Game of Death (1978)
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A martial arts movie star fakes his death to exact revenge on a racketeering syndicate.
The story
After gaining international success as a martial arts movie star, Billy Lo finds himself targeted by a racketeering syndicate. When Billy refuses to be intimidated by the syndicate's henchmen, the owner, Dr. Land, orders his assassination. During the filming of a new movie, an assassin shoots Billy, leaving him alive but requiring plastic surgery that alters his appearance. Taking advantage of the situation, Billy fakes his death and goes into hiding. He begins a calculated campaign of revenge against the syndicate members who wronged him, eventually being forced out of hiding when the mob kidnaps his fiancée, Ann Morris.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The 1978 version of Game of Death follows Billy Lo, a martial arts movie star who is targeted for assassination by a racketeering syndicate led by Dr. Land. After being shot and undergoing plastic surgery, Billy fakes his death and begins systematically eliminating the syndicate members. The film incorporates portions of original footage from a 1972 production intended to be a story about a man named Hai Tien retrieving a stolen Chinese national treasure from a five-story pagoda in South Korea. In the 1978 revision, these pagoda fight scenes are recontextualized to take place in the upper floors of the Red Pepper restaurant. Billy fights various guardians, including Pasqual, a Restaurant Fighter, and Hakim, while also facing Steiner on the top floor. The film concludes with Billy surviving an ambush, rescuing his fiancée Ann Morris, and destroying the main mobsters one-by-one.
- Original title
- Sǐwáng Yóuxì
- First release year
- 1978
- Runtime (minutes)
- 103
- Production countries
- Hong Kong
- Original languages
- Cantonese; English
- Directors
- Robert Clouse
- Writers
- Robert Clouse · writer; Raymond Chow · writer; Bruce Lee · writer
- Cast and characters
- Bruce Lee · Billy Lo; Kim Tai-jong · Billy Lo (stunt double); Yuen Biao · Billy Lo (stunt double); Gig Young · Billy Lo; Dean Jagger · Billy Lo; Colleen Camp · Ann Morris; Robert Wall · Billy Lo; Hugh O'Brian · Steiner
- Genres
- martial arts; action; thriller
- Themes
- revenge; identity; martial arts philosophy
- Tone and mood
- action-packed; vigilante; neo-noir
- Premise and plot tags
- martial arts; revenge; fake death; underworld; action
- Reception
- The film received a mixed critical reception but was commercially successful, grossing significant amounts worldwide.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 38% · review count: 13
- Production trivia
- The film is known for Lee's iconic yellow-and-black jumpsuit.; The original version's concept of ascending a tower while defeating enemies on each level was highly influential.; The film is considered an early example of the 'arcade movie' genre.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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