Fanboys Anonymous

So often in Hollywood, we have bright stars that burn out. They come and go so fast that they can be described much akin to comets, something celestial that passed through our world and was gone before we had a chance to fully appreciate their splendor. James Dean is an example of a film star who had only three starring roles during his brief 24 years on this earth yet has since become an icon.

Bruce Lee is also one of these bright candles that burned bright yet blew out fast. With the exception of some work as a background player in several Chinese films, Lee did very little in the area of film. He only had four completed movies and one that was partially finished when he died at the age of 32 in 1973. He also co-starred in a few TV shows. Most notably of which was The Green Hornet as Kato, Green Hornet's hard fighting sidekick.

Owner of one of the most dazzling screen presences of all time, Lee was the Grandfather of Kung Fu movies. It's impossible to take your eyes off him while he's on screen. Try it. I bet you can't do it. Lee was magnetic, electric, and brimmed over with charisma. Not only was his philosophy about the human body being a conduit for spiritual power transcendent, his impact on popular culture cannot be underestimated. He simply oozed something special. Watching him move was so hypnotizing it was like experiencing a physical symphony. 

Before Bruce Lee broke into Hollywood, Kung Fu was a lesser known, hardly respected sub-genre few knew much about. After his Western break through Enter the Dragon and subsequent shocking death, Kung Fu was everywhere, including wannabe Bruce Lees popping up attempting to cash in on the style and name. Many movies tried to put some martial arts in there, even when it wasn't needed (here's looking at you, The Man with the Golden Gun). This demonstrates how well regarded and influential Lee was to the world of martial arts.

An argument could be made that Lee already peaked with Enter the Dragon because it is hard to imagine there being a better martial arts film than this one. Sure, it's Dr. No meets Kung Fu, but it works so well to showcase everything Lee had to offer the world. It's such a shame he never got to see the outcome and enjoy the success of breaking through in America. We'll never know what might have been, only that his star power was enough to light a fire for all things related to what he believed in: exercise and physical fitness combined with a healthy spirit.

So if you have never seen a Bruce Lee film, check them out in this order: The Big Boss, Fists of Fury, Way of the Dragon (also called Return of the Dragon), Enter the Dragon, and then the unfinished The Game of Death, where he famously fights off Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It's amazing that he was only in the film for like ten minutes, yet that scene is one of the most watched in history.

Anyone else a huge fan? Has anyone never seen him in action? Sound off below on some of your favorite moments of this huge cinematic icon.