Brandon Leehas developed something of a cult following over the decades, as fans keep wondering, “What could have been?” As the son of the most famous martial artist of all time, there are impossible expectations to live up to. Still, Brandon Lee had no intention of being the nextBruce Lee, understanding that, to get his foot in the door, he would have to take on action roles. Lee began his martial arts training with his father, but after Bruce Lee’s death, he later trained in the art calledJeet Kune Dowith GuroDan Inosanto, Bruce Lee’s most senior student. Lee was an extremely capable martial artist, and he utilized this to great effect throughout his career.
By 1993, it seemed that Brandon Lee was set to be the next big thing in Hollywood when the unthinkable happened. The mishandling of a firearm on the set ofThe Crowled to the death of Brandon Lee, only 28 years old at the time. More than 30 years after his passing,The Crowremains an enduring gem of ’90s cinema. Rumors persist that Brandon Lee auditioned for the part of Johnny Cage in the first live-actionMortal Kombatfilm and thatThe Wachowskisconsidered him for NeoinThe Matrix.Lee only made six movies, and while his cinematic legacy might be short, it is no less meaningful.
6’Laser Mission' (1989)
Directed by BJ Davis
A Laser Mission with no lasers at all. After stealing a diamond and kidnapping a scientist, the KGB plans to use his expertise to build a deadly laser. Michael Gold (Lee) is an American mercenary on a mission to stop their plans and convince the scientist to defect to the USA.
Laser Missionis often ignored among Brandon Lee fans and with good reason.A train wreck from start to finish,Laser Missionis nothing of note. Despite having the charismatic and extremely talented Brandon Lee as the lead, the film fails on all fronts. The action is uninteresting, the dialogue is bad, and the story is strange and makes no sense at all.Laser Missionis only fun to laugh at, not even excelling asa so-bad-it’s-good classic. This one is best left alone, although Lee’s most ardent fans might want to give it a second chance.
Laser Mission
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5’Kung Fu: The Movie' (1986)
Directed by Richard Lang
Brandon Lee’s feature film debut,Kung Fu: The Movie, picks up years after the events of theKung Futelevision series from the 1970s. An assassin out for revenge is searching for Kwai Chang Caine (David Carradine). Unbeknownst to Caine, he has a son by the name of Chung Wang (Lee). Under the assassins' mind control, Chung Wang is forced to fight his father.
The Lee family’s history with theKung Fufranchiseis riddled with contention. The timeline is roughly as follows: In the 1960s, Bruce Lee pitched an idea for a western calledThe Warrior. It is widely believed that Warner Bros. took Bruce Lee’s idea and reworked it to create what would eventually become the hit television seriesKung Fu. On top of that, Bruce had actually been considered for the part of the main character, Kwai Chang Caine. David Carradine was eventually cast as the lead, a problematic casting choice that confused and upset many viewers.Kung Fu: The Movieis an extremely lackluster filmthat mainly serves as little more than an effort to revive the series. Carradine and Lee share solid chemistry, and they do their best to inject some energy into this otherwise confused effort; they sometimes pull it off. Far from required viewing, but an interesting watch nonetheless.
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4’Showdown In Little Tokyo' (1991)
Directed by Mark L. Lester
A buddy cop movie with all the cheese and charm ofa delightful ’80s B-movie,Showdown In Little Tokyois so bad it’s good. StarringDolph Lundgrenand Brandon Lee as two cops with conflicting personalities who become partners and attempt to stop a drug lord (Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa).
Action-packed from start to finish,Showdown in Little Tokyois a wild film. The dialogue is terrible, and the fight choreography is mostly standard for its time and lacks any depth. What carriesShowdown In Little Tokyois the charismatic leading duo and the over-the-top nonsense they get into throughout. The entire cast seems to be fully aware that the plot is total nonsense, and they lean into that to great effect. A lot of talented people were involved in the movie, but it just seems as though they weren’t attempting to create anything compelling.Showdown In Little Tokyois very entertaining, but nothing more.
Showdown in Little Tokyo
In Showdown in Little Tokyo, two police detectives, an American with Japanese heritage and a dedicated partner, work together to take down a dangerous Yakuza gang operating in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo district. As they face cultural challenges and intense conflicts, they must rely on their skills and partnership.
3’Legacy of Rage' (1986)
Directed by Ronnie Yu
Brandon Lee’s first leading role was inLegacy of Rage, a Hong Kong action film thattells a classic revenge story. It follows Brandon Ma (Lee), a waiter who is framed for a crime he didn’t commit. Once he is released from prison, he seeks revenge on those who framed him.
AfterKung Fu: The Movie, Brandon Lee followed in his father’s footsteps and looked to Hong Kong to kick-start his career. One of the standout moments inLegacy of Rageis Brandon’s fight with Bolo Yeung, who acted alongside Bruce Lee inEnter the Dragon.Legacy of Ragewould be Brandon’s only Hong Kong film, and it’s a surprisingly solid effort. It’s not great and has a fairly formulaic plot, but the action is good, and Lee shows the appeal and confidence of a certified leading man. Flawed but genuinely engaging,Legacy of Rageis a worthy entry in Brandon Lee’s career.
Legacy of Rage
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2’Rapid Fire' (1992)
Directed by Dwight H. Little
Something of a hidden gem,Rapid Fireis a highly underrated film of the 1990s that far exceeds the quality of many action films of the era. College student Jake Lo (Lee) witnesses a murder and is now the target of a crime organization and crooked law enforcement who want him dead. Lieutenant Mace Ryan (Powers Boothe) sees Jake’s involvement as his opportunity to finally bring down these criminals. With Mace Ryan protecting him in exchange for his cooperation, Jake must unwillingly help in the operation.
Unfairly written off as a mere cash grab on the Lee family name,Rapid Firewas not nearly as well received by critics in 1992 as it should’ve been.
Love or hate it,Rapid Fireis the moment when it became clear that Brandon Lee was undeniable. Brilliantly marketed with quotes such as “Move overVan DammeandSeagal” in the promotional material, it was clear that 20th Century Studios, then 20th Century Fox, believed in this film and Brandon Lee. A leading man with charisma, good looks, range as an actor, and martial arts prowess that rivaled that of his peers, Brandon Lee was set to be the next big action star. In addition to making several nods toJackie Chan’s Hong Kong films,Lee’s fights inRapid Fireare well-thought-out and far more intelligentcompared to his previous work, telling a unique story and, at times, requiring some degree of martial arts experience to fully grasp. Jeet Kune Do practitioners will spot several instances in which the art’s “economy of motion” principle is applied.Rapid Fire’s finest moment is the fight between the legendaryAl Leongand Brandon Lee, in which a brief but stunning Wing Chun trapping sequence takes place. Unfairly written off as a mere cash grab on the Lee family name,Rapid Firewas not nearly as well received by critics in 1992 as it should’ve been. Still, it remains a must-see for not only fans of Brandon Lee but for fans of action cinema.
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1’The Crow' (1994)
Directed by Alex Proyas
Certainly in the conversation for the golden standard by which all comic book adaptations should be measured,The Crowis by far the best of Brandon Lee’s films. A young musician named Eric Draven (Lee) and his fiancé, Shelley Webster (Sofia Shinas), are murdered the day before they are to be married. A year later, a mysterious crow brings Eric back from the dead. Immediately setting his revenge into motion, Eric systematically takes the lives of everyone involved in their murder. Lee wanted to get away from the martial arts roles he had begrudgingly got his foot in the door with and hoped to take on more dramatic roles.The Crowwas finally his opportunity to do just that. A major factor for its success is thatThe Crowcaptures the essence of the early 1990sin a way that is difficult to rival. Brandon’s portrayal of Eric Draven genuinelyfeelslike a musician in the early 1990s, and not just because of the fashion, the music, or the attitude; this film is a time capsule of a bygone era.
Lee shows an exceptional ability to thoroughly convey every emotion a person in Eric’s situation would naturally feel: empathy, mourning, anger, sadness, insanity, and even brief moments of joy as he gains a newfound perspective and appreciation for life. There is a constant balance of rage and gentleness to his performance that few actors could pull off.Other talented actors may attempt to play Eric, but Brandon Lee was lightning in a bottle. What made this character special cannot be done again, partly because the real-life world in which he was created is gone:MTVis dead and the grunge movement was already on its way out by 1994. In other words, the authentically alternative attitude and style the film exudes is purely of its time; any attempt to recreate it could easily feel misguided and hollow, and any change, however minimal, would make Eric feel like another character. Three decades afterThe Crow’s release, it’s near-universally regarded as a masterpiece.Brandon Lee’s final performance is a painful reminder of the beauty and brilliance the world was robbed ofdue to human negligence.
