Enter the Clones of Bruce
Enter the Clones of Bruce
7.3100%
Enter the Clones of Bruce dives into the Bruce Lee exploitation craze, otherwise known as Bruceploitation.
Spoons reviewedNovember 25, 2024
You’ve heard of Blaxploitation and Grindhouse, but have you ever heard of Bruceploitation? Enter the Clones of Bruce is a wildly entertaining documentary that dives headfirst into the bizarre and fascinating subgenre that emerged after the untimely death of Bruce Lee. When the martial arts legend passed, studios rushed to fill the void he left behind, churning out a slew of kung fu movies with Bruce Lee lookalikes and soundalikes. This is their story.
The documentary captures the absurdity and ingenuity of an industry scrambling to capitalize on the Bruce Lee phenomenon. It’s packed with humor and jaw-dropping anecdotes, exploring how studios blurred the lines between homage and exploitation. The film is both a love letter to the martial arts craze and a revealing commentary on how Hollywood—and global cinema—has always been quick to exploit a single idea when it shows profitability.
What’s great about Enter the Clones of Bruce is its mix of reverence and irreverence. It doesn’t shy away from the sillier aspects of Bruceploitation (and trust me, there’s plenty of that), but it also highlights the incredible talent and passion of the actors who stepped into Bruce’s iconic shadow. It’s a fascinating piece of cinematic history that sheds light on an era of filmmaking that’s as ridiculous as it is entertaining.
This film will be popular with fans of quirky documentaries like Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films or The Last Action Heroes, offering a hilarious and insightful look at how far the industry will go to keep a legend alive—whether he wants to be or not. Highly recommended for martial arts fans and anyone curious about the stranger side of cinema history!