How the History Channel’s Bruce Lee Changed the World explores a range of surprising ways that Bruce Lee — the first international Asian superstar — influenced popular culture. Calling Lee the greatest movie star of all time is a bit of a stretch (although every shot of the hypnotically charismatic performer argues that if he hadn’t been on the scene before his fourth and highest-grossing film, Enter the Dragon, died suddenly and he would be him). .
The large number of interviewees included filmmakers such as Jackie Chan (who worked as a stuntman in Lee’s films earlier in his career), John Woo and Brett Ratner, comedians such as Eddie Griffin and Margaret Cho , musicians such as LL Cool J, RZA and Damon Albarn, athletes such as boxer Sugar Ray Leonard and bodybuilder Flex Wheeler attest to the huge impression Lee made on them.
The documentary goes too far in places, but there’s no denying that Lee brought wuxia cinema to the West and redefined the image of Asian men in the public consciousness (before him, Asian men were like Fu Manchu, servants or clown-like demon).
Lee’s life story is told effectively, with delightful details – who knew Lee was a cha-cha master in Hong Kong? His audition for The Green Hornet presented a movie star waiting to be discovered. The man himself – supple and muscular, capable of prodigious speed and grace, exuding intelligence and passion – makes comment redundant.
