Hailed as the Ultimate Bruce Lee Documentary – I Am Bruce Lee truly takes a look at the life of the most influential martial artist of our time by reminiscing on his life and how he affected the lives of others.
Pulling in all of the usual names and some new ones, I Am Bruce Lee is documentary that’s told with style and touches on modern day topics regarding the man.
Is it really the ultimate Bruce Lee documentary? It’s a good one but no. You want my opinion on the best – check out Bruce Lee: A Warrior’s Journey. This one does reign up near the top though.
Why is it such a top Documentary?
This is no surprise – you’ve got Linda Lee Cadwell & Shannon Lee holding the torch for the Lee family aswell as former Jeet Kune Do (the Martial Arts Concept created by Bruce) students Dan Inosanto and others.
What I like about this documentary may be what other people don’t – they mix the old with the new.
You’ve got famous modern day martial artists like Kobe Bryant & Ed O’Neill (from Married with Children – who holds a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) and you’ve got pro MMA fighters like Gina Carano, Jon ‘Bones’ Jones, Stephan Bonnar and the UFC president himself – Dana White. Surprisingly though you have professional dancers and musicians being interviewed as well.
There’s too many names to list but all of the current-day martial artists talk about how Bruce has influenced them, but what I thought was different and arguably relevant was the influence he’s had on performers and others outside the world of martial arts.
As a deep thinker and philosopher, Bruce Lee’s thoughts and martial arts concepts extend into real life and have helped millions become better people – and this documentary shows how these people have taken his influence to become everything they can be.
Meanwhile the old names discuss the old days but get a little more personal than usual. There are tears, personal memories and even a little resistance toward popular opinion from guys like Bob Wall and Gene Lebell. It’s not just a 90 minute ass-kissing session – but a real take on Lee’s life and his influence.
A New Age – New Topics of Conversation
I Am Bruce Lee hits on more recent topics about Lee.
One of the biggest discussions is about MMA and the UFC – was Bruce Lee the father of Mixed Martial Arts? No one really has the answer but the opinions are put forward anyway – on both sides. With people arguing that Gene Lebell was the father when he used Judo defeat a Boxer, and others claim that Bruce was the first to put it all together into a single fighter, these arguments seem to be fought with passion.
Of course a more recent topic which circulates the internet these days is mentioned – was Bruce Lee really the best fighter in the world… or even just a great fighter?
Once again differing opinions surface, with many stating he was pound for pound one of the best ever, and others (once again) like Gene Lebell who are willing to bet money against Lee if he were to fight guys like Chuck Norris.
Was Bruce the father of MMA – maybe or maybe not but he was one pioneer of MMA. Was he the best fighter? It can’t be determined but his abilities in self defense and combat were real and undeniably proven in front of others as were his thoughts on martial arts – definitely ahead of his time.
All of these issue were put to rest when a biographer of Bruce simply stated that his historical and cultural significance overrides any of those factorss because ‘his movies changed the world‘.
Worth a Watch for Bruce Lee fans?
One of the best, if you’re a fan watch this documentary!
It touches on old topics, going into more detail, it tackles new arguments that have arisen in regards to Bruce Lee and combat/sport in the 21st century. But overall it demonstrates how each and every single interviewee has something to say about the man that is so different from another.
There’s a variety of voices and they’re all pro Lee, even the guys arguing against him. It’s an honest documentary that should be seen by all Bruce Lee fans.
On Blu Ray –
Region A (US & Canada)
I Am Bruce Lee Blu-ray 
Region B (UK, Australia, New Zealand, Europe etc)
I Am Bruce Lee on Blu-ray
On DVD –
Region 1 (US & Canada)
I Am Bruce Lee on DVD 
Region 2 (UK, Europe, etc)
I am Bruce Lee on DVD
Region 4 (Australia, New Zealand, etc)
I am Bruce Lee
