Arrow Video's Bruce Lee at Golden Harvest set has been an absolute treat to anyone, fan or not, and an easy contender for the best physical media release of the year, from the long-lost Mandarian Cut of The Big Boss to this. The Final Game of Death puts the definitive stamp on what could have been Bruce Lee's greatest film and the ultimate expression of martial arts philosophy. As tempting as it might be to skip the preceding 3-hour long documentary to see the newly assembled representation of Game of Death, it would be doing James Flower, Brandon Bentley and company a major disservice for the sheer time and dedication they've put into crafting one of, if not, the finest piece of ever assembled for a home video release.
Covering everything known about the filmmaking process, behind-the-scenes issues, subsequent shooting and ultimately unfinished journey Lee's last film undertook, incorporating all 2 hours of the previously found and recently rediscovered footage from his original shoot, it expresses many of his philosophical beliefs in their purest form. From casting to filming to endless delays, there's no doubt Flower and Bentley know their stuff. There's even time dedicated to covering the contractual hand ties that lead to the 1978 film, Clouse's unfortunate handling of an impossible situation and how it kept alive Bruce's undying gift with many filmmakers and craftsmen still taking cues from him and his films to this day.
It's with this build-up that Flower then proudly introduces the newly crafted presentation of Game of Death, one that adheres to showcasing a representation of what would have been possible at the time. Utilising stock Golden Harvest sound effects, Joseph Koo's musical cues from Lee's past movies, newly shot footage to provide a contextual prologue, a new voice dub and a brilliantly animated title sequence crafts the most accurate intention to Lee's original work. No one will ever know for certain how Lee had intended Game of Death to originally play out but The Final Game of Death makes it known that no matter the representation, the legacy of both it and its tragical fallen star will always endure.