Birth of the Dragon is old-school awesome

Movie Title:
Birth of the Dragon

Grade: B-

Rating: PG-13, 91 minutes

In a nutshell: I love China, San Francisco, Kung Fu, and Bruce Lee. Put all of those things together and you get this entertaining movie directed by George Nolfi, who also directed the fun movie The Adjustment Bureau.

While Birth of the Dragon is a fictional origin film, it’s based on an event that supposedly occurred.

It’s an imagining of what may have inspired Bruce Lee to develop his unique style of martial arts.

Uplifting theme:

“Kung Fu is not a game, gentlemen. It is not a religion. It is about who lives and who dies.” – Bruce Lee (Philip Ng)
“Kung Fu is about self-discipline and self-discovery.” – Wong Jack Man (Yu Xia)
“Kung Fu does not reside in the fists, but it resides in the soul.” – Wong Jack Man

Balance and harmony

Things I liked:

Serious old-school Kung Fu fighting.
1 inch punch. Ha ha
A good amount of humor.
Great stunts and action. I have a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, but I was always pretty clumsy and awkward, especially compared to all of the actors and stuntmen in this movie!
I loved the flowing movement of Wong Jack Man’s golden robes. Besides it looking cool, it represented his inner dance for balance in his life. I’ve been to China four times so far and love their philosophy of chi and harmony in all things.
If you liked this, you might like watching the old Enter the Dragon (1973)

Things I didn’t like:

The movie makes Bruce Lee look really cocky. In reality, Bruce Lee inspired millions. One of his famous quotes is, “Real living is living for others.” The Bruce Lee Foundation was created in 2002 by his wife and daughter. Every year they donate money and help students with scholarships.
I can’t stand fake flying in martial arts movies.
Steve McKee (Billy Magnussen) has a much larger role in the film than he probably should, considering this movie is supposed to be about Bruce Lee. In fact, there are some Asians who are completely offended that it’s a white guy who seems to be at the center of the story and, ultimately, saves the day. They have a valid point. While it’s not supposed to be a biopic, we watch this movie because we want to learn more about Bruce Lee and watch him kick a$$, instead of see some white guy who has a crush on a Chinese girl.

Interesting lines:

“Now you have begun to exceed your limits.” – Wong Jack Man

“What limits?” – Bruce Lee

“I was going to be a star, but I’d rather be a legend.” – Bruce Lee

Tips for parents:

Some profanity.
Lots of fighting! (Duh!)
Discussion of prostitution.
If you have a child who is taking some kind of martial arts lessons, you can point out the lessons learned in this movie about when to fight and how to do it with honor.