User Reviews

Just watched this movie in a company of friends and got extremely disappointed with it. I first saw a trailer a couple of months ago and though it was a great premise - yes, a little goofy and maybe too post-modern for it's own good, but at least it seemed that it was a fun thing to watch.

The premise of the film is simple and is shown to you on the first minute of the movie - Bruce Lee dies while filming "Game of Death", he leaves behind 12 minutes of footage that a studio producer is willing to exploit. They start a nation-wide search for a double, so that they can film "the rest" of the movie. And so enter the bunch of hopefuls wishing to take the place of the master or just get a first acting job.

The jokes are tongue-in-cheek, but the problem with them is that they are simply not funny. The whole movie is filmed in a pseudo-documentary style that has become a most overused technique in the last 10 years of independent movies. The situations and plot lines are sometimes cute, but mostly predictable and definitely not intelligent enough. The story actually looks like a long episode of "Office" (the US version), and you have a twitch to start channel surfing instead.

I'm not sure how many Bruce Lee fans are still out there, but this film has very little to do with his work and just takes the premise and runs with it - unfortunately the end result is bland and devoid of any creative spark.

Done in the style of a 1970s mockumentary, "Finishing the Game" is based on the premise that, when Bruce Lee died in 1973 at the age of 32, he left behind twelve minutes of footage for a movie entitled "The Game of Death." Determined to bring Lee's final dream to fruition, a group of dedicated filmmakers set out to find a replacement for the star in the hopes of finishing the project. "Finishing the Game" is a fictionalized account of that search (the actual movie was released in 1978).

Unfortunately, beyond its spot-on '70s fashions and hairstyles, oh-so-groovy soundtrack and overall air of genial good-naturedness, "Finishing the Game" offers little of quality for anyone craving a good behind-the-scenes movie parody. Lacking both polish and finesse, the movie represents a major comedown for director Justin Lee after his stunning triumph with "Better Luck Tomorrow" a few years back. The half-hearted Josh Diamond screenplay scarcely makes an effort at being funny, and the concept itself is simply too thin to be successfully stretched out over even a relatively meager 84-minute-long running time.

Barely flash-in-the-pan cameo appearances by the likes of James Franco, MC Hammer and Ron Jeremy do little to support an otherwise likable cast. And there isn't even any decent martial arts action to make the movie much fun for fans of the genre being satirized.

I just saw this up at Park City. i waited in line for two hours and i have to say it was worth it. The premise is incredibly strong and the film is filled with enough kooky characters to make Christopher Guest proud. It is a solid and smart film. I was laughing out loud consistently. the main thing i love about the film is that it deals with issues without hitting you in the face with it. ultimately it shows in an entertaining way that things haven't changed at all through time. the performances were all strong and the music rocked. the camera work was authentic and the colors just popped. overall, go see it when it comes out.

I had high hopes for this film (after reading some of the positive reviews). I was sadly disappointed. Most of the characters were supremely boring. There were some introductions to the main replacement Bruce Lee characters, but none of them seemed in the least bit interesting. I really, really tried to give this movie a chance, but it never really came through on any level. The action scenes were lame (I suppose they were supposed to be funny, but they weren't). The in depth character analysis just didn't work, other than to prove that this movie was shot on such a low budget. (Was it ever in theaters?) I think there was one funny scene, but I can't recall what it was (it was close to the end that's all I can remember). The one redeeming aspect was that most of the actors didn't completely blow it – they seemed somewhat better than most porn stars. (I know that's not much, but it's better than nothing).

"You've offended me, you've offended my family!" I just cracked up so hard that my tears just rolled out of my eyes. If I were to tell you that this is one of my best experience at the SIFF to date, then you would probably think I'm out of my mind, unless of course, you've watched this movie. Actor Dustin Nguyen was on hand to introduce the movie since he had a bit part and is one of the invited guests to the festival for the Vietnamese film The Rebel, he shared that this film is actually director Justin Lin's labour of love. Those of us in Singapore would be familiar with Justin's previous movie, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (admit it, you have the Teriyaki Boyz set as your ringtone), and is now currently in production with FF4 (with the return of Vin Diesel and most of the original cast).

Finishing the Game sets itself in the wake of Bruce Lee's death, where the production of The Game of Death got hung up, pending how to move the film forward. As we now know, old footages of Bruce from previous movies, and stand-ins were used to try and complete principle photography so that it could still be released and audiences could lap it up when it is all Bruce Lee the master himself taking care of things up along the pagoda. So herein lies the premise for Finishing the Game, as a mockumentary looking for the next possible Bruce Lee stand in.

And the process of doing so is genuinely hilarious, playing to various stereotypes and a throwback to the cheesiness (in hindsight of course) of the 70s with the diverse group of actors and actor wannabes turning up for casting and auditioning. In fact, every character featured has a likability factor, and you can't help but to laugh along, and laugh at them. The major favourite of mine is Breeze Loo (Roger Fan), a two-bit Asian actor who's a dead ringer for Lee, and the name being a mimicking of the various "Bruce Lee" incantations that erupted in the video-movie market with Lee's demise, each starring in various action movies copying Lee's signature movements.

Watching the "spaghetti" type productions starring Breeze Loo, never fails to bring on rip-roaring laughter from the audience, and the thing is, it's pretty fun! Sung Kang stars as a happy-go-lucky, always smiling Cole Kim, a struggling actor who can't shake off his smiley face, and Raja (MOusa Kraish), who thinks he's half/Chinese. Dustin Nyugen's own role in the movie, Troy Poon, is yet another actor in a fictionalized spoof of 70s detective movies. His role in Golden Gate Guns has to be seen to be believed, and that one-liner of his about doing other people's laundry, makes him a one-liner hit wonder.

But it's not all fun and laughter throughout the movie, as underlying it is a very keen look at the Hollywood of the 70s, where "coloured" folk often get sidelined, or cast to play the villains, bit roles, supporting characters and the likes, I mean, a television series like "Kung Fu" with David Carradine in the lead, speaks volumes It's not all that serious actually as it skirts around these issues, but you get the point real quickly, about discrimination and unequal opportunities.

All in all, it split my sides good enough for me to warrant a DVD purchase once it's out (has it?). And oh yeah, see if you can spot rapper MC Hammer in it too!

There are very few movies I consider truly bad. I love B grades, I love cult films. I love chop sockies and Japanese sci fi from the 50s and 60s.

I can watch almost anything and enjoy it.

But there is one thing that is worse than a truly bad film. And that is a truly bad film that actually thinks it is a good film. And that is exactly what we have here. Unfunny, pointless crap that thinks it is clever.

And apparently so do a few other people. If you are the vapid sort who finds art in a ordinary object simply because it is contained in a plexiglas cube you too may find this exercise in mundane satire brilliant.

But if you are looking for comedy, an irreverent examination of the Brucesploitation phenomena or a martial arts spoof you will want to keep looking and not waste your time with this thief of life.

I was at Park City and have to say aside from a few films, it was quite a downer. Most of the films valiantly tried to explore serious topics but felt self important. After the intensity of seeing a couple of these films earlier in the morning, FINISHING THE GAME, a lighthearted spoof was the perfect movie to let out some tension via laughter. Director Justin Lin skillfully takes aim at racial stereotypes and the ridiculous nature of the movie biz, mocking everyone from door to door salesman to the diligent Asian med students. Lin's actors, many of whom he has previously worked with, inhabit the world he has created perfectly. Among others, there's Roger Fan as "Breeze Loo", the B-movie star who is perfectly delusional; Meredith Scott Lynn as casting director "Eloise Gazdag", the character you'd love to hate; and Sung Kang as "Cole Kim" the over-eager bumpkin" actor vying for the part. The costume design adds a wonderful visual element to the piece, and I take my hat off to all who had to don the Bruce Lee-esquire jumpsuits. Overall, it was everything it set out to be.

Just saw this movie at VC Filmfest 2007 on 05/03 Thursday night. It was a big surprise that how this movie came out.

Justin Lin was born in 1973 --same year as Bruce Lee's death. When I saw this movie,it was so real that You can't believe it was made in 2007 by a director who was just born in that era.All the details were well arranged that you almost forgot it's a mocumentry instead of real footage.

According to Justin Lin's answer on Q&A after the movie,this film was shot in 18 working days and under NO BUDGET....it's like WOW!--mission impossible.

There were so many actors in this movie and some of them were merely recognizable,like James Franco and Brian Tee or Leonardo Nam. Other major characters shared the scenes evenly and most of them were really funny. I like Meredith Scott Lynn who play the casting director the most,she was the one audience will remember when people talked about this movie.

Josh Diamond and Justin Lin wrote the script fill with funny lines and really works.

it's a movie totally different from Back Luck Tomorrow or Tokyo Drift.And it proved again--Justin Lin is someone you can expect.

I was up at the 2007 Sundance film festival this year. After being turned away at the wait list line (twice), I finally got into a screening of Justin Lin's "FINISHING THE GAME". It was, at the very least, very well worth the freezing wait.

I was at Sundance in 2002 when "BETTER LUCK TOMORROW" made it's world premier. So I thought it was very cool that I was also there for the world premier of "FINISHING THE GAME". Though the two films are significantly different (BLT being a dark drama while FTG is an all out crazy comedy), they are both vintage Justin Lin. And Lin pulls out all the stops. As a film maker, Lin has really challenged and proved himself in most (if not all) mediums of film making and genres. From a powerful indie drama (BLT), to a studio sports film (Annapolis), to a 100 million dollar summer blockbuster (FF3 - Tokyo Drift), Justin Lin returns to his indie roots with the comedy, FINISHING THE GAME. This 70's comedy following Hollywood's retarded search for the next Bruce Lee (Lee died unexpectedly with only having shot the last 12 minutes of fight footage of his passion project, The Game Of Death) showcases Lin's abilities to direct comedy. FTG is just flat out Hilarious.

But more importantly, this film, I believe, will become known as a very Significant film. Much like Spike Lee's "Do The Right Thing" or John Singleton's "Boyz In The Hood", Lin has crafted a film filled with social and political commentary but disguises it as a laugh out loud comedy (a very difficult thing to do well in film making). Lin navigates these waters with precision and poise so beautifully. The film takes a deep look at and takes stabs at Hollywood superficiality, racial/ethnic expectations in the 70's, and pain and denial of people's dreams, hopes, and fears. The ironic thing is that very little has changed in 35 years. We deal with the same exact issues as today, 2007. With this, Lin has crafted a Signficant film in cinema for all to experience and enjoy.

Of course, Lin is greatly helped by many of his players. Cinematography by Tom Clancy (not the writer) really brings that 70's documentary style to life. Candi Guterres set design just adds to the incredible 70's flavor of the film. Cast performances are exceptionally strong across the board. Roger Fan as the beyond delusional Breeze Loo expertly conveys the hidden pain of deluded passion. Sung Kang delivers a charming and atypical performance as the Southern dreamer trying to make it happen in Hollywood. And Meredith Lynn Scott hits the tone spot on as the self-indulgent casting director.

Distribution for the film were in "secret talks" during Sundance. Word is they will be releasing the film some time in October 2007. No official confirmation as of yet...

I am not a particular fan of the martial arts genre or a Bruce Lee idolizer, but I absolutely loved this movie. The fact that it is billed as a comedy and is actually funny, and this one is very funny, underscored for me its subtle ridicule of Hollywood, their formula films and the entire assembly-line style of film making. Hollywood seems to treat Comedy as the Miscellaneous category - if you can't categorize it as a drama, a documentary, suspense, horror, action or history, then it must be a comedy. This one is genuinely funny, instead of yet another billed "comedy" that's really just one more money-grubber's yawn fest.

This is also a wonderful but gentle poke at the entire 70's style of film and television, re-creating the tasteless idiocy of that decade's mainstream entertainment offerings, but in a manner that remains nostalgic, affectionate and respectful - like having an old hound dog that stinks just a bit and slobbers all over everyone but we still love him anyway.

If you enjoy the Christopher Guest parody movies (I don't; I respect the effort but it's just not easy to get a laugh out of me - yet this movie got plenty) I think you will find this well worth seeing. Even the nudity is so blatantly gratuitous it qualifies as parody.

If you're fed up with the standard crappy focus-group-oriented film-by-formula usually offered, you'll like this movie. If you want a good laugh, you'll like this movie. If you have a pulse and a sense of humor, you'll like this movie.