One of the more interesting Bruce Lee clones was a Taiwanese kickboxer, who went under the nom de clone, Bruce Do-Re-Le. Bruce Do-Re-Le was known as the "clones, clone." All of the other clones looked up to him-one anonymous clone even admitted to copying him more than Bruce Lee. This admission caused a scandal in the clone world and created seismic reverberations in the industry, and if it wasn’t so silly, it might have brought the clone films to a full stop.
Prior to his clone christening, Bruce Do-Re-Le was Kim Sing and appeared in four movies under his given name, BUTTERFLY WITH A BLOODY SWORD (1976), WHO IS THE KUNG FU FOX? (1977), THE TOUGH, THE MIGHTY, THE INVINCIBLE (1977) and THE GIRL WITH THE FATAL PUNCH (1978).
His first film under the alias was 1978’s BRUCE’S LAST STAND.
PLOT: When Bruce’s brother’s body is found washed ashore, despite the fact that he has a dozen puncture wounds, the police think that it was due to an accidental drowning, but after speaking to his brother’s girlfriend, Bruce thinks that he was murdered by a local gang, the Hyenas.
Featuring wall to wall fight scenes, including a fight on an actual wall, BRUCE’S LAST STAND delivers juicy clone goodness.
He quickly followed that up with THE DRAGON’S FINAL CHALLENGE (1979).
Though considered to be not as good as BRUCE’S FINAL STAND, Bruce Do-Re-Le's second film, THE DRAGON’S FINAL CHALLENGE, provides some quality clone entertainment with having more nudity than a typical clone film, a blow dart wielding midget assassin and a super-powered rocket cycle.
Director Yum Y. Kim uses a generous amount of slow motion that brings to mind Sam Peckinpah or a malfunctioning camera.
Yum Y. Kim also directed EUNUCH IN THE FORBIDDEN CITY OF WOMEN (1974), THE STORY OF THE INVINCIBLE AVENGER (1975), ORPHAN WITH THE BLAZING FISTS OF FURY (1976) and DISCIPLES OF THE KUNG FU MYSTAGOGUE (1976)
Bruce Do-Re-Le returned for 1980’s BRUCE AGAINST THE UNDERWORLD.
PLOT: Bruce’s parents own a small grocery store in which they struggle to make ends meet. Bruce returns from some time abroad with big ideas to improve the store, but he soon finds out that local underworld goons have been extorting protection money from the local small business owners and using strong-arm tactics. Bruce returns the favor.
His co-star was Maggie O’Connell, who was, in effect, the only Linda Lee clone, as she appeared as Bruce’s wife in four films BRUCE, MY HERO (1977), THE LOVE LIFE OF BRUCE LEE (1978), THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO BRUCE (1979) and BRUCE LEE: THE WHOLE SHOCKING STORY.
His most well remembered film is 1979’s frenetic RICKSHAW SQUADRON aka RICKSHAW RAMBO (re-release title after RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II (1985).
PLOT: The Rickshaw Squadron is a special branch of the Hong Kong police, which is feared by bad guys and most welcomed by pedestrians needing to rest their weary legs. Bruce Do-Re-Le plays the squads leader, whose procedural methods straddle the line between legal and illegal. The Rickshaw Squadron risk life, limb and sore feet to clean up the streets.
Not a kung fu film, per se, but a rip-roaring, high-octane chase film with more exploding rickshaws than any other film. Has the most exciting rickshaw chases ever to be filmed.
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