Bullet Points: Bruce Strikes Back
A globetrotting adventure that goes to such exotic locales as Rome, Paris and Macau sounds like the backdrop for a big budget blockbuster movie, but would you believe it was actually the backdrop for a modestly budgeted film from the Bruceploitation sub-genre of martial arts cinema?
1982’s Bruce Strikes Back was not your typical Bruceploitation movie. Not only was the movie shot in multiple countries, Bruce Le, in addition to starring in the film, had one of his rare co-director credits along with Joseph Kong (who also worked with Le in such films as The Clones of Bruce Lee, Bruce’s Deadly Fingers and Cobra).
Bruce Strikes Back was definitely different, but was it any good?
- Destination Rome: Bruce Le plays a guy named Bruce. Bruce and his running buddy Ron Wong (Jang Lee Hwang, Ninja in the Dragon’s Den) are sent by their gangster boss to make some sort of nefarious purchase from some criminal underworld types. Bruce brings the briefcase filled with his boss’ money, but the sellers don’t bother to bring the merchandise. Bullets start flying and Bruce takes one in the leg. As the sound of police sirens grow closer, Bruce demands Ron get the hell out of there and to leave him behind… Bruce takes one for the team and ends up in prison. But when he gets out of prison, he is a changed man. Bruce decides he no longer wants to be a gangster and instead wants to lead a normal life with his girlfriend.
- Destination Paris: When Bruce’s former criminal running buddies are involved in the kidnapping of an ambassador’s daughter, the authorities (in particular Inspector Marino) turn to Bruce for some help, figuring he knows how his former friends think. Bruce and Inspector Marino end up in Paris where they proceed to interrupt people having sexual intercourse first on a porn set, then in a cheap motel where French bad guy, Jean-Pierre (typical French bad guy name) was getting his freak on. Jean-Pierre ends up being chased around the city by Bruce and Marino until he finally spills the beans that the ambassador’s daughter had been taken to Macau by “The Ninja”. At this point, Bruce has had enough crime fighting and is ready to start enjoying life his lady, but that doesn’t last long…
- Destination Macau: …Bruce’s girl ends up taking a sniper bullet, that was intended for him, while they are relaxing on the beach. Since Bruce’s prior engagements have now been cancelled indefinitely, he reaches out to Inspector Marino and agrees to go to Macau to rescue the ambassador’s daughter. To add to Bruce’s motivation, we find out that The Ninja that has imprisoned the ambassador’s daughter has also kidnapped Bruce’s younger sister and if that was not enough… The Ninja also murdered Bruce’s father. It should be noted that The Ninja is actually a guy named Sakata, who was played by Harold Sakata, who shared some similar traits to Odd Job from Goldfinger, which makes perfect sense since Harold Sakata played Odd Job in Goldfinger. After fighting with some disappearing ninjas and then with Sakata himself, Bruce manages to save the ambassador’s daughter and he takes her back to Rome, where she is promptly kidnapped for a second time before she can reunite with her father.
The story now comes full circle as Bruce’s old running buddy Ron Wong has the ambassador’s daughter captive at the Colosseum and tells Bruce if he wants her, he can come and get her. The familiar setting must have triggered something in Bruce, because he is now in full Bruceploitation mode for his final fight with Ron Wong.
Bruce Strikes Back had its moments, but overall it left a lot to be desired. What was the point of them going to Paris? Why did they have to add the subplot about Bruce’s family? Why was Sakata not the main villain? It felt like they either wanted to over-complicate things or they just didn’t give a rat’s ass and figured as long as Bruce Le fought somebody every few minutes, it would be all good.
Bruce Strikes Back may not have been all good, but these Bonus Bullet Points are…
- Familiar Face: I wish I could say I was surprised to see Bolo Yeung pop up as Sakata’s henchman, but it feels like Bolo is in almost every Bruceploitation movie I cover on the site. Good thing I never tire of seeing Bolo in action!
- AKA: Bruce Strikes Back is also known as Ninja Strikes Back and Eye of the Dragon.
- Name That Tune: With one of the most famous James Bond villains of all-time involved, I guess it makes sense that we get some James Bond music… Bruce Strikes Back also features the disco hit “Boogie Wonderland”… and to my surprise a familiar instrumental could be heard when Bruce first gets out of prison and he is enjoying his regained freedom, I recognized it as the first theme song for Prime Time Wrestling.
- Top 10: If I were going to compile a Top 10 list of Bruceploitation Movies for Boob Lovers, Bruce Strikes Back would certainly make the list.
- X-Ray Vision: The final fight between Bruce and Ron utilizes the old Sonny Chiba “x-ray vision” trick where an animated sequence shows Bruce breaking Ron’s leg and my favorite, Bruce’s hand reaching into Ron and breaking his ribs.
