Best Bruce Lee Movies, Ranked

Key Takeaways

• Bruce Lee broke stereotypes in Hollywood as the first Asian lead actor in a major American movie, Enter the Dragon.
• Lee displayed his versatility by starting in drama films before dominating the martial arts genre with iconic fight scenes.
• Game of Death, directed by Bruce Lee, highlighted his martial arts prowess despite being unfinished due to his untimely death.

Bruce Lee was a former Cha-Cha dancing champion, who used his quick feet to learn martial arts, specifically Gung Fu — an ancient hand combat used for self-defense. He started as a martial arts teacher to pay for his college studies in psychology and drama, and his talent led him to open several schools in Seattle. After suffering racism and discrimination while trying to make a career in Hollywood, he returned to Hong Kong and opened his own production company.

Eventually, Warner Bros., which never gave Lee a lead role due to his race, reached out to script a movie with him. This movie is Enter the Dragon, one of his most notable works. Known for being confident and creative, Lee destroyed stereotypes, bridged cultures, and became the first Asian actor to star as the main lead in a massive American movie. He unlocked doors for other Asian actors like Jackie Chan. Martial arts fans can see in this list some of the best movies of Bruce Lee’s career.

8 Game Of Death (1978)

The Unfinished Yet Successful Movie

• Original title: Game Of Death
• Duration: 1h 40m
• Director: Robert Clouse, Bruce Lee
• Release date: March 23, 1978
• Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

Game of Death was co-scripted and co-produced by Bruce Lee. Unfortunately, Lee passed away before the completion of this martial arts movie. His co-director, Robert Clouse, had to finish it and replace Lee, who was also starring in the movie, with a Taiwanese artist named Bruce Li.

The plot tells the story of a skilled martial artist who, after being injured during an assassination attempt, is forced to fake his death to get revenge. Viewers can see realistic fights between Bruce Lee and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a 7-foot basketball player and actor.

7 In The Face Of Demolition (1953)

One Of Lee’s Earliest Acting Roles Outside Martial Arts

• Original title: Wei Lou Chun Xiao
• Duration: 2h 10m
• Director: Tit Lee
• Release date: November 27, 1953
• Streaming: —

In The Face Of Demolition is a drama movie directed by Li Tee in Hong Kong, in which Bruce Lee fans can see his younger days in the acting world when he was just 13 years old. Lee isn’t the main lead in this film, but rather a supporting actor.

Bruce Lee fans should know that he was more than just a martial arts actor. At the beginning of his career, he predominantly played parts in the drama genre, proving his versatility as a young talent.

6 The Big Boss (1971)

Realistic Fights, With Themes Of Loyalty And Revenge

• Original title: Tang Shan da Xiong
• Duration: 1h 41m
• Director: Wei Lo, Chia-Hsiang Wu
• Release date: June 25, 1973
• Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

The Big Boss premiered two years before Bruce Lee’s death, and was one of his first martial movie hits where viewers can see loads of battle scenes. The plot revolves around a story about a promise that Cheng Chao-an (played by Bruce Lee) made to his mother after she passed away.

When his mother died, he promised not to violently fight again. However, things change when he gets a job at a factory and encounters a group of local gangs who continually put his oath to the test.

5 An Orphan’s Tragedy (1955)

An Emotional Story of Loss and Revenge

• Original title: Gu Xing Xue Lei
• Duration: 1h 53m
• Director: Ji Zhu
• Release date: February 11, 1955
• Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

Although Bruce Lee isn’t The Orphan’s Tragedy‘s lead actor, it’s still remarkable because it was one of his first childhood acting roles before moving to the United States. He was just 14 years old, and while the movie has its flaws, the acting talent of teenager Lee makes the movie worth a watch.

The story is an adaptation of the novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. The plot revolves around a young man, played by Bruce Lee, who becomes an orphan after his parents’ mysterious death. He seeks revenge and eventually becomes a highly skilled martial artist. The story covers themes of loss and grief as well as justice, offering a lot of action and an emotional story as well.

4 The Way Of The Dragon (1972)

The Iconic Fight Between Bruce Lee And Chuck Norris

• Original title: Meng Long Guo Jiang
• Duration: 1h 39m
• Director: Bruce Lee
• Release date: December 30, 1972
• Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

The Way of the Dragon was directed and written by Bruce Lee, who also starred in the main role. This action-comedy was filmed in the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, and its popularity comes from the authentic martial arts battles.

The plot revolves around Tang Lung (played by Bruce Lee), who moves from Hong Kong to Italy to help defend his family’s restaurant from a local gang. The Bruce Lee vs. Chuck Norris fight scenes in Rome are among the movie’s highlights.

3 The Thunderstorm (1957)

Shows Lee’s Dramatic Versatility Outside Martial Arts

• Original title: Lei Yu
• Duration: 2h 04m
• Director: Wui Ng
• Release date: March 14, 1957
• Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

In The Thunderstorm, directed by Wui Ng, Bruce Lee was cast when he was just 16 years old. What makes this movie appealing to fans is the chance to see Lee in a non-action movie. Instead, viewers have the opportunity to see his versatility on screen in a dramatic light.

The story centers around the Zhou family, a wealthy and troubled family that hides many secrets and conflicts that affect everyone involved. Bruce Lee plays Zhou Chong, one of the family’s sons, in one of his first notable drama movies in Hong Kong.

2 Fist Of Fury (1972)

Themes Of Justice, Nationalism, And Discrimination

• Original title: Jing Wu Men
• Duration: 1h 46m
• Director: Wei Lo
• Release date: March 1, 1973
• Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

Fist of Fury is famous for the movie scene in which Chen Zhen (played by Bruce Lee) breaks the “No Dogs or Chinese Allowed” sign while facing discrimination. It’s a memorable scene where he fights against injustice.

The movie is based on true historical events, but it remains fictionalized. The references draw inspiration from the rivalry between the Chinese and Japanese. In this movie, Chen Zhen decides to investigate his master’s suspicious death, which ends up in an endless, intense battle.

1 Enter The Dragon (1973)

An Influential Movie That Solidified Lee As A Global Icon

• Original title: Enter The Dragon
• Duration: 1h 42m
• Director: Robert Clouse
• Release date: January 11, 1974
• Streaming: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

Enter Of The Dragon, written by Bruce Lee, was one of his most influential and notable works. It was also the first major American movie to star an Asian lead actor. Unfortunately, Bruce Lee wasn’t there to present the movie’s high success, as he died a week before the movie was released.

The movie tells the story of a skilled martial artist and infiltrator who joins a fighting tournament to acquire information against a criminal. Enter Of The Dragon is rich in intense fight scenes, and it’s the movie that established Bruce Lee as an international star.