
• Jim James
• Russell Cawthorne
• Lam Ching-ying
• John Ladalski
• David Hu
• Don Barry
• Jess Hardie
• Eddie Dye
• Peter Nelson
• Peter Gee
• Peter Chan
• Marsas one of Dr. Land's guards (extra)
• Lau Kar-wing
• Fung Hak-Onas Thug Wearing The Yellow Suit Fighting in Henry Lo's Opera Place (US version only)
• Tai San
• Jason Williams

Production

The revised version of the film uses only 12 minutes and 41 seconds of the footage from the originalThe Game of Death,and for the vast majority of the film, the role of Billy Lo was shared by KoreantaekwondomasterKim Tai-jongand Hong Kong martial arts actorYuen Biao,and was voiced by Chris Kent. The plot of the film allowed Kim and Yuen to spend much of the film in disguises, usually involving false beards and large, dark sunglasses that obscured the fact that they bore little resemblance to Lee. Many scenes, including fight scenes, also included brief close-up bits of stock footage of the real Bruce Lee from his pre-Enter the Dragonfilms, often only lasting a second or two. These clips are easily recognisable due to the difference in film quality between the old and new footage. At one point in the movie, real footage of Lee's corpse in his open-topped casket is used to show the character Billy Lo faking his death. There is even a scene, taken place in Billy's dressing room, where a cut-out of Lee's face was taped to a mirror, covering the stand-in's own face.

Several actors associated with previous Lee movies were included in the re-shoot for the final 1978 film. For example,Robert Wall,a villain in bothWay of the DragonandEnter the Dragon,plays a kickboxer named Carl Miller who must battle with Billy Lo.Sammo Hung,who appeared inEnter the Dragon,served as the fight coordinator for the film, and also appears in the scene as ring opponent Lo Chen for Miller. To maintain continuity with the fight footage taken from the original film, Dan Inosanto (renamed Pasqual) and Ji Han-jae (whose character was unnamed and was not shown until near the end of the film) were given small parts as additional enforcers for the syndicate. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar refused to participate in the re-shoot, with another tall African-American stand-in (renamed Hakim) included instead. AlthoughChuck Norrisis credited as starring in the film, his role is limited to clips fromWay of the Dragoninserted into the film.

The film quality of the Clouse-directed footage is noticeably higher than that of Lee's earlier Hong Kong films, andJohn Barryprovided an original soundtrack. The film also featured performances by experienced actors as well as up-and-coming stars, including two recipients of theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor(Dean Jagger and Gig Young) and several who have been honored with a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame,including Bruce Lee himself, Jagger, Young (in his final film), Chuck Norris, and Hugh O'Brian.

For Chinese-speaking audiences, the film was dubbed into Cantonese and Mandarin, and had significant changes, such as the inclusion of a fight in a greenhouse withCasanova Wongand a different opening and closing credits sequence, featuring a new theme song, plus a couple of minor scenes. Unlike the English version, these versions use Lee's actual battle sounds. Several scenes were removed as well, including the fight in the opera house dressing room.

In the original Hong Kong version, the fight with Ji Han-jae is included (although it occurs in the middle of the film), while the ending does not show Billy Lo being arrested. Instead, both he and Ann share their good-byes to Jim as they appear to depart Hong Kong on a boat. The Singaporean version ends with Billy's arrest, and it does not feature the Ji Han-jae fight. This is the version commonly found in Chinese.

The Mandarin-dubbed version of the film features a different theme song from that of the Cantonese version. The theme song sounds similar to the main theme ofWay of the Dragon.This version also includes the scene where Billy and Ann share their good-byes to Jim. The Cantonese-dubbed version shows the commonly found scene where Billy is arrested by the police.

Soundtrack

The American score was composed byJohn Barry.The vocal theme song "Will This Be The Song I'll Be Singing Tomorrow?" was sung byColleen Camp.

Theme song

"Game of Death" (Tử vong du hí)

• Lyrics:James Wong
• Composition and Arrangement:Joseph Koo
• Performance:Roman Tam

Release

Game of Deathwas released in Hong Kong on 23 March 1978. In the United States, the film was released byColumbia Pictureson 9 June 1979. The film was released in the Philippines by Asia Films on 15 December 1988.

Box office

The film was successful at the box office in Hong Kong (23 March 1978 release), grossingHK$3,436,169.Within three weeks of its release (by 13 April 1978), the film grossed nearlyUS$8 millionin theFar East.In Japan (14 April 1978 release), it became the eighth highest-grossing film of 1978 withdistributor rentalearnings of¥1.45 billion,equivalent to estimated box office gross receipts of approximately¥3.52 billion(US$16.7 million).In South Korea (May 1978 release), it sold 281,591 tickets in the capital city ofSeoul,equivalent to an estimated gross revenue of approximately₩337,909,200(US$698,160).

In the United States (1979 release), the film earned millions ofUS dollarsin its first few weeks,and went on to earn aboutUS$5 millionintheatrical rentals,equivalent to estimatedbox officegross receipts of approximatelyUS$13 million.In France, it was the 14th highest-grossing film of 1978 with 2,256,892 ticket sales,equivalent to an estimated gross revenue of approximately€6,093,608(US$8,264,929).In Germany, the film sold 750,513 tickets (575,000 tickets in 1978and 175,513 tickets in 1981),equivalent to an estimated gross revenue of approximately €1,876,283(US$2,544,854).In Spain, the film sold 1,112,793 tickets,equivalent to an estimated gross revenue of approximately €1,446,631(US$1,962,106).

Combined, the film grossed a total estimated worldwide box office revenue of approximatelyUS$50,320,736(equivalent to $240,000,000 in 2023)

Critical reception

This version of the film received a mixed critical reception, holding a 46%Rotten Tomatoesscore.Criticism of the revised version included the inclusion of scenes that could be considered in bad taste, such as the incorporation of footage of Lee's actual funeral. Another scene, often pointed out by critics of the film, involved a shot of Kim looking at himself in the mirror, with an obvious cardboard cut-out of Lee's face pasted onto the mirror's surface.

Upon its North American release, Cecilia Blanchfield inThe Calgary Heraldrated it three stars, praising the climactic fight scenes as "Bruce Lee at his best" while criticizing the "abysmal" writing and "clumsily executed" production up until then, calling the film a "poor tribute to a remarkably talented man."

Bey Logan points out a few logic issues with the 1978 film. In order for the henchmen to remain low key, they should be wearing more casual clothes instead of the multicolored tracksuits seen at various parts of the film. But as a rationale, this explains why Lee wears the yellow tracksuit. Also, during the fight between Lee and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the scene near the vase in Logan's opinion appears to look choppy, along with the short fight with Hugh O'Brian. In the first half of the English version, during the fight sequences, Lee is seen to be beaten down instead of making short work of the henchmen.

Game of Deathcould be considered more accessible to Western audiences than Lee's previous films. Compared to other Bruce Lee films likeThe Big Boss,Fist of FuryandWay of the Dragon,Game of Deathhas more Western characters and the story structure is more straightforward and less culturally specific to Asia.

Game of Death Redux(2019)

On 19 July 2019, timed with the 46th death anniversary of Bruce Lee, producer Alan Canvan premiered a newly edited version of Lee'sGame of Deathat the Asian American/Asian Research Institute inNew York City,with biographerMatthew Pollyjoining Canvan in discussing the film and answering audience questions.TheReduxedit only uses footage shot during the original production, while combining the score composed byJohn Barryfor the 1978 version.It also restores dialogues that were missing in the 1978 version ofGame of Death.

The film was released as a special feature (standard definition) inThe Criterion Collection's Blu-ray box set of Bruce Lee films on 14 July 2020.

The Final Game of Death(2023)

On 17 July 2023,Arrow Filmsreleased a 4K UHD/Blu-ray box set covering Bruce Lee's films at Golden Harvest.Included in the set is a 223-minute documentary on the production ofGame of Death.The documentary includes all two hours of footage shot for the project by Lee before his death, restored from an interpositive.The documentary also includes an assembly of the footage, alongside a newly filmed introduction to cover the plot elements that were never shot.

Legacy

OtherGame of Deathfilms

After the death of Bruce Lee, several studios exploited the situation by making their own versions ofGame of Deathbased on what they had learned of the story from production stills and magazine articles. Some of these films pre-dated Robert Clouse's officialGame of Death(1978).

• The Game of Death! (1974)
• Goodbye Bruce Lee: His Last Game of Death(1975)
• Enter the Game of Death(1978)
• The True Game of Death(1979)
• Game of Death II(Tower of Death) (1981)

Clouse's film had a sequel in 1981,Game of Death II,a kung fu action mystery film directed byNg See-yuenwhich used cut footage from Lee'sEnter the Dragonto have him make an appearance in the beginning of the film, only to be killed off midway, allowing his on-screen brother to take on the role of protagonist. Aside from the international English dub giving the "Bruce Lee" character the nameBilly Lo,this movie appears to have no connection with Clouse's film.

Wong Jing's filmCity Hunterhas a similar premise for a scene.Jackie Chanas Ryu Saeba takes on two tall black men, and the film uses clips of Lee's fight scene against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to get the better of the two.

Influence

The original film's concept of ascending a tower while defeating enemies on each level was highly influential, inspiring numerousaction filmsandvideo games.

Film

Italian film scholars Simone Bedetti and Lorenzo De Luca identifiedGame of Deathas an early example of what they call the "arcade movie" genre ofaction films.These "arcade movies" have three characteristic elements: the achievement of agoal,passing a series oflevels,and ascending through apath(whether physical or symbolic). This is presented inGame of Deathas Lee going up higher floors while facing increasingly dangerous opponents as he ascends the tower. Later examples of action films which Bedetti and De Luca identify as "arcade movies" include Bruce Lee's ownEnter the Dragon,theBruce WillismovieDie Hard(1988),Steven Spielberg'sIndiana Jones and the Last Crusade(1989),Paul W. S. Anderson'sMortal Kombat(1995), and theJean-Claude Van DammemovieSudden Death(1995).

The Raid,a 2011Indonesian film,was influenced byGame of Death.It has a similar plot structure, set in a single main location, a grungy high-rise building, with grunts at the bottom and the big boss at the top.ThisGame of Deathformula was also used in the filmDredd(2012) and appeared in an episode ofSpongeBob SquarePants.

Several films pay homage to the fight scene between Bruce Lee and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The scene is parodied in twoJackie Chanfilms,City Hunter(1993) where Chan fights two tall black men,andRush Hour 3(2007) which reverses it by having a shorterAfrican-AmericanmanChris Tuckerfight a taller Chinese basketballerSun Mingming.TheKeanu ReevesfilmJohn Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum(2019) pays homage in a scene featuringNBAbasketballplayerBoban Marjanović.The French filmLa Tour Montparnasse Infernale(2001) parodies the scene whenRamzy Bediafights with Bô Gaultier de Kermoal, wearing the same costumes as Lee and Abdul-Jabbar.

William ZabkareferencedGame of Deathduring his audition for the role ofJohnny LawrenceinThe Karate Kid(1984), when the directorJohn Avildsenasked him "how old are you? You're a little bigger than our karate kid." Zabka responded, "Bruce Lee was smaller than Kareem Abdul Jabbar, but he beat him" in reference toGame of Death,to which Avlidsen responded "Yeah, that's true." That convinced Avlidsen to cast Zabka for the role.

Video games

The plot structure ofGame of Death,where a series of martial arts opponents each have a weakness that must be discovered and exploited, established the "end-of-levelboss"structure used bybeat 'em upgames for decades.This structure first crossed over into video games with the 1984arcade gameKung-Fu Master,which established thebeat 'em upgenre.Kung Fu Masterwas initially released asSpartan Xin Japan, as atie-infor the 1984Jackie ChanfilmWheels on Meals(titledSpartan Xin Japan), before an international release asKung-Fu Master(sansSpartan Xlicense).Its boss battle gameplay also became the basis forfighting gamessuch asStreet Fighter(1987).Kung-Fu Masteralso inspiredSuper Mario Bros.(1985),theRed Ribbon Armysaga (1985-1986) in themangaandanimeseriesDragon Ball,and the French filmKung Fu Master(1988).

Comics

ThesuperheroShang-Chiwas created as a result of the kung-fu craze started by Bruce Lee in 1973, with artistPaul Gulacyusing Lee as a visual inspiration for Shang-Chi. The "Game of Rings" storyline from the comic seriesShang-Chi and theTen Ringswas inspired byGame of Death.

Yellow-and-black jumpsuit

The yellow-and-blackjumpsuitwhich Lee wore in the film has come to be seen as something of a trademark for the actor, and is paid homage to in numerous other media. In the Clouse-directed remake, the filmmakers rationalised its presence by including a scene where Billy Lo disguises himself as one of Dr. Land's motorcycle-riding thugs, who all wear striped jumpsuits.

In the warehouse scene, Billy Lo wears a pair of yellow Adidas shoes with black stripes and white shelltoes. Towards the end of the film, Billy wears a pair of yellowOnitsuka Tigershoes, with black stripes. This is because the real Bruce Lee wore the latter when he was filming, and the double wore the former in the 1978 version to resemble his shoes.

In the Lee-directed unfinished version, the jumpsuit should portray personal freedom in the art of combat, without being bounded to a certain fighting style. The cinematic explanation for its presence was the nickname of Hai Tien, Yellow-FacedTiger,because his fighting outfit and shoes resemble the colours of a Tiger. Over the years, there were many speculations about the colour of the jumpsuit and its meaning. According toAndre Morganfrom Golden Harvest, they had a yellow suit with black bars and a black suit with yellow bars. Lee first chose the black suit, but changed it to the yellow because Abdul-Jabbar's footprints were better visible on it.

Film

• Uma Thurmanwears a similar suit inKill Bill: Volume 1when she travels to Japan to take on an underworld boss and assassin played byLucy Liu.In homage to both the film and the remake, Thurman wears a two-piece suit and the Onitsuka Tiger sneakers as part of her motorcycle-riding gear, and keeps the suit on during her battle with Liu and her gang, the Crazy 88.
• InShaolin Soccer,a similar suit is worn by the goalie "Empty Hand" (Danny Chan Kwok-kwan), who resembles Lee.
• In theJet LifilmHigh Risk,Jacky Cheungplays anaction filmstar who is losing his fighting ability due to his cowardice and drunkenness. When he regains his courage at the end of the film, he wears a copy of the yellow tracksuit. The role is generally felt to be a parody ofJackie Chan,but the references to Bruce Lee are also obvious.
• The 1985 filmThe Last Dragon,produced byMotownfounderBerry Gordy,centred around a Bruce Lee fan, portrayed byTaimak,in search of reaching martial arts enlightenment who instructed his students wearing the same tracksuit.
• InRevenge of the Nerds,Brian Tochi's character, Toshiro Takashi, wears the yellow jumpsuit while riding a tricycle during the inter-Greek competitions.
• In the live-actionCity Hunterfilm (directed byWong Jing), the scene in whichJackie Chandispatches his own taller opponents references Lee's fight with Abdul-Jabbar.
• InPolice Story 4: First Strike,Jackie Chanwears a similar suit that he gets from a wardrobe of an hotel room, claiming that he is a dry cleaner to the owner, with the same colors and the left and right black line.
• InFinishing the Game,Breeze Loo, played byRoger Fan,wears a yellow and black striped jumpsuit.
• In the 2011British comedyfilmOn the Ropes,writer and directorMark Noyceadded a scene in homage to his idolBruce Leewhich featured Mick Western (played byBen Shockley) wearing a yellow tracksuit.

Music

• A short promotional video for the virtual bandGorillazshowed the fictional animated guitarist Noodle taking on a pack of thugs while dressed in the tracksuit and imitating Lee's fighting style. Noodle also wore the suit in theGame of Deathshort clip fromPhase One: Celebrity Take Down.
• The bandSugar Ray,in their video for the single "When It's Over",included a segment in which one of its band members (Rodney Sheppard,Guitarist) fantasizes about having a kung fu battle similar to the fight scene between Lee andKareem Abdul-Jabbar.The band member wears Lee's tracksuit, his opponent wears a beard, clothes and sunglasses similar to Abdul-Jabbar's, and the video duplicates the scene in which a seated Kareem kicks Lee in the chest, knocking him down and leaving a huge footprint on his chest.
• Topper HeadonofThe Clashwas known to wear a similar jumpsuit at live shows; he is seen wearing in it the 1980 filmRude Boy.
• Avant-garde guitaristBucketheadreleased a cover of "Game of Death" in 2006.He also wore a yellow tracksuit while playing live and performed withnunchakuson stage.
• American bandFar East Movement's song "Satisfaction"featured the yellow jumpsuits in the song's music video; said song was the soundtrack to the 2007mockumentaryFinishing the Game.
• Canadian hard rock duoIndian Handcrafts' song "Bruce Lee" uses the film as lyrical inspiration, while the music video features the two band members performing an over-the-top fight scene, with guitarist Daniel Brandon Allen wearing the signature yellow jumpsuit.
• In the music video for theIggy Azaleasong "Black Widow"(featuringRita Ora), based onKill Bill,Azalea wears a white & black tracksuit and Ora wears a black & red tracksuit. Both suits resembleUma Thurman's version of the tracksuit.
• In the video forBlack Label Society's 2009 song "Overlord", frontmanZakk Wyldewears the iconic tracksuit, and the video pays humorous homage to the film.

Manga and anime

• In theUrusei Yatsuraepisode "The Mendo Family's Masquerade War",Ataruwears a yellow tracksuit with black stripes while trying to court Mendou's sister, who is sporting nunchakus. Both Ataru's yellow tracksuit and the Mendou sister's nunchakus are a homage to Bruce Lee.
• In the anime/mangaTenjho Tenge,there is a short appearance of a character named "Inosato Dan" who is the leader of the "Jun Fan Gung Fu club" (Jun Fan is Bruce Lee's Chinese name). He resembles Bruce Lee very much, and wears the jumpsuit. However, in the anime the colors of the jumpsuit are switched to a black suit with yellow stripes.
• Duel No. 25 of theYu-Gi-Oh!manga features some references to Bruce Lee.Yugi's fighting-game character of choice is a Bruce Lee clone called Bruce Ryu. His opponent, the villain of the chapter, wears the yellow jumpsuit and calls his fight with Jonouchi a "Game of Death". The subsequent "Death-T" arc then follows a similar structure to the movie with Yugi fighting his way up to the top stage where he has a one on one bout withSeto Kaiba.
• The second episode of the anime seriesCowboy Bebop,"Stray Dog Strut", further pays homage with the episode's main antagonist being named Abdul Hakim (afterKareem Abdul-Jabbar's character) and bearing a strikingly similar appearance.
• The character Mr. Tanaka fromSonic Xwears the suit in an episode.
• The character Sasshi from the animeMagical Shopping Arcade Abenobashialso gets a uniform called the Game of Death suit, later imitating Lee in both appearance and mannerisms.
• Another reference is found inGreat Teacher Onizukain which the main character, Onizuka Eikichi, wears the same suits when performing feats of strength like breaking a baseball bat with a kick in front of his class.
• In episode 18 of the animeGintama,Kagura wears a suit similar to Bruce's suit in this movie.
• The cover for the third volume of the American DVD release of the animePaniPoni Dash!features the main characterRebecca Miyamotowearing a track suit similar to Bruce Lee's. The subtitle for the DVD, "Class of Death", also pays homage toGame of Death.
• In episode 20 ofHayate the Combat Butler,Hayate asks Maria if she knows "the art of assassination". She denies it, but Hayate does not believe her and Nagi imagines what Maria would look like wearing a yellow jumpsuit and holding nunchucks.
• In episode 11 ofHeartCatch PreCure!,the guest characters for the episode, brothers Masato Sakai and Yoshito Sakai, both wear the yellow tracksuit. Masato Sakai styles himself as a Kung Fu master and his brother is his pupil.
• In episode 23 ofKuromukuro,the character Shenmei Liu wore a yellow tracksuit and does a flying kick similar to Bruce Lee's when her friends were filming a movie.
• In episode 8 ofAkiba's Trip: The Animation,the character Arisa Ahokainen wore a yellow tracksuit during her training days with her master.
• In episode 10 ofSeton Academy: Join the Pack!,one of the impala species wore a yellow tracksuit.
• In episode 8 ofTonikaku Kawaii,during the sightseeing in Nara, Tsukasa and Nasa were having a conversation that has a reference of Bruce Lee'sGame of Deathsimilar to the theatrical poster.
• When cosplaying the character Hong Kong from the anime seriesHetalia Axis Powers,fans love to portray him wearing the yellow tracksuit.

Cartoons

• In "Karate Island", a fourth-season episode ofSpongeBob SquarePants(which is itself a take-off ofGame of Death),Sandy Cheekswears a yellow tracksuit similar to Bruce's.
• The characterMandyfromThe Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandywore a yellow jumpsuit in the episode "Modern Primitives / Giant Billy and Mandy All-Out Attack".The episode also had parodies ofAkira(Mandy drives a bike similar to Kaneda's in the series), theGodzillafranchise (there are several giant monsters that parody monsters from the franchise including the name of the episode) andKill Bill(a check-off list plus a red-screened close-up mimicking theBride).
• A game sprite resembling an Asian man can be seen wearing Bruce Lee's yellow suit during the first and third seasons ofReBoot.
• A Gorillabite from the bandGorillazis titledGame of Death.In the bite,Noodle,the guitarist, dons the yellow tracksuit to take on Russel.
• Episode 100 of the 2003Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlescartoon depictsMaster Splinter's former owner, Hamato Yoshi, wearing the yellow tracksuit.
• InThe Boondocksepisode "Let's Nab Oprah",Oprah's bodyguard Bushido Brown is seen as a reference toJim Kelly's character Williams inEnter the Dragon.Brown also tells the main protagonistHuey Freeman"You come straight out of a comic book", a reference toEnter the Dragon.However, he wears akarate giversion of the yellow and black tracksuit in the episode "Stinkmeaner 3: The Hateocracy".
• In episode 18 ofXiaolin Showdown,the character of Kimiko Tohomiko is seen wearing yellow track pants with a black stripe. The rest of her outfit is yellow with long black gloves.
• In "Tofu-Town Showdown", an episode of the second season of the TV showChowder,the character Schnitzel wore a yellow tracksuit and a similar Bruce Lee-style haircut; he then turns into a Super Saiyan in a parody ofDragon Ball.
• In theJackie Chan Adventuresepisode "The Chosen One", a man is dressed in a yellow jumpsuit and uses nunchucks.

Video games

• Marshall LawandForest Lawfrom theTekkenseries of fighting games resemble Bruce Lee with their move set, whoops and yells and wear a sleeveless version of the tracksuit.
• InDead or Alive 4,Jann Lee's third costume is none other than the tracksuit, and his ending movie includes him watching Bruce Lee films to help him practice Jeet Kune Do.
• In thePlaymorefighting gameRage of the Dragons,Mr. Jones (who already bears a striking resemblance to Kareem Abdul Jabbar) wears a suit very similar to the famous yellow jump suit.
• The suit is present in theMMORPGAnarchy Onlineas a piece of equipment for powerful martial artist characters.
• InCastlevania: Dawn of Sorrow,one equippable item is the "kung fu suit", whose icon is a yellow tracksuit with black vertical stripes along the sides.
• Although the suit does not appear in anyStreet Fightergames,Fei Longwears it in several issues of theUDONStreet Fightercomic book and inMasahiko Nakahira'sCammymanga.
• InGrand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories,the main character can wear an identical outfit called the "Dragon Jumpsuit".
• InShadow Hearts,Wugui's signature move is called "Game of Death".
• InShadow Hearts: From the New World,talking cat and drunken master Mao confronts the master of cat martial arts, the tracksuit-clad "Bruce Meow".
• InWWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008,the tracksuit is available in the "Create a WWE Superstar" mode.
• InPersona 4,the characterChie Satonaka's Persona is dressed in the same yellow jumpsuit, and fights with a combination of spears and Jeet Kun Do.
• InStreet Fighter IV,the characterRufuswears a yellow and black tracksuit. The suit matches his personality of having a great love for martial arts movies, leading to his style being adopted from imitating martial arts movies and mail order courses.
• In the online gameDragon Fist 3: Age of the Warrior,one of the characters from martial arts films isBilly Lo(with Lee being animated out) from this film, dressed in the yellow-and-black jumpsuit, fighting withJeet Kune Do,using a yellownunchaku(which is not found in the Character Editor) as a weapon, and theone inch punchas a special move.
• In most servers of theDragonicaonline game, the gladiator class can summon aBruce Lee-styled character named Bro Lee who wears the jumpsuit to perform some Kung Fu moves. The players can also buy the suit from the cash shop to equip on their characters.
• The yellow-and-black tracksuit can be bought inMortal Kombat: Armageddonfor use in the Kreate-A-Fighter mode.
• InRumble Fighter,Billy's jumpsuit is available in yellow, blue and green under the name "Billy Lo". Jeet Kune Do is also available as a fighting style.
• A similar tracksuit can be found and worn in the Capcom gameDead Rising 2.
• InSleeping Dogs,Wei Shen can wear the "Hai Tien Vintage Jumpsuit".
• InThe Last of Us,one ofEllie's unlockable costumes is the yellow jumpsuit that can obtained after beating the game on survivor difficulty.
• InAnimal Crossing: New Leaf,there are several pieces of clothing that resemble this iconic outfit. They are referred to as the "Dragon Suit".
• InMy Talking Tom,your Tom can unlock the "Jumpsuit Fur" when he reaches level 30.
• InEA Sports UFCandEA Sports UFC 2,the unlockable Bruce Lee character wears yellow-and black-compression shorts modeled after the yellow track suit.
• InAnarchy Reigns,Bayonetta(from thetitular franchise) appears as a downloadable character and features a yellow-and-black costume resembling the tracksuit. Bayonetta's later appearances inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii UandSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatealso features a similar yellow-and-black costume.

TV

• InTaskmaster'sseventh series,Phil Wangwore a costume inspired by the yellow and black jumpsuit from Game of Death. However, this jumpsuit was very revealing of his genitals, leading to jokes at his expense throughout the series from the rest of the cast.

Comics

• Shang-Chiwore two different suits that were inspired by the yellow and black jumpsuit. The first one, which had a one time appearance inSecret Avengers#18 (2011), was a black tracksuit with red bars. Shang-Chi's second suit, that he wore starting withAvengersvol. 5 #1 (2012), was a modernized version of Lee's tracksuit that was a red jumpsuit with a black pattern on the sides and chest.
• InIron Fist: The Living Weapon#8 (2014),Iron Fistgained an updated suit that was modeled off Lee's yellow and black tracksuit. The new suit was a black (green in some artwork) tracksuit with yellow bars, sported yellow Onitsuka Tiger shoes and included a yellowcollar,mask and Iron Fist's signature dragon insignia on the chest.

Home media

As one of Bruce Lee's perennially popular handful of films to receive wide exposure to Western audiences,Game of Deathhas seen many reissues in every home video format. It is particularly widespread onDVDandBlu-rayand was released on the latter in a new4Krestoration in 2016, scanned from the original negative.

See also

• Finishing the Game
• Bruce Lee filmography
• Sammo Hung filmography

External links

• Comparison: Final Game of Death reconstruction vs. A Warrior's Journey / Bruce Lee in G.O.D. / Redux reconstructionsat Movie-censorship.com

• Official websiteatMiramax
• Game of DeathatIMDb
• Game of DeathatRotten Tomatoes
• Game of DeathatAllMovie