This will be a Spoiler-Free review.
How to watch: Cinemax (with subscription), Rent from Amazon Prime for $2.99 US.
Runtime: 1hour 42 minutes
Language: English (subtitles available)
Director: Robert Clouse
Writer: Michael Allin
Rating: R
Release Date: 08/19/1973
Style: Action, Martial Arts, Hong Kong Action
For more movie details, you can go to the movie’s page at IMDB.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. An evil tyrant with money, power, and everything he could desire, holds a tournament that will decide who is the best fighter in the world. No, I’m not talking about Mortal Kombat, Tekken, or even Street Fighter. I am talking of course about Enter the Dragon. Enter the Dragon is a staple of the martial arts genre. Anyone who says that they are a fan of martial arts or martial arts films has seen Enter the Dragon. This one film, and the man behind it, inspired countless martial artists, video games, and films.
Overview
An intelligence agency recruits a martial artist by the name of Lee to enter a martial arts tournament run by a powerful crime lord named Han. There he meets Williams and Roper, two friendly and colorful fighters. However, he must face Oharra, the man who killed his sister before he can put an end to Han’s reign.
Movie Rating: 7/10
Pros:
Enter the Dragon features an incredible cast of colorful characters. Everyone in this film is given time to shine. John Saxon and Jim Kelly are a fun duo with plenty to offer individually. Kien Shih perfectly plays a tyrant behind the tournament that so many video games and films have based characters off of. Bob Wall’s Oharra is a major threat with serious skills. Bruce Lee, as always, is the personification of magnetism and charisma. Even Bolo Yeung and Angela Mao get their time to shine.
This film is littered with incredible lines promoting Bruce Lee’s wisdom and philosophy along with a little bit a sense of humor from Jim Kelly: “Man you come right out of a comic book.”. Early on, Lee’s character says to a young kung fu student: “It’s like a finger pointing away to the moon. Do not concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory!”. This line may be one of the most influential Bruce Lee quotes of all time. No one can forget one of the most quotable lines from the film, “Boards don’t hit back. “, no not that one, “You have offended my family, and you have offended the Shaolin temple.”. Mr. Lee is a man of few words in this film, but this line, so calmly delivered, tells us that the villainous Mr. Han is about to have a very bad day.
Of course, this movie is full of that Bruce Lee sweetness. Whether he’s calm cool and collected, trying to get his morning workout, or proving that he’s the most complete fighter in the world (whoops wrong guy), Bruce Lee’s screen presence is second to none. Don’t blink or you’ll miss some of the fastest kicks and punches ever put to screen.
Cons
The story is your basic Kung Fu revenge tale with a tournament vibe thrown in to spice it up. That is probably my only major con to this as a film in general. The story doesn’t do anything and the only chance it takes is the death of a major character. But, this isn’t really meant to be a story driven film anyway.
Martial Arts Review: 6.5/10
Pros
This film is full of incredibly talented martial artists. Let’s list them off: Bruce Lee, Jim Kelly, Bob Wall, Bolo Yeung, Angela Mao, Kien Shih, and a gigantic list of Kung Fu stuntmen that even includes the Three Dragons Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao. Everyone is bringing their A-game to this movie and it is clear in more than just their choreography, but their performances as well. Jim Kelly is so much fun and the most electric personality in the film. Bob Wall is terrifying when he loses his temper, and Bolo Yeung makes you want to see him get destroyed when he acts like a cocky muscle head. Their personality adds to their fights just as much as anything else. They fight the way their characters would fight.
Bruce vs Oharra and Bruce taking on the guards in the dungeon is some of the best action of the movie, with the former being mostly their character work. Bruce wants revenge for the man that killed his sister, but he doesn’t just win the fight with ease. He toys with Oharra, showing the cocky board breaker that he is better than him in every aspect. Bruce in the dungeon is when we really get to see what Bruce is capable of.
Cons
While Bruce Lee was the most perfect martial artist of his time, Jim Kelly got to fill the screen with style and flair, and Bolo Yeung and Bob Wall are spectacular fighters in their own rights. However, I do not feel that this movie is packed with the best fight scenes ever put to screen. There have been thousands of movies since 1973 but even of the five Bruce Lee films I do not think that this is the strongest. I am accounting for Game of Death.
All the men I mentioned before are giving their all into the film, but I do not feel the director, Robert Claus, utilized the best camera angles to capture what was needed. There are fantastic and extremely memorable moments within every single fight scene, yet every time I watch, I feel that there is something missing that the performers could not provide without proper camera direction. At times something feels that it is just off screen or the camera just captures the spin of the nunchucks.
Overall Rating: 6.75/10
I do truly love this movie in the end. The characters are as good as any other and the fight scenes are plentiful and full of great moments. Of all of Bruce’s films, this was the one that he got to pump as much of his philosophies into as he could. The world of film simply would not become what it has without Enter the Dragon. Pop culture in 2019 would not be what it is without Enter the Dragon. The mirror scene alone has led to as many recreations as The Matrix.
There is no Street Fighter II, no Tekken, and there is no Mortal Kombat. There is no Jackie Chan, no Scott Adkins, or Tony Jaa without Enter the Dragon. This one film is responsible for too much of what we have today for this film to not be considered one of the greatest martial arts films ever made.
If you are interested in more of my thoughts on the world of martial arts film then feel free to check me out on Youtube at Martial Arts Film Freak.
What do you think about Enter the Dragon? Is it your favorite martial arts movie, overrated, or just ok? Let me know in the comments section below!
Check out my Youtube channel where I review and discuss martial arts films.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUYUbj1Rjnf07S3UbVvKZ0Q?view_as=subscriber
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