They Call Me Bruce?

Plot synopsis:
The movie opens with a young boy running to meet his grandfather (played by Yune), who lies dying on his bed. The young boy sadly explains that he could not find the medicine required to cure his grandfather's ailment and wonders aloud who will take care of him after his grandfather dies. His dying grandfather attempts to reassure the young boy, and explains that he should go to America. He further explains that when he was younger and working as a merchant marine, he met "the most beautiful girl" in America, and tells the young boy that if he goes there, she will take very good care of him. As the young boy is asking how to find her, his grandfather dies and the movie fades to black.
When it fades back in, quite some time has passed and the young boy, who is now an adult, has arrived in America and has begun working as a chef, catering to some gangsters in California. The gangsters, who call the man "Bruce" for his resemblance to the famed martial artist, Bruce Lee, are having trouble keeping their "boss of bosses" happy, and are trying to come up with the perfect solution to distributing cocaine to all of their clients throughout the United States. Some previous attempts at moving the drug have resulted in busts, and the boss of bosses is not happy.
Through a series of misunderstandings, Bruce makes it into the local newspaper as a hero, having thwarted an attempted robbery at the local market. Bruce's boss, Lil Pete, sees the newspaper and quickly devises a plan putting Bruce in control of moving the cocaine across the country, using Freddy, a stooge associated with the drug lords, as Bruce's limousine chauffeur. He convinces Bruce (who already wants to go to New York City to find the lady his grandfather spoke of) that he should drive to New York, not fly, as flying would rob him of seeing the beautiful countryside. Bruce agrees and the rest of the movie follows an unknowing Bruce delivering what he thinks to be flour to associates of the gangsters across the country, and the interactions he has with the people on this trip.

Tags: cult, flashback

Review:
Surprisingly good B-movie!.
I had read the short review of this movie in "The Video Movie Guide" over and over, thinking it would be bad; but by luck, it was on T.V. one summer afternoon, so I watched it.
Well, they were wrong (again).This movie was good.
It at least did its job in making me laugh like crazy at times, which is tough for anything coming down the pike these days.Johnny Yune, a now forgotten comedian, plays Bruce, so-called because people mistake him for Bruce Lee (he looks nothing like him).
Bruce gets himself involved with the Mafia, who use him and Ralph Mauro as unknowing guinea pigs to deliver "Chinese Flour", which is really cocaine, to various bosses from L.A. to N.Y. When things go sour, the late Margaux Hemmingway tries to off the heroes.The film is very cheap-looking and dark, but there are some absolutely funny lines delivered by Yune.When he's in Las Vegas and he's asked about gamblingBruce: Ah Gambling!
Only thing was, he used to be a billionaire.When he's at a black church and asked to testify.Bruce: We were so poor that when a thief broke into our house, we'd rob him!Early in the film, his adventures at a dojo are pure slapstick, as well as a scene where Yune and Mauro are in a Texas jail, and they use the Chinese Flour to cause a jailbreak, then when the cocaine is on the clothes of the prisoners, they start sniffing at the clothes to snort the coke!
Yes it's cheaply made, yes it's stupid, and yes it's cheesy, But, this is one of the funniest movies that I've ever seen.
Johnny Yune is great in this one (I wish he would have made more movies).
His one liners are so cheesy that you can't help but laugh, and his facial expressions when he is swinging those nunchucks makes me hit the rewind button every time......
Anyone who does not find this movie funny does not have a sense of humor!!!.
But then again, that was MANY years ago when I saw the movie.
I miss funny movies from the 1980's, when it was easier to laugh at ourselves.I think the dude who posted the bologna and deli comments missed the point.
The movie wasn't meant to poke fun at Asians or Asian Americans.
And some people ( like myself ) just love the movie for nostalgia reasons.
It was simple humor and funny.
No one in the movie needed to curse like a sailor or shoot and kill people to entertain.
God Bless Johnny Yune wherever he may be...
The jokes are stupid and Johnny Yune's acting is atrocious, but this is one of the funniest comedies ever made.Best line- "I'm a sex object, when I ask women for sex, they object"Trust me on this one..
Reading some of the reviews here reminds of some critic reviews of various children's movies, wherein they complain about childish plots, low humor or movies that didn't hold their attention, forgetting that they are, in fact, reviewing a children's movie.This movie falls into similar areas, although it's clearly not a children's movie.
It is meant to be a spoof, a parody, and it pokes fun at all kinds of people, be they Asian, Caucasian, African-American, Italian, or what have you.
And in that regard, it's perfect.No, Yune looks nothing like Bruce Lee. No, he's not even Chinese.
It's as much a send-up of Western stereotypes of Asians as anything (ever watch the "Average Asian" skits on MadTV with another Korean, Bobby Lee?).Overall, I have loved this movie every time I've seen it (although the sequel isn't quite the classic), and I would rate it as a fall - out - of - my - seat - and - wet - myself type of comedy.
To answer the implied question about Australians in an earlier comment, I saw the film for what it was: a spoof comedy.
I simply took the gags at face value and enjoyed them.I would not draw any conclusions about "real" Asians from this movie; any more than you would say draw conclusions about any other nationalities from comedy movies.
it's still a good fun film, despite its b-movie status.
Some of these people are being way too critical over the quality of the script and social stereotypes.
It's a movie that should be enjoyed by the public...it's not an oscar contender.
The movie plays on these stereotypes and they know that's how the general public viewed them at the time.
Like Margaret Cho said, "There was war." And also...where do people get the idea that the character Bruce is Korean?
The actor is Korean, yes, but they said nothing of Bruce being Korean..
I saw this movie for the first time about a week ago and it is the funniest movie I have ever seen!
If you like comedies I HIGHLY recommend this movie for your viewing pleasure.Lets ask Mikey to do it, he'll try anything.
All I can say is that this movie and its sequel "They still call me Bruce" are an integral part of any B grade movie night.Johnny Yune and the rest of the cast pull off classic gags at all too regular intervals.I guarantee that you will be laughing for months..
Excellent movie is only surpassed by its sequel.
This is a classic movie filled with non stop jokes.
A fun Ride With Bruce.
if anyone like myself had HBO in the summer of 84 then you saw this film many many times.
i have to confess i have have seen this well over 75 times in my life and i still can watch it and laugh at each wonderful joke.
It takes me back to a time when watching a film was innocent and the internet wasn't there to poison my opinion and i could watch anything without expectations.
This film is in my top 5 because of the time and place it was released.
Johnny Yune should have stuck around and made a few more films i think he could have really made something of himself.
I decided to watch this again, after reading some of the other comments, and perhaps find a funnier movie than the one I remembered seeing, but it still wasn't there.
"They Call Me Bruce?" does have some funny jokes in it, but also too many flat ones.
The whole production looks clumsy and amateurish, but the film's biggest mistake is its overreliance on fight scenes and on the needless plot.
Still, it's not the kind of movie you can genuinely hate, and Johnny Yune is not the most dislikable actor you could find....
I liked Johnny Yune, but it was the early 80s, and even though the likes of Bruce Lee had helped break some of the racial barriers, Yune and other Asian entertainers still wouldn't quite rocket to stardom, no matter how fun the film.This is a pretty decent film, though there is some nudity and swearing, so it's not really a family film as such.
So, unlike the associate producer's comment in "The Canonball Run" DVD commentary track, Yune did NOT make it big, though I always appreciated his humor.I'm not sure what else to add here.
The film looks a bit old and has a slightly dated feel.
And like Jackie Chan's film the martial art's sequences are typical Americanized slow and relatively un- dynamic compared to the their Asian counterparts.The other thing is that it is a bit low budget.
It doesn't have the gloss of Jackie Chan's film, largely because Yune is more of a standup comedian in spite of whatever martial arts' training he may have.
Even so, for a martial arts' comedy film it's okay.Maybe see it once and give it a shot..
Yune driven watch.
Here's a unsuccessful comedy, you feel really tries, but still manages to be really entertaining, mainly thanks to Yune, a natural comic performer,and it's story and characters.
Although really, does he look like Bruce Lee, "I think not".
The film's music score is the best thing about this lively, colorful film, that hosts some beautiful woman, none more than that sexy CIA agent, Bruce falls for, sort of.
This isn't a badly made film, but as I said, it really tries hard, where Yune is the film's star saving grace.
One of the best comedies I have ever seen - it's very memorable and unique.
It's just what you think it might be: A comedy film for those that like that stupid comedies and martial arts.
It's a dork's delight.I do not believe that the film in any way tarnishes or makes fun of Bruce Lee - instead it is more a Bruce Lee fan film.
So many of us wish we could be the real Bruce Lee but are so much closer to being Johnny Yune's Bruce!
Note: You do not have to like Bruce Lee to enjoy this film - you only need to love crazy comedies.I would say this a very good comedy movie to watch on an afternoon that you have some free time and in need of a good laugh.8.5/10.
Get set for all the zany fun in this hilarious comedy about an Asian immigrant that everyone calls "Bruce," because of his resemblance to the legendary Bruce Lee. Bruce unknowingly works as cook for the mob and is duped into making deliveries of "Chinese Flour" - which is really cocaine - all across the U.S. It's a non-stop, rollicking romp when Bruce is persuaded by a wild and crazy assortment of characters - Texas sheriffs, Vegas hookers, rival mobsters, Kung Fu Krishnas, street punks, Urban cowboys and a host of other wacky, weird people interested in "flour.".
Silly Martial Arts Spoof.
Johnny Yune stars in this rather unhumorous yet abundantly silly comedy spoof of Martial Arts films.
Still it is certainly better than anything Adam Sandler ever did.There are two scenes I liked...early on in the bar when the "I'm an Oriental" line gets carried a bit too far and later when Bruce imagines himself as the real Bruce--Bruce Lee. Also the women Margaux Hemingway (what's she doing in this?!) and Pam Huntington deserve points for at least trying.
One of the most inept films I've ever seen; as compelling as a car crash.
This is one of the most inept films in terms of craft I've ever seen.
It is so poorly filmed that it makes an Ed Wood, Jr. movie or one of Oscar Micheaux's later films that are plagued by continuity problems seem masterpieces of craft in comparison.
"They Call Me Bruce?" makes Wood's GLEN OR GLENDA?
The acting was atrocious, yet the film was strangely compelling -- as compelling as watching a car crash.
The scene in the Hair Styling salon, where Johnny Yune is wearing a blonde wig and a mumu and is posing as a mannikin (a mafia torpedo, looking for Yune's character in the shop, keeps stabbing the mannikin next to which Yune stands, never once noticing that Yune keeps moving to reposition himself down the line of mannikins to avoid getting stabbed himself; the torpedo's partner, holding a pistol to the shopkeeper's head, never notices the moving "mannikin" either, distracted as they are by the shouting of the clever shopkeeper) is just unbelievable.
The scene that preceded this one, where a group of African Americans hold Yune and his partner at knife point and Yune speaks to them by using a HOW TO TALK JIVE dictionary, is also simply unbelievable.
Yune's wooing of the African American "gang-members" with jive, who comport themselves with much eye-rolling, "jive-talking" and "soulful" body movements (imitated by Yune's character) that make the late Stepin Fetchit's shtick seem to ne as dignified as Paul Robeson in comparison, is one of the landmark moments of the cinema in the sense that it likely would wind up in some TV documentary about racism if this movie wasn't so damn obscure!
This is one of the worst comedies I have ever seen.
I saw it recently amongst friends (we were having a contest as to who could rent the worst movie) and it felt really dated, even though it wasn't made THAT long ago.
This movie is much worse then it's rating and should be avoided at all costs.
The good thing about this movie is that it isn't carried at most video stores!
Be a leader in your community and help destroy all copies of this movie!Zoopansick.
i found this movie to be very fast paced,with a lot of action and a few mildly funny bits thrown in here and there.i wouldn't call it a comedy,(though many might disagree)but more of an action film/crime drama.it's very entertaining,and worth watching.it references The Godfather on many occasion.even the music is similar in some scenes.in fact,it almost spoofs it.Kungfu the series is also referenced.Johnny Yune who plays Bruce is a very likable actor as is his character.i wouldn't say this is a classic film by any means,but it should keep you entertained for just under ninety minutes.for me,They Call Me Bruce?
I originally was not expecting much from this movie, but I really got a lot more than I originally had planned for.
Johnny Yune is honestly one of the most underrated comedians I have ever seen.
Most people may not find it funny, but his style of humor is very funny in this one.
Something about the way his character says stuff, just makes for huge laughs.
There is no reason to take this movie seriously, because it is just a straight up comedy with a very action parody style plot.
Basically seeing this made me want to see a lot more from Johnny Yune, but this was honestly his biggest break in films.
is a silly American comedy about a noodle chef who bears an uncanny resemblance to deceased kung fu star Bruce Lee, which leads to everybody mistaking him for the action icon.
Thus you might call it the ultimate in Bruceploitation movies, even though Johnny Yune looks absolutely nothing like Lee. Where he differs from the rest of the Bruceploitation actors is that he's actually a gifted comedian, and this is an out and out comedy.The absurd storyline of the film sees Yune working for the Mob before being shipped off to America for a tour around the big cities.
He thinks he's delivering special Chinese flour for noodles, but in fact it's cocaine.
There are a few fight scenes which are fun but since every character in the film is a huge walking stereotype I really think this film's overrated, even though Yune is very good..
Where to begin?When I was fourteen I got this movie as a gift from a relative that I had met twice in my entire life.
It is, in every sense of the word, a B-Movie but a decent one.
It's entertaining, that much I can give it, but it won't be winning any awards.The film centers around a Chinese man, aptly called "Bruce" who gets mixed up with the mob and so forth and so forth.
It's enjoyable and funny at times with some martial arts action mixed in.
It's a good film to turn on to fill the silence.I can see some appeal in this film if you're an avid fan of classic martial arts film, particularly Bruce Lee films.
If you ever come across this film I'd recommend giving it a view if you're a fan of these kind of movies..
"Bruce" (Johnny Yune) is a hapless cook who just happens to work for the main mafia boss on the west coast.
So the boss of the west coast named "Lil Pete" (Bill Capizzi) decides to use an unsuspecting Bruce to deliver his cocaine throughout the United States by fooling him into thinking that it is flour from China.
Naturally, Bruce doesn't know any better.
Meanwhile, another mobster on the west coast named "Big Al" (Martin Azarow) is seeking to discredit Lil Pete and has his girlfriend, "Karmen" (Margaux Hemingway) follow Bruce to inhibit his deliveries.
Anyway, rather than detail the entire plot I will just say that for a low-budget comedy this wasn't too bad.
Johnny Yune was absolutely hilarious.
Johnny Yune was absolutely hilarious.
All in all then I rate this film as about average..
Watched at face value, this movie was decent.
As this was a low budget, low production, small time movie, the expectations should not be too high.As for the past comments on stereotypes and lack of plot, this movie was designed to be a spoof of the Bruce Lee/martial arts movies at the time.
Yune's character is unable to live up to the stereotypes which have been given to him through Hollywood (eg.
Bruce Lee's machismo) and struggles with his identity.
As an Asian American, Yune cannot live up to the macho Asian image yet is rejected (possibly as a threat) by the so called "real" white Americans.Unlike Hollywood movies, Yune's character is a regular Asian American male, neither hyper-masculine, feminized, asexual (by his many vulgar jokes), or a confused foreigner (Long Duk Dong).
Though not overtly pursed, there seems to be some attraction by Pam Huntington's character towards Yune.Yune's character follows no stereotype, and is instead just a regular Asian American male.
In the process, he is able to attract the attention of a white female as well as receive an on-screen kiss – something Bruce Lee, Jet Li (as was cut out of Romeo Must Die), and the apparently three dimensional Jackie Chan have all been unable to achieve in mainstream American media.
If this movie ever had the chance to become Hollywood, all the above would have been undoubtedly cut.For the movie's failure to live up to preconceived images and stereotypes of males of Asian descent, alone, I give it an 8/10.As for previous comments on how one should not draw conclusions from a comedy movie, one should not draw conclusions from any movie at all.