Finishing the Game is a 2007 mockumentary film directed by Justin Lin focusing on Bruce Lee's final movie Game of Death (1972), which was unfinished at the time of his death.[3][4] Shot in 18 days,[5] Finishing the Game comically satirizes the 1972 production[citation needed]—which used body doubles and clips from other Lee movies[3]—and addresses racial stereotypes on the Asian community.[citation needed]

Finishing the Game
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJustin Lin
Written by
Produced by
  • Julie Asato
  • Salvador Gatdula
  • Justin Lin
Starring
CinematographyTom Clancey
Edited byGreg Louie
Music byBrian Tyler
Distributed byIFC Films
Release dates
  • January 21, 2007 (2007-01-21) (Sundance)[1]
  • October 5, 2007 (2007-10-05) (Limited)
Running time
88 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$53,219[2]

Its world premiere took place at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, where it was an Official Selection.[6] It was also selected as the opening night film at the 25th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival.[7]

Part of the cast at 2007 Sundance Film Festival.

Cast

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Reception

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Finishing the Game received mostly negative reviews from critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 34% based on 35 reviews, with an average rating of 4.8/10. The site's consensus reads, "Though Justin Lin's premise is precocious enough, the sight gags and comic timing are tired in this mockumentary about Asian typecasting in the 1970s."[8] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 46 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Finishing the Game". 7 February 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  2. ^ "Finishing the Game". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Ito, Robert (August 5, 2006). "50 Guys, All Trying to Look Like Bruce Lee". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  4. ^ Lee died having shot only 40 minutes of the fight scenes, and so the film was completed to include just 12 minutes of Lee's fighting, using Bruce Lee body doubles, and "clips snatched from previous films, even clips from Lee’s own Hong Kong funeral." Robert Ito of The New York Times describes the finished product, "which includes about 12 minutes of Lee’s original fight scenes" as "grotesque." See Ito, "50 Guys...", op. cit.
  5. ^ Ningen. "Finishing the Game (2007) Review". City on Fire. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  6. ^ "2007 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FILMS IN THE PREMIERES, SPECTRUM, NEW FRONTIER,PARK CITY AT MIDNIGHT AND FROM THE SUNDANCE COLLECTION SECTIONS" (PDF). Retrieved May 2, 2018.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ Goto, Taro & SFIAAFF Staff (24 February 2007). "Finishing the Game [25th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (SFIAAFF), March 15-25 2007—Films & Events, Screening, Thu 3/15]". AsianAmericanFilmFestival.org. Archived from the original on February 24, 2007. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  8. ^ "Finishing the Game". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  9. ^ "Finishing the Game: The Search for a New Bruce Lee". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 2016-11-17. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
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