Legacy of Rage

"Legacy of Rage" proves that Brandon Lee had enough talent to become an action star in his own right, without counting only on his famous father's name. He is a strong, likable, handsome, assured and charismatic hero - and this is only his film debut! And when he gets angry, he is one dude you don't want to mess with. Regina Kent is adorable as his girlfriend, and Michael Wong turns in a convincing performance, as he changes from a bitter young man to a ruthless crime boss. The film itself is rather slow and unexceptional story-wise (half prison flick, half revenge flick), distinguished from similar American fare mostly by a few superb hand-to-hand fight scenes and the amount of blood in the climax. (**1/2)

This was another interesting but not very exciting film. For me I was rather in-between about liking and disliking it.

To begin with it was nice seeing this as one of the very few not to mention early Brandon Lee films. At first this struck me more as a US production, considering that it was officialy released in the UK around 1993 (the same year he tragically died on the set of "The Crow").

I got my chance to watch this back in 2001. The thing that made me feel emotional after watching the film was wishing he'd still been alive to make other quality films. For me The Crow is still one film that stands out a brilliant achievement, it's not surprising to learn that there would've been so many promising role for him in the pipeline.

My only disapointment with Legacy of Rage was the fact that not much martial arts was demonstrated despite the showdown with "Enter the Dragon" co-star and Bruce Lee student Bolo Yeung. You couldn't help but feel slightly put off considering the fight didn't seem to last that long since things were more geared towards gun battles. But to top it off the dubbing was real annoyance as it's becoming both lame and outdated with most of these actor's not being able to speak their native languages, what a crock of s**t.

Overall not a bad film at all, but it's high time that voice dubbing becomes a thing of the past?

"Legacy of Rage" (1986) marks Brandon Lee's debut in Hong Kong cinema, showcasing his raw talent and charisma. The film is a classic revenge story with a gritty, realistic tone that sets it apart from typical martial arts fare.

Lee plays Brandon Ma, a mild-mannered waiter framed for manslaughter by his best friend, Michael (Michael Wong), a rising gangster. Imprisoned for eight years, Brandon emerges a hardened man consumed by a thirst for vengeance.

The film excels in its portrayal of prison life, capturing the brutality and dehumanization of the environment. Lee delivers a powerful performance, conveying Brandon's transformation from an innocent man to a vengeful warrior.

The action sequences are well-choreographed, blending realistic fight scenes with moments of explosive martial arts. The climax is particularly intense, with Brandon facing off against Michael and his henchmen in a brutal showdown.

Beyond the action, "Legacy of Rage" explores themes of betrayal, redemption, and the corrupting influence of power. The film's ending is ambiguous, leaving the audience to ponder the true cost of revenge.

While overshadowed by his later Hollywood success, "Legacy of Rage" remains a significant film in Brandon Lee's career. It showcases his potential as an action star and serves as a reminder of his immense talent tragically cut short.

I'm not understanding the fellow reviews of other posters here, seems like the general negative consensus is that Brandon Lee didn't do enough martial arts or with the finesse of his father. Well this isn't a martial arts film, so if you were expecting the successor to Bruce Lee you'll be disappointed. Immediately push Bruce Lee out of your head. This is an overly melodramatic action film from Hong Kong, falls into the genre also known as "Heroic Bloodshed", and in that respect the movie's hokey but simultaneously keeps strong pacing and high entertainment value. This film is from 1986 coinciding with the release of John Woo's A Better Tomorrow, in which is set at the root of the new wave HK gangster genre. For being one of the first of its kind, it doesn't receive sufficient credit. This type of all-out gunplay in HK films doesn't appear until at least a year later. Brandon Lee plays a young waiter about to marry when a jealous/criminal friend purposely shatters his future. Brandon gets framed and sent to jail where he'll waste away for eight years. Luckily with some assistance from those on the outside who know the truth, he manages to escape where he wishes to find his fiancée and take vengeance on the friend who put him away. There are some twists in the story and the bullet-frenzied climax is very well done. The negative aspects about this movie are the shoddy soundtrack and dubbing, although once the plot takes off you forget about both. Lee is very charismatic in his character, and if you become attached to his story this should be a very fun ride. -7/10

Before I saw this, I thought Rapid Fire was Brandon Lee's first movie, but I like him more in this one than Rapid Fire. This movie shows that he really had talent. Michael Wong looks so young in this movie, and he's one good looking son of a gun. Regina Kent plays her usual role of bossy brat. Her career ended short like Brandon's.

The movie is dubbed, and it's a so, so job. You can still tell that its a dub because the lip and the word doesn't match.

Simple story, but it works, and is pretty good entertainment even after quarter century. One thing that's original about this movie is that each scene happens in a little bit different settings than you usually see, and each scene is beautiful.

See it for the charisma of Brandon Lee, and unusual settings where thing happens.

7.5/10