The Movie:

Originally debuting earlier this year on the History Channel, the 2009 documentary How Bruce Lee Changed The World is an examination of just what the title implies - Lee's enduring popularity and influence. This isn't a biographical study so having a basic knowledge of just who Bruce Lee is and what he did will help, but the first ten minutes or so give even those who are new to Lee's world enough of a primer that they'll be able to follow along.

Divided into different segments, this feature length presentation spends a good bit of time explaining why Lee was important in the world of philosophy. By using some interesting vintage interview clips and by interviewing those who were influenced by him and those who have studied him, the documentary makes a very good case for Lee's importance by demonstrating how he combined the physical aspects of the martial arts with the mental and spiritual preparation required to 'be like water.' Of course, there's no shortage of information here on his physical ability as well, as footage of the two-fingered push up and the one inch punch are used more than once to illustrate how he was able to fine tune his body in ways that most of us could never hope to do. The film also spends a good amount of time in its early stage showing how Lee fought to overcome racial stereotypes and how he literally opened the doors for Asian actors in Hollywood.

This all leads into explanations of how, though his philosophy and training and later his development of Jeet Kun Do helped shape the world of weight training, body building, and mixed martial arts. UFC trainers and fighters talk about the profound impact he had on their sport way before it was even really in existence while Sugar Ray Leonard pops in to talk about the impact Lee's style had on professional boxing.

On top of all that, the documentary also spends a fair bit of time examining how Lee's influence continues to dominate action films, particularly those involving martial arts. Brett Ratner, he of Rush Hour fame talks alongside the likes of Donnie Yen, Jackie Chan, and John Woo about how Bruce Lee really changed cinema forever with his work on The Big Boss while Raymond Chow of Golden Harvest fame speaks to Lee's daughter, Shannon, about her relationship with his father. Input from Shannon and Bruce's widow, Linda Lee Caldwell, elaborate a bit on his family life but the primary focus here is on his external influence. We see his family travel to China where a museum and a park are being opened in his honor and we learn how after some initial reluctance the Chinese government has finally embraced Lee's teachings and importance.

Input from musicians like L.L. Cool J. and RZA (of The Wu-Tang Clan and Kill Bill) as well as comedians like Margaret Cho and Eddie Griffin compliment more scholarly types like Bey Logan and show how far reaching Lee's films really were. Plenty of clips from Lee's pictures are used to demonstrate points that are touched on, as are clips from some of his training videos and photographs from his personal life resulting in a well rounded presentation that's more than just a simple biographical piece.

An interesting, well rounded and fairly inspiring documentary, How Bruce Lee Changed The World delves into some areas like weight training and philosophy that are not generally areas you instantly associate with Lee but which are absolutely worth exploring in the context of his life. While he died far too young at the age of 32 and never really got to see the impact he'd have on the world, the statues that have been erected in his honor around the world and the continuing popularity his work and his films enjoy ensure that he'll always be remembered and, as this film so aptly illustrates, not just as a skilled fighter but as a thinker and in many ways as a force for positive change.

The Video:

How Bruce Lee Changed The World is presented in its original 1.85.1 widescreen aspect ratio, which is how it was all originally broadcast when it first aired on The History Channel, though unfortunately this transfer is non-anamorphic and interlaced. Aside from that the picture don't look so bad at all, it's really no better or worse than most television documentaries though some of the stock footage inserts are a little worse for wear which is understandable given the age and obscurity of some of the clips. Colors are fairly lifelike and accurate looking as are flesh tones, though the black levels aren't all that strong. Detail levels are as good as you'd expect from a shot on video presentation, meaning they're fair to average, though there are no obvious issues with mpeg compression artifacts or edge enhancement worth complaining over.

The Audio:

This documentary is presented in a fairly standard English language Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo presentation. There are no alternate language dubs, subtitles, or closed captioning options of any kind provided. As far as the quality of the mix goes, there's not much to complain about here. The levels are well balanced and the background music sounds decent enough. This is not a particularly complex track - it's basically just narration and interview bits with an instrumental score overtop from time to time - so the stereo mix is perfectly sufficient. There are no problems with hiss or distortion and the dialogue and narration is always perfectly audible.

The Extras:

The only real extra on this disc is a five minute segment called Need To Know which is a very brief and very condensed biographical piece on Bruce Lee that talks about where he was born, where he lived, what he did and how he died. As a five minute primer, it's fine, but it doesn't go into any real depth or detail, unfortunately. Aside from that, there is a very basic static menu that offers chapter selection and a selected filmography for Bruce Lee.

Overall:

An interesting and appropriately reverential documentary, How Bruce Lee Changed The World is well worth seeing though it's probably not something you'll go back to time and time again even if it does make a point of touching on areas you might not expect it to. It's well made, and fairly engrossing, but it doesn't have a lot of replay value and the non-anamorphic transfer and weak extras are a strike against it. Regardless, anyone with an interest in martial arts should give it a shot, so consider this a strong choice for a rental.

Ian lives in NYC with his wife where he writes for DVD Talk, runs Rock! Shock! Pop!. He likes NYC a lot, even if it is expensive and loud.