The Criterion Collection has announced a new, seven-disc collector’s set of Bruce Lee’s five greatest kung-fu classics, available on Blu-ray beginning July 14. The lineup features 4K digital restorations of “The Big Boss,” “Fist of Fury,” “Game of Death,” and “The Way of the Dragon.” The package also includes a new 2K digital restoration of the rarely seen, 99-minute 1973 theatrical version of “Enter the Dragon,” and a 102-minute special edition of the martial-arts masterpiece. Watch a trailer for the collection below.
The tribute set is designed to give fans and neophytes alike a deep dive into the kung-fu dynamo, who completed a tight, but groundbreaking filmography before he died at age 32, leaving behind a legacy as both an entertainer and a disciplined artist who put Hong Kong action movies on the global map. Lee’s work enjoyed a renaissance last year following his controversial portrayal by Mike Moh in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” whose director Quentin Tarantino has made a career out of paying homage to icons such as Bruce Lee.
One of the biggest points of controversy stemmed from a scene where Lee and Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) fight each other on the set of “The Green Hornet.” Bruce Lee’s daughter, Shannon, condemned Tarantino for portraying the martial arts legend as an “arrogant asshole who was full of hot air,” while Lee’s protégé Dan Inosanto added that the film did not faithfully portray the action star. A new documentary about Lee’s life and career, “Be Water,” also premiered at Sundance earlier this year.
Popular on IndieWire
“Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits” is also packed with special features such as interviews with his closest collaborators and admirers, and documentaries about Lee’s life and philosophies. The Criterion Collection release has Q&As with Lee biographer Matthew Polly, author of 2018’s “Bruce Lee: A Life”; a new presentation of “Game of Death,” which features the final footage Lee shot before his death; six new audio commentaries from Bruce Lee expert Brandon Bentley; a new interview with author Grady Hendrix about the “Bruceploitation” sub-genre that followed Lee’s death; and many more goodies.
This release marks Bruce Lee’s Criterion Collection debut. Sadly, none of his films are currently available to stream on The Criterion Channel, but “Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits” should mean his films will hit the streaming platform soon.
We couldn’t be more excited to announce BRUCE LEE: HIS GREATEST HITS, our tribute to the life & work of the iconic Bruce Lee with 5 dazzling, action-packed kung-fu landmarks starring the international martial-arts legend!
Entering the collection on 7/14! https://t.co/KDLBkHhSSR pic.twitter.com/k5uIvywwRn
— Criterion Collection (@Criterion) April 13, 2020
Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
