Bullet Points: Bruce and Shaolin Kung Fu Part 2
1977’s Bruce and the Shaolin Kung Fu took the path of many Bruceploitation films and sold itself as a sequel to one of Bruce Lee’s classics, in this case 1972’s Fist of Fury.
But unlike any of the other “unofficial sequels” from the Bruceploitation genre, Bruce and the Shaolin Kung Fu ended up having its own direct sequel in the form of 1978’s Bruce and Shaolin Kung Fu Part 2…
- Previously on Bruce and Shaolin Kung Fu: In the original film, our hero Ching Lung (Bruce Le, Bruce’s Deadly Fingers) was seeking vengeance against the Japanese forces that killed his brother and shut down all the Kung Fu schools in China. The battle between Chinese Kung Fu and Japanese Karate is waged on Korean soil… there Ching Lung takes on a variety of martial arts masters including Jujitsu Master Lam Chi Chu (Bolo Yeung, Bolo) and a father and son duo that were absolutely mesmerizing in their ridiculousness. When it is all said and done, Ching Lung vanquishes everyone who was matched up against him and delivers an impassioned speech to the leader of the Japanese forces, General Kawasaki (Bae Su-Cheon) before turning his back on the General and his troops and simply walking away… as the movie ends Kawasaki orders his men to fire and Ching Lung is hit as we freeze frame our way out.
- He’s Alive!: Most men when put up against a firing squad are not going to be long for this world, but as our sequel begins we find out that Ching Lung is not most men. Ching Lung survived and his being nursed back to health by an old farmer and his daughter. It is while under the care of the farmer that Ching Lung learns about a Tae Kwon Do Master who lives nearby… a master who could teach Ching Lung the skills he needs to defeat the Japanese once and for all.
- Legion of Doom: A bad guy meeting takes place and like most meetings, I imagine most of the people in the room were dreading it. The death of General Kawasaki’s son is still fresh on everybody’s minds and everybody knows Kawasaki is going to be in a real mood after learning that Ching Lung (Kawasaki’s son is one of the many vanquished by Ching Lung in the first film) is still alive. Fortunately for Kawasaki, the General has a new bad guy to dispatch against Ching Lung in the form of Samurai Master Shi-Sha (Tao Chiang)… a man appointed by the Japanese Emperor himself. As an added bonus, Shi-Sha also has a past with the Tae Kwon Do Master… so he is looking at this as an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
- Tough Teacher: Ching Lung’s journey to find the Tae Kwon Do Master is not without incident… which means we get some Bruce Le fighting action along the way… but it is an uphill battle of a different kind when Ching Lung makes it to the Master’s secluded home. When the Master learns that Ching Lung is planning on using the Tae Kwon Do skills he wants to learn to exact revenge the Master wants none of it… he tells Ching Lung he needs to live his life the right way first and then maybe he’ll teach him.
- The Rematch: After some soul searching, Ching Lung does learn from the Tae Kwon Do master and it is none too soon…Shi-Sha, General Kawasaki and the rest of the bad guys have also found the Tae Kwon Do Master’s home and are laying waste to the guards that have sworn to protect it. It is time for Ching Lung to fight them… but not for personal revenge, but instead for the honor of his people and the people of Korea, both who have been oppressed by the Japanese.
Bruce and Shaolin Kung Fu Part 2 is a true blue sequel and like most sequels the movie is not as good as the original. The plot is mostly rehash and the fights did not seem as memorable. But the biggest problem to me was the lack of a strong villain…
When you have a hero that basically comes back from the dead, you are going to need one hell of a bad guy to make you think the hero doesn’t stand a chance and Shi-Sha was not that bad guy. Maybe they shouldn’t have blown their bad guy wad in the first film and saved some of those dudes for the sequel.
And speaking of bonuses, here are some Bonus Bullet Points…
- Familiar Face?: Is that a young Jackie Chan playing General Kawasaki’s aide at the beginning of the film? IMDb sure thinks so, but they’ve been known to be wrong. I say absolutely not.
- If You Ever: …wanted to see troops form a human bridge so their commanding officer could cross a stream without getting wet, then this is the movie for you.
- Learn To Fly: What chapter in the Tae Kwon Do handbook covers flying? Because Ching Lung does some flying in this one.
- Listen Up: Be sure to check out the Bruce and Shaolin Kung Fu Part 2 episode of The Clones Cast!