Circle of Iron (1978)

Director: Richard Moore
Starring: David Carradine, Jeff Cooper, Christopher Lee

Synopsis:
A wandering martial artist goes on a quest to challenge a sage for his book of wisdom.

Impressions:
With its history as a martial arts allegory conceived by Bruce Lee, there's enough here to pique a person's interest. It apparently has a bit of a cult status, but like most cult films, your mileage will vary considerably. There's not a lot of budget, neither the story nor the performances are all that inspiring, the choreography isn't great, and you may dismiss the underlying philosophy as hokum. Still, there's some charm to it and it may stir your imagination a bit. David Carradine is pretty good in the multiple roles originally intended for Bruce Lee and it's neat seeing notable actors like Christopher Lee and Eli Wallach in bit roles. I can't endorse the film with any enthusiasm, but if you're in for a curiosity, you may want to give it a shot.

Rating:
50/50