Arguably the OG beast! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the movie moments that best displayed the legend’s speed, skill, and all-out rage on screen.
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00:00 [fighting noises]
00:08 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the movie moments that best displayed the legend's speed, skill, and all-out rage on screen.
00:17 [screaming]
00:24 Number 10 - Nunchaku Duel - Game of Death
00:28 This movie contains some of Bruce Lee's most iconic one-on-one fight scenes.
00:32 In the film, his character must ascend a five-story tower by defeating a different style of martial artist on each floor.
00:38 [fighting noises]
00:46 The Nunchaku Duel is a major display of skill punctuated by plenty of Lee's signature ki-ai shouts.
00:52 Nunchaku mastery is all about speed, control, and technique.
00:56 Lee whips the weapon around his head and torso almost too quickly to see, never losing focus on his opponent.
01:02 [fighting noises]
01:07 He also uses the bright yellow Nunchaku to distract from savage oncoming kicks to the face.
01:12 Eerie precision combined with the wild look in Lee's eyes makes this fight one of his most memorable.
01:18 [fighting noises]
01:22 Number 9 - Tang Long vs. Two Martial Artists - The Way of the Dragon
01:27 Most remember American martial artist Robert Wall as O'Hara in Enter the Dragon,
01:31 but that wasn't the first time he and Bruce Lee duped it out on screen.
01:34 [fighting noises]
01:39 Wall appeared in 1972's The Way of the Dragon.
01:42 As one of two martial arts masters, Lee's character is tricked into fighting.
01:45 Needless to say, this trick backfires.
01:48 Lee connects foot to face dozens of times over in a beastly example of both strength and stamina.
01:53 [fighting noises]
01:58 This fight is a showcase of his ultra-precise blink-and-you'll-miss-it kicking style.
02:03 That speed definitely translated into force,
02:05 as Lee once broke a 150-pound boxing sandbag in half with one of his kicks.
02:10 [fighting noises]
02:16 Number 8 - Hiroshi Suzuki Katana Fight - Fist of Fury
02:20 First, some bad news.
02:22 The viral video of Bruce Lee playing ping-pong with Nunchaku isn't real.
02:26 The good news is that his second feature film, Fist of Fury,
02:29 aka The Chinese Connection,
02:31 contains an even cooler scene of Lee parrying a katana with Nunchaku.
02:36 [fighting noises]
02:42 The climactic fight against villain Hiroshi Suzuki
02:44 starts with the katana slicing Lee's improvised staff into bits,
02:48 along with part of his chest.
02:50 [fighting noises]
02:56 Once Lee starts batting away the razor-thin katana blade,
02:59 the momentum turns around.
03:01 This fight unites next-level skill with a true beast finisher
03:04 as an enraged Lee kicks Suzuki through the wall
03:07 before letting out a primal scream.
03:09 [fighting noises]
03:16 Number 7 - The Big Boss Final Fight - The Big Boss
03:20 Bruce Lee's first starring role contains an incredible finale,
03:23 an all-out brawl with the titular Big Boss that lasts over six minutes.
03:27 The camera work is simple, favoring full body shots over extreme close-ups.
03:31 This puts all of the emphasis on Lee's legendary skill.
03:34 [fighting noises]
03:38 Footwork, grappling, throws, and flying kicks all make an appearance
03:43 before the fight is even half over.
03:45 When Lee's opponent takes out a pair of vicious-looking knives,
03:48 beast mode kicks in.
03:50 [fighting noises]
03:54 Trapping one knife in a jacket while kicking the other one
03:57 out of the Big Boss' hand is ridiculous on its own.
04:00 The last seconds of this fight are truly brutal, though,
04:02 as Lee kicks a thrown knife directly into the Big Boss' stomach.
04:06 [fighting noises]
04:12 Number 6 - Hapkido Fight - Game of Death
04:15 This criminally underrated scene is a perfect example of Lee's adaptable fighting style.
04:20 Hapkido is a Korean martial art that focuses on circular movements and deflection.
04:25 [fighting noises]
04:30 Real-life Hapkido legend Ji Han-Jae rolls and flows out of Lee's first strikes
04:35 and even lands three over-the-shoulder throws in a row.
04:38 Lee's scrappier Jeet Kune Do style gets more energized as the fight wears on,
04:42 while Han-Jae loses steam as he takes hits.
04:45 [fighting noises]
04:49 This fight is one of the most straightforward and balanced in Lee's canon,
04:52 making the spine-break finishing move an unexpected beastly twist.
04:56 [fighting noises]
05:02 Number 5 - Revenge Against O'Hara - Enter the Dragon
05:06 Bruce Lee's characters rarely go completely feral during a fight,
05:09 but when they do, it's always fun to watch.
05:12 [fighting noises]
05:15 In Lee's smash hit, Enter the Dragon,
05:18 his character squares off with his sister's murderer in a secret martial arts competition.
05:22 The first half of the duel is another speed showcase,
05:25 as Lee's opponent O'Hara can't even see his punches, let alone react to them.
05:29 Yet O'Hara refuses to give up.
05:32 [fighting noises]
05:36 In response, Lee jumps onto O'Hara's broken body with a famous close-up scream.
05:41 [screaming]
05:46 Though the rumors of on-set beef between Lee and actor Robert Wall were fabricated,
05:50 there was an injury sustained during this fight.
05:52 Lee kicked Wall into the crowd so hard that the impact reportedly broke an extra's arm.
05:57 [screaming]
06:00 [fighting noises]
06:05 Number 4 - Ice Factory Fight - The Big Boss
06:09 While his one-on-one fights are impressive,
06:11 Bruce Lee really kicks into high gear when fending off a small army of opponents.
06:15 The Ice Factory Fight in The Big Boss is a true example of beast mode,
06:19 with its large scale and a standout setting.
06:22 [fighting noises]
06:29 Deadly ice-cutting equipment, from picks to saws to knives,
06:33 transform into the fight's improvised weapons.
06:35 Instead of blocking and parrying,
06:37 Lee hurls these blades through the air into his many opponents.
06:40 [fighting noises]
06:49 The entire fight is one massive highlight reel,
06:51 but we have to shout out the triple knife throw to the heart
06:54 as one of the most beastly moments on the list.
06:56 [fighting noises]
07:07 Number 3 - Basement Brawl - Enter the Dragon
07:10 One of Bruce Lee's most technically impressive fight scenes
07:13 comes near the end of this classic film.
07:15 [fighting noises]
07:21 The villain, Han, sends guard after guard to take down Lee
07:25 in the drug lab underneath his palace,
07:27 and Lee uses every trick in the book to knock them out in style.
07:30 [fighting noises]
07:36 This four-minute beatdown cycles through all of Lee's preferred weapons in rapid succession.
07:41 Oh, and the guard he arm locks while kicking another guard in the face?
07:44 That uncredited extra is a young Jackie Chan.
07:47 Ultimately, while Lee took out dozens of opponents in this fight sequence,
07:51 he was bested by three conveniently placed trap doors.
07:54 [fighting noises]
07:59 Number 2 - Chuck Norris Fight - The Way of the Dragon
08:03 Watching Bruce Lee knock out a horde of guys is awesome,
08:06 but against formidable opponents,
08:08 Lee shows that he can take hits as well as dish them out.
08:11 [fighting noises]
08:15 He eats more than a few brutal shots from Chuck Norris
08:18 in the finale of The Way of the Dragon.
08:20 After calmly letting the bad guy wear himself out,
08:22 Lee counters with blistering fast kick combos
08:25 and utterly concussive crosses.
08:27 [fighting noises]
08:30 The scene's hard cuts to a random kitten may seem odd on first viewing,
08:34 but Lee shows all the agility and speed of the tiny natural-born killer.
08:38 True beast mode means demolishing your opponent with energy to spare.
08:41 [fighting noises]
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08:59 Number 1 - Bruce Lee vs. An Entire Dojo - Fist of Fury
09:05 Many of Lee's characters have revenge as their driving motivation.
09:08 In Fist of Fury, the target isn't just one well-protected man,
09:12 it's an entire dojo.
09:14 [speaking in Japanese]
09:23 After Japanese martial artists insult Lee's deceased master,
09:27 he shows up at their school and fights them all, including the sensei.
09:31 Having all of Lee's opponents in the same room,
09:33 rather than arriving in small groups,
09:35 makes this fight more technically difficult than other group beatdowns.
09:38 [fighting noises]
09:46 Lee destroys the dojo, throwing opponents into each other
09:49 and deflecting attacks from every angle.
09:51 Then he takes out a pair of, what else, nunchaku,
09:54 and whips everyone in the face and shins.
09:56 His arrogant pose at the end is completely deserved.
09:59 [fighting noises]
10:07 Let us know your favorite Bruce Lee fight or finisher in the comments.
10:11 [fighting noises]
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10:25 [music]