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Game of Death II | |
---|---|
Chinese | 死亡塔 |
Hanyu Pinyin | Sǐwáng Tǎ |
Jyutping | Sei2 Mong4 Taap3 |
Directed by | Ng See-yuen |
Written by | Ting Chak-luen Ho Ting-sing |
Produced by | Raymond Chow |
Starring | Bruce Lee Tong Lung Huong Cheng Li Roy Chiao To Wai Wo Hoi Sang Lee |
Cinematography | Leung Hei-man Cheung Hoi Danny Lee Yau-tong Hoh Tin-shing |
Edited by | Peter Cheung |
Music by | Frankie Chan |
Distributed by | Golden Harvest |
Release date |
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Running time | 96 minutes |
Country | Hong Kong |
Language | Cantonese |
Box office | US$349,181 |
Game of Death II, also known as Tower of Death (Chinese: 死亡塔) or The New Game of Death, is a 1981 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Ng See-yuen and starring Bruce Lee, Tong Lung, Huong Cheng Li and Roy Horan. This film was marketed as a sequel to Bruce Lee's last and only partially completed film Game of Death. Bruce Lee died some years before the production of Game of Death II and most of his scenes are taken from Lee's older films, mostly Enter the Dragon. Aside from the international English dub giving the "Bruce Lee" character the name Billy Lo, this movie appears to have no connection with Robert Clouse's 1978 version of Game of Death.[1]
After a recent number of challenges, Billy Lo (Bruce Lee) and his friend Chin Ku (Huong Cheng Li) begin to suspect that someone wants them dead. Billy later visits his younger brother Bobby (Tong Lung), who is studying with Billy's former teacher, and leaves him a book on Jeet Kune Do. Chin is soon killed and Billy goes to Japan to find his stepdaughter, May. May tells him that Chin had visited just before his death, and left a film for her. They are suddenly attacked, but Billy manages to escape with the film.
A few days later Billy attends Chin's funeral, where he is turned away from viewing the body. A helicopter arrives during the burial and steals the coffin away. Trying to prevent the theft, Billy is carried up with the casket but is shot in the neck and falls to his death. Bobby Lo is told of Billy's death by their father, who tells him to find a man named Sherman Lan and avenge his brother. Sherman gives him the film, which shows Chin Ku at the Palace of Death. The Palace of Death is run by a crazed martial arts expert by the name of Lewis (Roy Horan). Any challenger who fails to defeat Lewis is fed to his pack of lions. Bobby decides to meet Lewis, who is impressed with Bobby's abilities. While investigating the Palace, Bobby is attacked by a masked man. Then he informs Lewis that someone is trying to kill him. Later that night, a woman is sent to Bobby's room to seduce and assassinate him. When she fails, one of Lewis' lions attacks Bobby. During the fight, the masked man appears and kills Lewis.
Suspecting Lewis' valet, Bobby seeks him out at the Fan Yu temple, where the underground Tower of Death is rumored to be. After defeating the valet, Bobby spies the secret entrance into the tower. Battling his way through the tower he eventually confronts the operator, Chin Ku. Chin is the head of a global drug trafficking organization and staged his own death to throw off Interpol investigators. He tried to frame Lewis for his death and arranged for the coffin to be stolen to prevent it from being searched. Realizing the only way to defeat Chin's sword skills is with Billy's Jeet Kune Do, Bobby cold-heartedly uses Chin's sword, impales Chin's bodyguard monk (Lee Hoi-San) and Chin together, finally killing Chin and stopping his drug operation.
Deleted scenes are available on DVD in both the international and English version as a special feature in Hong Kong Legends. One particular scene in the Chinese version of Game of Death, directed by Sammo Hung, was intended for his Asian audiences. In the Chinese version, Hung replaced the action scene in the opera house with another scene from the glasshouse at night with Casanova Wong in his karate clothes. The new fight scene, particularly the flips between Tong Lung and Yuen Biao, is reminiscent of Bruce Lee's fighting style.[2]
Much like the original Game of Death, there are several versions of Game of Death II.
In Hong Kong, the film grossed HK$1,950,391[3] (US$348,970).[4] In South Korea, the film's 2016 re-release grossed ₩245,000 (US$211) in Seoul City,[5] adding up to at least US$349,181 grossed in East Asia.
Universe (Hong Kong)
Fortune Star – Bruce Lee Ultimate DVD Collection (Hong Kong)
Fox (America)
Fox – Bruce Lee Ultimate Collection (America)
Hong Kong Legends (United Kingdom)
Criterion - Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits (America)
Arrow Video - Bruce Lee at Golden Harvest (United Kingdom)