New Fist Of Fury (4 Stars)

New Fist of Fury as Bruceploitation

New Fist of Fury arrived in 1976 as one of the earliest attempts to reshape Jackie Chan into the next Bruce Lee. The film is a curious mix of martial arts melodrama and industry calculation; it sits at the intersection of tribute and imitation, and it shows how the Hong Kong studios tried to fill the void left by Lee’s sudden death. In retrospect this phenomenon has been called Brucesploitation.

This refers to the wave of films made after Bruce Lee died in 1973. These films used actors who resembled him, behaved like him and fought like him; they were sometimes given names designed to trick audiences. Posters featured lookalike poses, yellow tracksuits and snarling facial expressions. Many films claimed to continue Lee’s legacy, or pretended to reveal secret chapters of his life. The goal was simple: ride the momentum of a superstar whose fame had grown even larger after his passing.

Brucesploitation could be cheap and cynical, but it was also a revealing snapshot of a film industry that had lost its brightest star and had no clear idea how to replace him.

How New Fist of Fury uses Jackie Chan in this framework

Golden Harvest had not yet found the comic persona that made Jackie Chan famous. In New Fist of Fury, the studio tried to shape him into a tough, brooding successor to Bruce Lee. The original Fist of Fury had made Lee a household name, so reviving that title was the clearest signal possible.

Chan’s performance fits the bruceploitation mould in several ways:

1. The grim persona

Chan is asked to suppress his natural charm. He scowls, postures, and delivers his lines with forced intensity. This mimics the stoic fury that defined Lee’s screen presence, although it never feels natural for Chan.

2. The righteous avenger template

Chan plays a street thief who becomes a disciplined martial artist. The journey mirrors the narrative arc that bruceploitation films loved; a downtrodden hero discovers inner strength, then retaliates with righteous force against oppressors.

3. The choreographic echoes

While Chan had not yet developed his playful, acrobatic style, the fights push him toward Lee’s sharp explosive movements. His screams copy Lee’s distinctive kiai patterns, and several shots linger on his face as if trying to capture the same raw intensity that Lee had carried effortlessly.

4. The legacy branding

The film uses the Fist of Fury title to wrap itself in Lee’s aura. Chan is not playing Bruce Lee, but the narrative positions him as a symbolic heir who must restore pride to the oppressed Chinese fighters. This is classic bruceploitation; a new protagonist inherits Lee’s mission and fights in his spirit.

How well it works

The film is historically interesting but dramatically uneven. Chan is earnest, but he feels misplaced. He fights well, but without the self-aware sparkle that later made him unique. Instead of showcasing his gifts, the film tries to hammer him into a mould that never fits.

The production has some strong choreography and a sincere sense of national struggle. However, the pacing is uneven and the dramatic scenes are heavy. The attempt to recreate the tone of the original Fist of Fury gives the film a stiff solemnity that contrasts with Chan’s natural energy.

Final thoughts

New Fist of Fury is a transitional film. It shows a studio searching for another Bruce Lee, and an actor waiting to become Jackie Chan. As bruceploitation, it is a clear example of how the industry tried to borrow Lee’s power rather than build something new. Today, it is most interesting as a record of what Chan was never meant to be, and as an early chapter in the long period before he found his true screen identity.

	Order from Amazon.com
	Order from Amazon.co.uk