Bruce Lee’s Fist of Fury is such an iconic martial arts movie that it’s spawned a long list of unofficial sequels and remakes. Like the vast majority of unofficial martial arts movie sequels that don’t include their original star, most are typically deemed forgettable films that pale in comparison to the original. That’s why Quentin Tarantino’s opinion of one sequel in particular is so striking.

Released in 1971, Fist of Fury was the second of Bruce Lee’s five kung fu movies. Directed by Lo Wei, Fist of Fury told the story of Chen Zhen, a Chinese martial arts expert who returns home to China for his master’s funeral and gets embroiled in a war with a Japanese karate dojo.

Chen Zhen’s heroic stand against the Japanese and ensuing sacrifice at the end of the film made Fist of Fury a symbol of Chinese pride, not to mention one of the best martial arts movies of the 1970s. That naturally set a high bar for any future adaptation, and surprisingly, one that Quentin Tarantino believes was met just six years later.

Quentin Tarantino Says Fist Of Fury Part II Is “Literally Right Up There” With Fist Of Fury

After Fist of Fury, several filmmakers tried to capitalize on its popularity, making movies like New Fist of Fury with Jackie Chan in 1976. Just a year later, director Lee Tso-nam pumped out another unofficial sequel, Fist of Fury Part II, which starred Bruceploitation actor Bruce Li as a new fighter who takes up Chen Zhen’s fight against the Japanese after the rebel’s death.

Due in large part to being a low-budget knock-off of a Bruce Lee classic, the movie currently holds a 42% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which isn’t inaccurate to how it’s generally perceived in comparison to the original. However, Quentin Tarantino has sung an entirely different tune, describing it as a “terrific” film.

When appearing as a guest on the Pure Cinema Podcast to discuss his thoughts on old-school kung fu movies, the subject of Fist of Fury Part II was broached, with Tarantino going as far as to argue that it’s “literally right up there” with Bruce Lee’s movie.

Fist Of Fury May Not Be As Good As The Original, But It Is An Underrated Martial Arts Movie

The director was effusive in his praise of Fist of Fury Part II; Lo Lieh, whom Tarantino has called “the greatest actor” in the martial arts genre, delivered – in his words – a “magnificent” performance as the film’s villain. Tarantino had even kinder words for the star, saying that Bruce Li was “amazing” in Fist of Fury Part II and an even better actor than Bruce Lee himself.

Tarantino elaborated on why he holds Fist of Fury Part II in such high regard by explaining that it includes some of his favorite dialogue ever to appear in a martial arts film. As he points out, it includes some innocuous interactions between the hero and the villain at the end, with the former innocently complimenting the antagonist’s calligraphy before their inevitable showdown.

These sorts of mundane, character-building moments are rare for kung fu movies, which are generally more stereotypical in their portrayals of their heroes and their villains. Fist of Fury Part II, on the other hand, makes Lo Lieh and Bruce Li’s characters feel more like actual people, as opposed to kung fu movie archetypes.

Another Fist Of Fury Movie Came Even Closer To Surpᴀssing The Original

It’s true that Fist of Fury Part II being as good as Bruce Lee’s Fist of Fury isn’t exactly a popular opinion, but the idea of the Bruce Lee classic being equaled (or even surpᴀssed) by another version of the story is not. Rather, it was a remake of Fist of Legend that’s come the closest to that level of critical acclaim.

In 1994, Chen Zhen’s story in Fist of Fury was retold in the form of Fist of Legend, which famously replaced Bruce Lee with Jet Li. Despite revisiting a movie with some of the most iconic fight scenes ever put to screen (not to mention having another actor replace someone as beloved as Bruce Lee), Fist of Legend was a bonafide hit with critics and audiences alike.

It’s 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes speaking for itself, Fist of Legend is now remembered as one of the greatest martial arts movies of the 1990s, as well as one of Jet Li’s best films, thanks to a well-developed cast of characters and some intense, amazingly choreographed fight sequences.

Part of the reason that Fist of Legend was able to succeed where most remakes and sequels have failed has to do with the fact is that while Fist of Legend is a remake of Fist of Fury, the movie does its own take on the story and lets Jet Li offer a new interpretation of Chen Zhen, as opposed to making him into a Bruce Lee clone.

Because of this, Fist of Legend doesn’t suffer from the same stigma that surrounds the movies of the Bruceploitation era, such as New Fist of Fury and Fist of Fury Part II. But while that may have kept the second Fist of Fury sequel from being a mainstream success, it has developed a cult following – as evidenced by Tarantino’s high praise of the story.